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Positive ground

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Jim Tanner

03-11-2001 22:39:08




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What do you look for to tell if your tractor is positive ground or not. What would happen if you hooked it up wrong? If it has a 12 volt system conversion on a WD does it have an alternator, and if so could it have a magneto still??




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Phil Auten (TX)

03-12-2001 20:56:06




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 Re: Positive ground in reply to Jim Tanner, 03-11-2001 22:39:08  
Jim,
Check the battery cables to see which one is bolted to the framework of the tractor. If the tractor still has a generator, it can be polarized to work either way. If it has an alternator it has to be hooked up negative ground to charge the battery.

A WD could have an alternator and still have magneto ignition because the magneto itself generates all the energy to fire the spark plugs and requires no current from a battery to work. I have a '40 B with a mag that is hand start only, there is no battery!

Hope this helps,
Phil

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steve

03-12-2001 17:22:52




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 Re: Positive ground in reply to Jim Tanner, 03-11-2001 22:39:08  
"ground" means which terminal of the battery is connected to the frame of the tractor. Old tractors from the 1940-50 era are 6 volt with positive terminal bolted to ground( tractor frame). About 1960 they changed to 12 volt positive ground. MOst cars however are 12 volt negative ground. This is the world standard system at this time. By the way if you have a positive ground, then the negative terminal goes to the starter. If you have a negative ground then the positive battery terminal goes to the starter. You can just change the battery terminal positions around and starter, coil, and normally mag will not be effected and will work. The problem is the charging system. If you have a positive ground, the generator must be positive ground type. When old tractors are changed over to a car type alternator charge system, they are converted to negative ground at this time because all automotive alternators are negative ground. If connected backward the alternator will burn out. If you want a picture of setup, just ask. To start out, where is your positive battery terminal connected to??

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Steve

03-12-2001 13:09:19




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 Re: Positive ground in reply to Jim Tanner, 03-11-2001 22:39:08  
I'm not an expert by any means but first, if it's positive ground one way to tell is by looking at the coil. The wire coming from the accessory box to the coil should connect to the negative side of the coil. The wire from the coil to the distributor should come from the positive side. The "+" and "-" should be molded into the top of the coil. If you attempt to hook the battery up "wrong" that is negative ground, your going to get one heck of a spark show.
Ref the 12 volt conversion, it could have been converted to a 12 volt generator instead of an alternator.
Lastly ref the magnito...not too shure but I can't see how it would have both.

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