A tractor tale all you traxcor mechanics can appreciat.

Adirondack case guy

Well-known Member
Last winter I drove my Case 440 into my shop with plans to built a 4 post canopy for it. Well one thought lead to another, and I ended up building a fully enclosed cab for it, with all the esential creature comforts. Time ran a bit short as Maple Syrup season began and I use this tractor to pull one of the gathering trailers, so I didn't get all the details wrapped up last spring, so a month ago I drove the tractor into my shop to finish up the project. Added extra lighting and fashioned a wireing harnases to power the radio, windshield wiper, rear view cam and monitor, and the aux lighting that I just installed. At the end of last years season the generator stopped charging properly, so a repair to that was on the toodoo list also.
the gen checked out great, but the VR was questionable. I replaced the old VR and everything was good. Got all my cab wireing done and looking factory. Serviced the tractor front to back and then reinstalled the hood and slid the engine side panals into place.
Perfect!! Just the way I wanted it for this years sugaring season.
This years winter hasn't been bad, but my other shop projects were starting to need more floor space, so the 440 had to be parked back out into the cold. I fired it up and backed it out of the shop and decided to take it for a ride up to the farm and back. A 100' up the road the gen light came on. WTF?? I shut it off and restarted it and light went out, another 100yds up the road it came on again, Gerr!!. Backed it down the road and parked it outside the shop. It rained most of the night and next day. Went out to start it yesterday to drive it in and it wouldn't fire. It always starts, but not this time.
I went stomping back into the shop and started doing some body work on a damaged fender and corner of cab on another tractor. I beat it all straight after an hour or so. A hammer does wonders when you need to vent off flustration, HeHe.
The sun was shining this morning. Went out and the tractor fired rite up-no choke or nothing. The Gen light flickered and went out. All is well. I guess the tractor just didn't want to be parked outside after a month of comfort in the shop.
Loren
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Don't know what happen to the word tractor in the heading. I proof read it and fixed it, BUT!!!
I guess my wierd luck continues.
Loren
 
I have no problem with generators, but these new voltage regulators are a lot of junk. A friend nearly lost his tractor when the VR apparently didn't open when he shut down, and the main wires, gen, and VR all burned up. Fortunately the tractor didn't.

After a neighbor burned up his MF 65 plowing snow, we took to adding circuit protection on all our old tractors which had none. So now there's a MF 65, and several AC's with a fuse, or circuit breaker as close to the battery as possible.

Hopefully your issue was just an oddity- moisture maybe?
 
Thats a really nice looking job, well done..You will be warm and cozy this sugar season.. On another note about the VR. Does that VR have to be energized after you put it on. Reason i say that i had to do that to my 135 Massey Ferguson when i put a new VR on it..
 
Dad had a 1969 Mercury that would die going down the road. Sometimes it would restart and sometimes not.
The alt. light would flicker sometimes. A mechanic at the Ford garage told him to tap the solenoid when this happened.
Sure enough that was the problem. At that time Mercury had a three or four post fender mount solenoid. You could also have a ignition switch problem. Or just a prankster Gremlin.
 
Mike I could have installed an alternator for the price of a VR, but the tach and hr meter are driven off the back of the generater.
Loren
 
My 970 did that (kind of) when the water pump went out the belt was wet from coolant and the alt. light came on as the pulley was slipping. You do great work....I should park my 970 at your house for a year and see what you come up with!
 
That is hard to find parts for that generator too. I am thinking it may struggle to keep up with the added lights ?
 
(quoted from post at 09:43:49 02/05/16) Mike I could have installed an alternator for the price of a VR, but the tach and hr meter are driven off the back of the generater.
Loren

This site sells alternators and kits to add the tach drive to an alternator.
 
I'm well aware of the alternator drive kits, but that would mean cutting the side panal on the nose peice of the hood and fabing up a louver to cover the extra diamiter of the alt. Case did that on later tractors, but the gen is working fine again now. That will be my next choice if the gen fails.
Loren
 
loren ,,, I have the same sort of gremlin runnin around here ,,. especially with electrical ,although you are

far better master mechanic than me ,. seems like last summer I was fixin things only to have to go back and fix it again ,, I counted 3 projects in a row , 1190 haybine , artsway , feed grinder , air corn planter ,,.. with patient persistence it will come around to your way
 

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