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JohnDeereM50 09-17-2012 17:37:52 98.93.10.25 Report to Moderator	I have ran all new wires on my 1950 M except battery cables which is next on my list. All connections are clean..cleaned contacts on cut-out. Generator only charges at almost wide open throttle on high charge. Is the generator wore out or is this normal? I will hardly ever need to run the tractor wide open for anything. Generator number is 1101852 9J22. Has a working 20-20 ammeter. Thanks for any help. [Reply]   [No Email]
M-MAN 09-18-2012 09:17:36 74.235.33.113 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to JohnDeereM50, 09-17-2012 17:37:52   Forgot to mention it but you may need to clean the commutator and brushes and brush holders. It's fairly common for the brushes to get a little sticky from sitting. Had that happen on my Ford a few month's ago & it would only charge at 3/4 throttle. Your generator should be set at 2-4 amps at slow idle & LOW CHARGE. 10-12 amps is it's max. [Reply]  [No Email]
JohnDeereM50 09-18-2012 16:53:31 98.93.10.25 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to M-MAN, 09-18-2012 09:17:36   Took it apart and cleaned it up. Adjusted the brush. Setting on tractor I moved brush to left is that correct? With field post grounded with jumper wire I still see charge only at near wide open throttle and barely anything at idle. Seems to hold 6.12 at idle but discharging with light on until I open it up. Highest I seen meter read with lights off at high idle and on high charge was 6.20 I think I can"t remember now for sure. Dipped down to about 6.8 when starting then went back to 6.12 after running a second or two. Maybe its ok and I"m just to worried. Wish one of yall lived close to look at it. [Reply]  [No Email]
M-MAN 09-18-2012 22:30:25 74.235.33.113 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to JohnDeereM50, 09-18-2012 16:53:31   You moved it the right way. If you're seeing any charge at all at idle it's working. I doubt that it will ever show a charge at low idle with a light on. These are pretty wimpy genny's. Even when they were new if you added a second headlight and rear worklight it woulden't keep the battery charged up. Dealers had to tell the farmers this before adding lighting equipment. See how she does just playing around with no lights. If the top of the battery gets wet or smells you'll have to cut back on the charge rate. [Reply]  [No Email]
John T 09-18-2012 04:22:20 216.249.82.117 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to JohnDeereM50, 09-17-2012 17:37:52   How well does it charge if you simply dead ground the genny FLD post?? If that makes it charge okay but she dont otherwise, I'd suspect the switch isnt well grounded or the switch (low/high and/or on board charge control resistor) is bad or the wires bad from FLD on genny up to the switch. Is the belt good n tight?? As posted if its a three brush it can be adjusted for more charge perhaps if its not already there. John T [Reply]  [No Email]
M-MAN 09-17-2012 21:57:28 74.235.33.113 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to JohnDeereM50, 09-17-2012 17:37:52   Your genny should charge at slow idle but it won't be much. The third brush will probably have to be maxed out for just puttering around. How many lights are you burning? It shoulden't be draining the battery that fast. [Reply]  [No Email]
JohnDeereM50 09-18-2012 04:54:04 98.93.10.25 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to M-MAN, 09-17-2012 21:57:28   I grounded the Field post with no change and I used a jumper across the cut-out with no change. I'm running the one headlight currently. Sorry I didn't mean it was discharging that fast. But if I am just putting around in the yard and its not idled up high and I shut it off and restart it many times I can tell the battery is going down. If I take a trip down the road wide open battery charges back up. I'm fixing this tractor up for my girlfriend and all she is going to do is putt around on it. Generator belt is tight and it still does the same thing with the new wires as it did with old ones. I'll see about adjusting the brush when I get home from work today. [Reply]  [No Email]
rusty wheel 09-17-2012 19:09:22 75.180.23.218 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to JohnDeereM50, 09-17-2012 17:37:52   If the charge in the battery is more than the generator is putting out the cutout relay will not close and the amp meter will not show a charge. When the charge in the battery falls below what the generator is putting out the relay will close showing a charge. The relay is actually a magnetic switch. [Reply]  [No Email]
JohnDeereM50 09-17-2012 19:32:47 98.93.10.25 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to rusty wheel, 09-17-2012 19:09:22   I understand that but if I turn the lights on and the engine isn't at wide open throttle and set on high charge the battery rapidly discharges. For instance the last two days I have been putting around on the tractor and not running it wide open and the battery ran down and I had to charge it. [Reply]  [No Email]
JD Mike 09-17-2012 17:52:08 65.41.51.16 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to JohnDeereM50, 09-17-2012 17:37:52   If I'm not mistaken, this generator should have an adjustable third brush. Pull the steel band off and locate the adjustable brush, the holder will look different than the other two and it will be moveable. Loosen the brush holder screw and push the brush towards the direction of rotation to increase the rate of charge. Do so a little at a time and then tighten and check it. I'd double check all your connections especially the light switch. Unless I'm mistaken, the switch needs a good ground to work properly. Good luck! [Reply]  [No Email]
JohnDeereM50 09-17-2012 17:55:22 98.93.10.25 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to JD Mike, 09-17-2012 17:52:08   Yep I read about the switch problem on JDH Pubs so I made sure switch was grounded to tractor good. Ran extra ground wire just to make sure with no difference so switch seems to be fine. I will look tomorrow if 3rd brush is adjustable...maybe somebody will chime in by then. Thanks. [Reply]  [No Email]
Hotflashjr 09-18-2012 04:03:42 199.144.39.28 Report to Moderator	Re: M Generator in reply to JohnDeereM50, 09-17-2012 17:55:22   It should be adjustable on that generator if you have the original Delco on there. On the back of your switch there is a resistor which looks like wire wrapped around a piece of cardboard. I was having issues with my charging system and after re-wiring and replacing that resistor I have not had a problem. The gauge however does not show large swings in charge on mine but everything charges, lights work, and a multimeter shows the right voltage. When mine is idling on low charge the needle barely moves above 0, high charge goes up but still only to 3 volts or so, then with lights on it goes to a bit above 6 volts. This is a new high quality gauge from a good source I replaced less than a year ago. [Reply]  [No Email]