AMMETER READING VAC

If the ammeter goes "POSITIVE" when the engine is off with the ignition and lights on, then I think maybe you have the battery or the ammeter hooked up incorrectly.

If the ammeter indicates "minus" with the engine off, and then goes FURTHER "minus" when you atart the engine, then your genartaor is DISCHARGING the battery, not charging it. In this case, you need to either change some wiring, or possibly polarize the generator-did you polarize it after the rebuild and reinstall? Whenever you remove or disconnect a DC generator or any part of the charging system(battery, regulator, etc) it is usually recommended by the manufacturers that you polarize the generator. I think what this does is to make sure that the resiidual magnetic field in the generator field poles is correct; if it is not correct, the generator can pout out the wrong polarity of voltage(minus where it should be plus, and vice versa). The usual procedure for a 3-unit regulator is to momentarily short the BAT and GEN terminals together on the regulator with a piece of heavy wire. If your tractor has only a cutout relay, and not a 3-unit regulator, I am not sure if there is a need to polarize the generator; at least my Harley manuals that mention both types of systems only mention the "flashing" or polarizing proecedure for the 3-unit regulator/2-brush generator setup.

You really should get a wiring diagram for the tractor, if you don't have one already, and see what's right and wrong.

If youre at Positive ground, it would be the ammeters - lead that is the main hot battery feed (often off starter post) while its + lead is what wires to the switches plus the BAT terminal on a cutout relay.

If you get it wired correct n she still wont charge, let me know and I will give you a Troubleshooting Procedure for non charging in cutout relay systems. In the meantime, once you get the ammeters polarity correct, see if when running if you dead ground the Gens Field post she charges then????? If so but not otherwise, its EITHER a bad liight switch or the switch isnt well grounded or the wires bad from the Gens Field post up to the switch. You may wanna Polarize the generator just in case its needed also.

John T, retired electrical engineer

HOWEVER, If it swings towards + charge (NOT running with lights on) but then swings towards -discharge when running IF the charging system works,,,,, ,,,,, then I STILL SAY THE AMMETER IS WIRED BASS ACKWARDS or else the battery ground is opposite.

To register correct, the ammeters Supply side has but One terminal to the battery/starter, while its other terminal often has two, one to BAT on the Cutout Relay and other to switches BAT input terminals.

NO, it wont hurt anything if all leads were swapped, it may just read bass ackwards, its electrically similar to a dead short across it anyway.

I still question if the battery polarity got reversed but regardless, it can be made to work so long at is Supply side receives hot ungrounded battery voltage (often off starter) while ALLLLL LL loads PLUS the BAT terminal on the Cutout Relay is wired to its other Load side terminal.

John T

From your last explanation, if it's a positive grounding tractor, then I would need to switch the cables--right?? and that would solve my ammeter reading problem. Seems like the simplest solution (rather that switching wires around at the ammeter) if that is the case. If it's not a positive ground, can I do harm to the electrical system by just trying it that way to see if it changes my ammeter direction to show charge instead of discharge when the tractor is running and generator charging? Right now the cable from the starter is hooked to the underside of the starter switch (button) and the positive cable from the battery to the top side of the starter switch with a connecting wire from that pole to the right side of the ammeter (right, as facing or viewing as if seated on the tractor}. Would changing those two cables around be a remedy? If it is presently hooked up wrong does that must mean that no charge is actually going to the battery even though the generator is charging? I'm not going to "fiddle around" with things until I hear from you. And thanks for the info so far.

Yes, Positive ground means the batterys Pos terminal connects to the tractors frame while its Neg is what goes to the starter.

Yes, its easier to reverse the battery then the ammeter from what you told me.

CAUTION if its been connected wrong, you need to first re connect the battery at Pos ground,,,,, ,,,,,then Re Polarize the Generator by momentarily flash jumping a wire from the Voltage Regulators or Cutout Relays BAT terminal over to its GEN (or ARM) terminal and you should get a small spark. Same things accomplished if you flash any hot ungrounded battery feed (like from starter post or BAT terminal on VR or Relay etc.) direct to the Generators Armature post n get a small spark.

Many Voltage Regulator or Cutout Relays work at either Pos or Neg ground, while other may not, so you gotta re connect the battery then re polarize n just see what happens. NO WARRANTRY LOL YOU MAY HAVE DAMAGED SOMETHING, but theres a good chance you havent.

The coil should be wired to match the tractors ground, i.e. for a Pos ground the coils - gets fed off the ignition switch with its + going to distributor. For Neg ground reverse that.

John T

John T