Have a 400 case gas that my son and I are restoring. Currently has 6 volt negative ground system. Rebuilt the carb, now getting poor spark. Would like to covert to 12 volt and electronic ignition. Can I leave the factory generator and starter on it when converting? Any pointers and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!
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Are you sure it's a 6 volt? I believe the 400 was 12 volt. If it is 6 volt you can convert to 12 volt. the starter will be fine however you will need to change the 6 volt generator to a 12 volt generator or convert to an alternator. I don't believe you can adjust the regulator on a 6 volt generator to get 12 volts.
Don Rudolph
Well-known Member
Your starter is just fine for 12 volts. Any competent starter/alternator shop can easily switch your generator to 12 volt, if you don't want to change to an alternator. I have had good luck switching to electronic ignition w/ a really hot coil. Gas tractors now start instantly. If you have a 6 volt system, 12 volt lights will be needed. Don
6 Volt is more than adequate to run a 400 on. Make sure you have the correct battery cables for a 6 volt system and install the biggest 6 volt battery that will fit under the gas tank. Also clean up all the wire connections that feed the ignition and put in a new set of points in the distributor. Replace the cap and rotor if it is an old set. Also make sure you have the ignition timing set correctly using a timing light to do so. I used to own a 400 that had a of M&W pistons in it. I did everything I just listed. The tractor always started no matter what time of year it was.
I am not necessarily advising but years ago I set my uncles DC regulator up to 12V, actually 14 V. It was a limited use tractor and it did not see a lot of hours. A change to 12 V will make a different tractor out of it, it will start instantly at any temperature if the starter and cables are in good condition and sized properly. I would keep cables that are sized for 6 volts. If you decide to go electronic I would advise the Pertronix Ignitor 2, It is designed to handle low ohm coils. so coil selection is not so vital. My uncle had a 400 and he was a Case dealer and that tractor had a 6 volt Exide battery for many years, If I told you how many years he got out of that battery no one would believe me so I won't post it.
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