Father in law got this for a steal and my goal is to make it as good as it can be. Runs great, gotta dig into the hydraulics a bit as they won't raise all the way at times. Got a service manual and parts catalog. That being said, I know this has been discussed a lot throughout the years and I'm very new to working on antique tractors. I know nothing about 6 volt sustems. Previous owner replaced the generator with one that does not have the tach drive. Wiring harness needs to be replaced as well. I would like to do the upgrade to 12 volts but I want everything to work and work right. All kits I have found do not have the generator with tach drive, so they're useless to me. Is there a kit to convert to 12 Volts and make literally everything work correctly and does not leave any weak links that the extra voltage could possibly affect? I don't HAVE to convert it to 6 volts but chances are I'm going to be replacing a lot of components between now and a few years and since they aren't using it yet I'd rather just cough up the $ now. Thanks for your help!
- Thread starter helm_55
- Start date
Welcome to the forum!
Take another look at that 640. The Proofmeter/tach does
not run off the generator. It runs off the hydraulic pump.
Four speed proofmeter for an 8N that ran off the generator
will not read correctly. 12V conversion wouldn't affect it at all.
There's really not much different to know about 6V systems either.
Other than it seems to be difficult to find a good replacement
voltage regulator. If yours is working and charging, save your
money until it doesn't. 90% of my Fords are now 12V for that
reason. None of my other brands are though. Nor the 2N I just sold.
They have cutouts instead of VRegs and work just fine.
If you are going to convert it, you will want to change the light bulbs.
They really are brighter than 6V headlights if you need to use it at night.
LED's are also an option with 12V conversions and are great.
I also change to a true 12V coil so I don't have to use a dropping resistor.
Less connections to corrode, less hassles. NAPA IC14SB or equivalent.
Take another look at that 640. The Proofmeter/tach does
not run off the generator. It runs off the hydraulic pump.
Four speed proofmeter for an 8N that ran off the generator
will not read correctly. 12V conversion wouldn't affect it at all.
There's really not much different to know about 6V systems either.
Other than it seems to be difficult to find a good replacement
voltage regulator. If yours is working and charging, save your
money until it doesn't. 90% of my Fords are now 12V for that
reason. None of my other brands are though. Nor the 2N I just sold.
They have cutouts instead of VRegs and work just fine.
If you are going to convert it, you will want to change the light bulbs.
They really are brighter than 6V headlights if you need to use it at night.
LED's are also an option with 12V conversions and are great.
I also change to a true 12V coil so I don't have to use a dropping resistor.
Less connections to corrode, less hassles. NAPA IC14SB or equivalent.
Sounds like you are a bit confused. The alternator as nothing to due with the tach (Proof-Meter) drive. The Proof-Meter is driven by a mechanical cable from the back of the hydraulic pump, which is at the back of the engine on the right side. 12 volt alternator conversion kits are available, including from this site
The cable is missing and after reading that the kits didn't come with the tach drive I assumed that this was the case. Good to know! So this is what I'm planning on getting: A 12-volt conversion kit, 12 volt coil with internal resistor, a pertronix electronic ignition unit, and a high voltage spark coil. Any other recommendations or comments?
tractorguy2
Well-known Member
If the generator is working. I would leave it on six volts. I
have a 640 with Sherman backhoe. I use it every two or three
years. It has always started right up on six volts even after
sitting for three years.
have a 640 with Sherman backhoe. I use it every two or three
years. It has always started right up on six volts even after
sitting for three years.
Sean in PA
Well-known Member
That information about the tach drive on the generator applies to the 1965-1974 thousand series, not to any of the pre-1965 Ford tractors.
Similar threads
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.
Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy