1971 Ford 5200 generator issues

Jo-ker

Member
My 5200 has been the greatest tractor that ever rolled out of either the Romeo plant or Highland park plant.Now having said that, i find the generator on it leaves alot to be desired. If i use the tractor every day. it seems to be able to keep the battery charged, but when conditions get dusty, the generator gives out.When i run the tractor less frequently,the starter moans when starting,eventually the battery gives out and i put a battery charger on it and its good for another month or so(battery is from NH and is about 2years old).Now if the tractor sits for more then a few days, i take the ground cable off and battery stays charged.Generator was rebuilt 16months ago along with the regulator.Im thinking its time to go to an alternator, my 3600 has an alternator and is trouble free.Anybody have any suggestions
 
If you're having issues with the generator, I'd go with an alternator. But you'll loose you tach and hour meter function unless you get one with a tach drive on it. Not cheap, but that's the route I'd go.
 
An alt is certainly the way to go in my opinion. If you have a 72 or later engine block you can convert the instruments and tach drive to the more modern style where the tach is driven off the oil pump drive shaft... and you need to install the x600 instrument cluster because the tach turns the opposite direction. You may or may not need to change the temperature sender depending on what cluster you get...
If you do that, then you can use an off the shelf Delco 10si alternator that is easily and cheaply obtainable. You have to modify the lower mounting bracket and build a new curved upper mounting bracket for the alt. I usually just run new primary cables to the alt from the starter solenoid... and then wire the idiot light directly through terminal 1 on the alternator with a power source directly of the key...

If you have an older model tractor then you are stuck with the instruments you have because the block does not support the tach drive. In that case I would go with the Tisco conversion kit that is available from this site or any other Tisco dealer which includes a modified Delco 10si alternator with a tach drive added to the rotor shaft. This is a SPECIALIST ITEM only available from Tisco...
Another option is a 10DN alternator with external regulator. These were fitted to various tractors such as the Allis 175 etc. That will use basically the same alternator as the Tisco kit except you need to add an external solid state regulator. Cost wise... I think that's probably a wash.
Again, in either scenario you need to modify the brackets or use the chincey brackets they supply in the kit. I would modify the originals...

In terms of cost, probably the first option is the most expensive up front as it requires changing the instruments... but in the long run, if you get a lifetime warranty alt... probably the cheapest as it only has to crap out once and you're in money.
The biggest issue I have with the Tisco kit is that it's only available through them and it has a very basic warranty. I have one of them and it's worked fine.. but when it does die, and it will... then I will have to find someone to rebuild that alt with that very specific rotor or buy a whole new kit again.

Rod
 
Rod,

I almost didn't read your post, because I knew exactly what it was going to say. One thing you said that caught me off guard though was your suggestion of possibly using a Delco alternator with an external regulator. This is the first time I've seen you suggest that. Why do you suggest this as an alternative to a SI? Seems like more work for no gain.
 
It will work... I've had 10DN's on other machines that work fine. It's not my first option but if there was some significant dollar savings there I'd do it.
I really don't like using that special 10si kit with the drive because I know some day it will crap out again...
My real preference is to change the instruments and use the engine drive with a very basic alt.

Rod
 
If the battery is losing charge just sitting unless you disconnect it then it may be something else other than the generator draining the battery. I would do some troubleshooting until I found where the draw is coming from before I spent any money on anything. Disconnect the battery and put an ammeter in line between the battery and the cable and then start disconnecting other things until the current stops.
 
I agree with Sean.. you have a bad voltage reg, or the key is not cutting everything off, or your light switch is bad, and causing a drain.

Or your battery is bad, or your gen is not charging. Yes they can be a pain in the butt a thousand times, right up to were you fix it and then its good for 20 more years. The 22 amp generator is big enough to charge it.
 
Your 71 would have the soft plugs and could be converted to the new style tach.
The tachs on those 65-75 Fords usually failed early. So I'm betting yours doesn't work anyway and if it does I'm betting it will fail soon.
If you want a tach AND reliable charging system then take Rod's advice and do the conversion.
I'm just guessing on the prices here but
1) drive gear - $60
2) Tach drive - $50
3) New left hand tach - $125
4) New 10SI alternator - $60
 
wont you have to replace the heat sender to make the new dash work? And redrill and retap the head? The newer cluster did not use the voltage stabilizer IIRC.
 
I've had some clusters that required a sender change and some that did not. I think if you stay with early x600 instruments you will not require a change in senders. If you go to 10 series instruments... then definitely, you will need to drill and tap the head for the larger sender.

Rod
 

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