Ford 5000 electricalgenerator

A couple years ago I replaced the console on my Ford 5000 (hour meter, RPM meter) and what I believe was a voltage regulator in front of the fuel tank. About a week later, the RPM meter quit working, but the hour meter still worked and still works. I also replaced what I believe was a voltage regulator then (a box like thing with what looks like a big resistor in it), and a while later, my battery quit charging like it should.

I thought initially I got cheap parts, and I finally have the time to get this fixed.

Did I wire something wrong? Was it cheap parts? Anyone have a suggestion for good replacement parts?

I have a complete set of service manuals for the tractor, but could never figure out whether I may have connected a wire wrong.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Haven't posted here in some time...just way too busy. I posted here awhile ago after doing some work on my SoS:

Ford Select O Speed

sound slike a vreg and a voltage stabilizer was replaced.

if she quit charging check the genny first. motor test her.

the lucas gennies are not as robust as the ford ones.. but the vregs are pretty junky.

as for the tach.. check the cable and worm drive from the genny

If the proof meter is working and the tach is not working then the cable and drive system is fine.... the proof is working. The problem is internal to the tach workings... so basically you have a junk tach.
As far as the charging problems go.... that's pretty much normal for those systems. You gravitate between bad regulators and bad generators and back again until you have enough and install a Delco 10si alt.
In your situation.... if you have an engine that was built after 1972 and it has the welch plug above the oil pump drive (just below the oil filter) and also has a factory spin on filter.... I'd just install the tach drive in that welch plug hole. You will need a new oil pump drive shaft/gear with the square drive hole, the angle drive, a new cable for a 5600 and an instrument cluster for a 5600. I'd probably go with a Tisco unit myself...
Then install a Delco 10si alt from NAPA with a lifetime warranty. You need to modify the lower bracket and extend the length and carve the upper one. Wiring needs to be updated a bit but that is simple. Once done... it's DONE, and it charges.
If you have an older block and require the tach drive to remain on the alt/gen... you can buy a modified Delco 10si for this specific purpose, from Tisco. This site retails Tisco stuff....

Rod

Thanks for the comments guys. I will check them out and get some work done when I can catch up again. I would like to just go to the new alternator...what would be needed for new wiring?

Edited to add: Rod, can you provide more detail on the change in alternator while keeping the tach drive from the generator? I could understand the mechanics of mounting it assuming I would put a belt on to drive both the alternator AND generator, but what additional wiring would be needed?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Take the gen and heave it on the scrap heap until you want it's copper....

Take the original lower mounting bracket... turn it over end for end and then elongate the holes as far as you dare so it will slide forward. Then mount the alt... then you will see what you need to do to mount the top bracket. You'll also need a longer drive belt... mabey an inch or two. I forget exactly.

If your engine has the newer style plug over the oil pump drive you can update the instruments and install that drive. Otherwise you need a special alternator from Tisco that has a tach drive mounted on the end that is driven from the rotor. There are also Delco 10DN externally regulated alt's out there that have tach drives... but then you need to buy an external reg so that adds to the cost.

Wiring the 10si 3 wire is pretty simple. I run a 4-6 ga wire from the BAT terminal on the alt directly to the + Lug on the starter. Terminal 2 on the alt is jumped back to the BAT lug on the alt. Terminal 1 is wired with a 14 ga wire up to the charge light in the instrument cluster. When you cut the wire to hook into the light.... make sure that it's wired such that the light receives power from the ignition and the alt is hooked to the other side of the bulb. And you're done.

The instrument update is fairly simple also. Just remove the oil filter, pry the welch plug out that sits below it... then extract the oil pump drive shaft/gear. Install the new shaft/gear with the square drive hole, then install the new angle drive above it... hook the new cable up and the new cluster. IF you get the right cluster from '76-'79 or therabouts.... you don't have to change any senders. If you go with a newer cluster then the temp sender must be changed out and that requires drilling and tapping the head to receive the newer style sender.
You're probably into 500 bucks to do all of this when it's all done. That's only the cost of 2 gens and 3 regs. LOL. Or more commonly 1 gen, 1 reg and 1 battery.

Rod

Thanks a bunch Rod. I will have to bookmark this page for when I can get to it. I appreciate the help very much.

While they can be troublesome, once you get them repaired, they pretty much work for 30 to 40 years. So.. if you want to fix the generator and try a couple of voltage regulators, you will get it done. I find its usually the vr that is bad, but have replace a couple of gennys and several gears on the tack drive. And then, they work perfectly. Seems the vr's are aftermarket, made in India or Turkey or somewhere and they are either bad out of the box, or will work fine. Be patient.

That may happen in your southern texas environment.... but it doesn't happen here. I've never observed anyone have anything but misery with one of those gens... and if you buy the tractor used it's almost certainly not charging if it has a gen. The only way you get to fix and forget for 40 years is if you don't need it charging.

Rod