'47 Cockshutt 30 not charging battery

I'm hopeful that you all can help this newbie.
My father picked up a Cockshutt 30 last fall. We used it to pull hay-ride wagons during our pumpkin season. I fell in love with it. It ran great.

Fast forward to this spring. My pops thought that it would be a good idea to set the tractor out in front of our farm stand and not put it in at night. It sat out there for a few months. That's where our trouble started.

The system does not appear to be charging the battery. If I charge up the battery with a charger I'll get a half dozen starts out of it before it loses enough charge to not do the job any more.
The tractor is a 6 volt positive ground system. It still has a three brush generator. The light switch is no longer the three position switch that the operator manual states should be there but is a simple push pull.
I've pulled the battery and had it tested at the local auto parts store. It tests good and will hold a charge when charged from the bench.
I've cleaned all of the connections on the voltage regulator and the contacts on the solenoids inside it.
I've performed a motor test on the generator and it does motor.

Before I start throwing money at parts I figured I would stop guessing at the issue and just ask if those with more experience could help me out.

I've got a video of the ammeter with the tractor running and me toggling the light switch off and on.
I've also got a video of the VR with the tractor running.
I'll collect those videos and post links shortly.

Thanks in advance.

Keith

here are the links to the videos
Voltage Regulator - https://youtu.be/AeJCMCkltzY
Ammeter - https://youtu.be/odoFafkIExA

A couple of questions, I see the ammeter go to charge when the knob on the switch is pulled. Are the lights on when the knob is pulled out? Did you polarize the generator after the motor test? Does the generator motor fast or slow during the motor test? What happens to the speed of the generator when a jumper wire (third wire) is attached to the generator field terminal and the other end grounded? Do you have a voltmeter? Start there and report back to us. You have an e-mail address and or a phone number?

I see the ammeter go to charge when the knob on the switch is pulled. Are the lights on when the knob is pulled out?

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es, the lights turn on when I pull the switch knob out.

Did you polarize the generator after the motor test?

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No, I did not polarize the generator after the test.

Does the generator motor fast or slow during the motor test?

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This was my first attempt at a motoring test. It wasn't lumbering, but it wasn't ripping off it's mounts either. I wish I had a better description for you.

What happens to the speed of the generator when a jumper wire (third wire) is attached to the generator field terminal and the other end grounded?

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I will have to test and get back to you.

Do you have a voltmeter?

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Yes

You have an e-mail address and or a phone number?

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have an email address: [email protected]

A couple thoughts:

1 - The action of the ammeter says the battery IS charging the battery when the light switch is pulled out. However assuming the lights come on when you pull the switch, it is working opposite from what you would expect. (With a less than full-charged battery you should see 15 - 20 amps charge with the lights off (switch in), and 2 - 4 amps with the lights burning (switch out)).

2 - Your video shows a LOT of arcing on the VR contacts. There should be almost no visible arcing in bright daylight.

This suggests either the generator/voltage regulator are miswired or the voltage regulator's ground is bad. A 3rd possibility is a failed voltage regulator (it happens - especially after sitting a while exposed to the weather!)

Please post back how the light switch/lights operate - it will be helpful for further diagnosis!

I went back out to the tractor yesterday to apply some of the suggestions I got from you all. One of the first questions was whether or not I had polarized the generator after the motor test. I hadn't, so I figured that I would start there.
I polarized the generator and that was all it took to get the system charging again!
While the flattened battery might have been the original culprit, I think that I also figured out how it may have gotten reversed. The mount for the VR is a shock mount. When moving the generator in to get the fan-belt off I must have touched the side of the VR to the A post on the generator. A quick spark is all it took from there.

There are still some issues. The ammeter is definitely sensing in reverse. I assume that reversing the leads will take care of this issue. Am I correct in this assumption?
The charge rate seems high to me. I'm seeing 15 plus amps. Should I be adjusting this lower?
Also, at what voltage should the VR cutout solenoid open?

I can't thank you all enough for responding to me an offering me your suggestions.
Keith

Thanks!
Your response didn't show on my end until after I posted my last response. If 15+ amps is OK from a flat battery I'll leave well enough alone.
The arcing disappeared almost entirely once the polarity had been set correctly.

Thanks again,
Keith

Yes, reverse the leads. Did you take a voltage reading of the generator? At what voltage does the cut out open now? When you check the voltage while the unit is running and without looking up the specs you should have close to 7.4 volts with a fully charged battery to start with.