Farmall BN: Positive Ground?

spf150 · Oct 14, 2012

I've got a '47ish Farmall BN that I'm trying to get going. Does this tractor use a positive or negative ground? Found a wiring diagram online that shows it as a positive ground but when I first got to the tractor the battery was hooked up with the positive running to the starter.

I've gone thru the wiring and compared it to the diagram and it seems that it is still wired up the correct way.

Assuming it is a positive ground, did I damage anything by trying to start it with a negative ground?

Thanks for the help!

TractormanNC · Oct 14, 2012

Originally was 6 volt POSITIVE ground. Who knows what has been done in the past 60 plus years.

With that said, if it is still 6 volt, positive ground is correct but it will work either way. Just be sure to polarize the generator before starting.

If converted to 12 volts with an alternator, then it needs to be negative ground since most alternators are negative ground.

old · Oct 14, 2012

Factory it did come out as + ground and if it is still 6 volts and has a generator on it then yes it should be + ground. As for hooking it up the other way most systems do not care which way you do it as long as you polarize the charging system after you install a battery. So did you hurt any thing you have say a 99% chance all is just fine

gene bender · Oct 14, 2012

If it has a reg instead or the original cut-out it probaly didnt do the reg any good. The reg assuming someone did replace with one made for that system would have been a pos gnd and said so on the bottom of the reg. But after all the yrs hard to tell whats original. Your gen should have the Delce-Remy tag and it should be either a 1101423,355 but whats on there now is hard to say. You will need to check it out and then go from there.

spf150 · Oct 14, 2012

Thanks guys! Still has the generator but I don't think this system has a voltage regulator, there is that box with a dial and the ammeter tho.

Here's the wiring diagram I found online:
http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m46/farmallbob/Farmall%20Tractor%20Wiring%20Diagrams/?action=view&current=04-6VoltCutoutAndMagneto-rev4_17-1.gif&

My tractor currently has no lights installed. Also noticed that the wire that runs from the 4 position switch/ammeter box to the starter is AWOL. So, when the battery was installed the only thing it was supplying power to was just the starter. By any chance would that keep the tractor from firing up?

Farmall BN: Positive Ground?

spf150

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TractormanNC

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old

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gene bender

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spf150

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