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Farmall & IHC Tractors Discussion Forum
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Positive ground

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Tyrod

08-31-2005 08:34:15




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Got a crazy question. I hear positive ground mentioned sometimes in the forum. How do I tell if my cub has it or not? There was no battery in the tractor when I got it. and I would like to get started working on it. It had not been running for two years before I got it.

Just wonder what would happen if I hooked up the battery wrong?

Any and all help would be appreciated.




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old

08-31-2005 15:02:34




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 Re: Positive ground in reply to Tyrod, 08-31-2005 08:34:15  
My 0.02 worth. If it has an alternator on it and you hook it up + ground you will fry the alternator the moment you hook it up. Been there done that. If it has a genny it can work either way but it would have been + ground from the factory



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Marvin(MN)

09-01-2005 00:02:57




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 Re: Positive ground in reply to old, 08-31-2005 15:02:34  
Cub switched to 12-volt with ser#224401 and that was Neg.Gnd. with a generator. Later they went an alternator. Please correct me if I am wrong.Marvin



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Harold H

08-31-2005 14:23:46




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 Re: Positive ground in reply to Tyrod, 08-31-2005 08:34:15  
Generally, if it is 6 volt it should be positive ground and if it is 12 volt it should be negative ground.

Harold H



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captaink

08-31-2005 09:40:30




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 Re: Positive ground in reply to Tyrod, 08-31-2005 08:34:15  
First, if it has a magneto it doesn’t really matter except for witch way the ammeter swigs for charge/discharge. If by some chance it has an alternator, it probably is negative ground, but not necessarily. (Hate to be wishy-washy but I’ve read on here that there are alternators that are positive ground but not very likely.) If it has a generator, the generator can be polarized either way.

If it has a distributor and coil, then look on the coil. On it there are terminals where the wires connect that are marked + and –, the one going to the distributor is the one that SHOULD be the same as the one on the battery that is grounded. For an example of positive ground the + terminal on the coil should go to the distributor and the + terminal of the battery would be connected to the ground on the tractor.

This is not a guarantee, but the only things that really care on your tractor is the coil and the generator/alternator and the generator can be polarized. The ammeter doesn’t really care, but you will probably want it to swing the right way.

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Bob M

08-31-2005 09:04:41




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 Re: Positive ground in reply to Tyrod, 08-31-2005 08:34:15  
You can deterimine ground polarity like this: Install and connect a battery with the positive post on the grounded cable. Now while observing the ammeter turn on either the lights or the ignition (don't start the engine!). If the ammeter indicates discharge, the tractor is wired positive ground. Conversely if the ammeter indicates charge it is wired negative ground - reverse the battery cables.

Note - this test won't work if the tractor has magneto ignition and no lights!

Once the battery is connected correctly, good idea to polarize the generator before starting up the first time (momentarily jumper across the BAT and GEN terminals at the regulator).

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Janicholson

08-31-2005 12:59:55




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 Re: Positive ground in reply to Bob M, 08-31-2005 09:04:41  
Do not hook up a battery to the system without being sure it does not have an alternator!!!!!
Hooking a battery backwards to an alternator will smoke every thing, possibly starting the tractor on fire!!! Especially without a 5o amp fusible link (I've never heard this forum discuss fusible links, they are appropriate on alternator systems hooked between the amp meter, which should be able to handle 50 amps, and the battery). Go for it,
JimN

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Bob M

08-31-2005 14:25:34




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 Re: Positive ground in reply to Janicholson, 08-31-2005 12:59:55  
Excellent advice!! (My response above presumed he had a generator...)

Thanks!!



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