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Ford 9N, 2N & 8N Discussion Forum
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Testing the Voltage Regulator?

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Long Island 8N

03-30-2005 14:42:51




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I know, i'm asking too many questions. But this board is addicting. I have chronic dead batteries on my 1948/49 8N. Think may be the charging system. I think i have the old 3 brush setup generator. Already did the quick test on generator output by connecting jumper across field and arm terminals -- get nice current drop on the amp meter. So i thinks the generator is AOK. But the voltage regulator looks old and suspect. Is there any way to test? The F04 manual instructions look pretty complex. Thanks as usual.

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Rob

03-30-2005 15:53:06




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 Re: Testing the Voltage Regulator? in reply to Long Island 8N, 03-30-2005 14:42:51  
I just went through the voltage regulator adjustment and did it like the FO-4 says. It looks complicated but it"s not a huge deal. You don"t need an ammeter if you have a good one in the dash already. You do need a voltmeter. Needlenose pliers and a jumper wire with alligator clips is very handy. If you don"t have wire like that then get one. I pulled the wiring harness out the battery door so I could set the regulator there on the hood where I could get to it. You need a good ground on the regulator so the jumper wire will do that for you.
The regulator has a cut-out relay with normally open (NO) contacts and the other coil is the regulator normally closed (NC) contacts. Start her up and when you push the NO contacts closed a working ammeter will show charge. You should hear it load the engine just some. Those contacts might look closed but don"t be fooled, until you push them it might not charge. You adjust the spring on those points. The hanger on one end is bent unlike the other three hangers on the two springs, so you tweak that one to get the spring spread just so, an itty-bitty adjustment makes big change. Tweak that spring until it works just like the F0-4 says in paragraph 67. Then check the cutout like it says in paragraph 66.
Fiddle with it for a few minutes and it should make sense because it"s not so mysterious as it looks reading the book.

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Long Island 8N

03-30-2005 15:45:07




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 Re: Testing the Voltage Regulator? in reply to Long Island 8N, 03-30-2005 14:42:51  
Zane, you must be right. I have 3 terminals coming off generator. Will try the tests, if not, another trip to Napa. Dell, your test is simple -- just my style.

As always, thanks guys.



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ZANE

03-30-2005 15:38:23




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 Re: Testing the Voltage Regulator? in reply to Long Island 8N, 03-30-2005 14:42:51  
I don't think you have the three brush generator. If you did it would only have one terminal and it would connect to the "cutout" and not to any voltage regulator.

TESTING THE TWO BRUSH GENERATOR CIRCUITS.
THIS WAS CONTRIBUTED BY CLAUS

First you should carefully inspect and trace all the wires in the charging system to determine if they are intact and going from and to their prospective places.
With an Ohm meter you should determine the continuity of each individual wire by disconnecting each wire individually one at a time at both ends and testing for no open breaks in that particular wire. Then go on to test the remaining wires. Most notably the Gen wire, the field wire and the battery wires. Be sure that the wire that comes up from the starter solenoid from the hot battery cable goes first through the ammeter and then to the junction block and on to the voltage regulator Battery terminal.

If the wires are not connected as they are supposed to be to the right terminals or are broken there can be no movement of current to and from the battery and the generator/regulator circuits.

Generators normally have two terminals. F or field is the ground or "regulated ground" terminal, and A or armature is the Hot or "regulated charging" terminal.
1. measure battery voltage, engine off.
2. start tractor and measure battery voltage, should be higher
3. if you don�t see a big increase in voltage then determine if problem is regulator or generator---to do this--
4. take both wires off the generator.
5. ground the F terminal to the tractor frame.
6.start tractor and measure the voltage at A terminal. if it is 20-30 volts the generator is good. if you have 5 volts, the generator is bad.
7. if generator output is good, run the A terminal wire to the amp meter, then to the battery lug. start tractor and see the voltage is 1 volt above battery and ampmeter show good charge. (just run 1-2 minutes.)
8. this proves regulator is bad if generator is charging without the regulator

Troubleshooting The 2 brush Generator
The 2 brush generator and the voltage regualtor are troubleshot as a system.
Low or no generator output
Short the Armature terminal to the Bat terminal of the voltage regulator. (Do not touch the field terminal )Does output now come up to normal? If so, the VR is probably defective. If not, connect a jumper on the generator field terminal to ground. Does the generator now produce normal output? If yes, the VR is probably defective. If not go on to the next test.
Generator Motor Test.
Do not run engine for this test. Disconnect the wires from the generator. Disconnect the fan belt. Apply a jumper wire from the field terminal of the generator to ground. Apply a jumper wire from the battery negative to the armature terminal of the generator. Does the generator turn? If not the generator is probably defective. The generator should rotate in the direction of rotation same as the engine.

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Upper Peninsula, Mi.

03-30-2005 16:10:12




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 Voltage Regulator with 3 Brush Generator? in reply to ZANE, 03-30-2005 15:38:23  
HI Zane. Just a note to advise it is possible to eliminate the cut out and replace it with a voltage regulator using the old 3 brush generator. I had my generator rebuilt about 10 years ago and asked if it was possible to use a VR. Was told yes and that he had converted several 9N to VR's. I had him do mine and it has worked just great since.Ron



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ZANE

04-01-2005 16:57:46




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 Re: Voltage Regulator with 3 Brush Generator? in reply to Upper Peninsula, Mi. , 03-30-2005 16:10:12  
You are absolutely right on the voltage regulator working with the three brush generator. The cut out on the original three brush generator is the same thing electrically. I learned this a few years back while working on a 9N that had the voltage regulator set up. All you have to do is to connect the output from the generator to the Gen terminal of the voltage regulator and the Batt. to the Battery and it works.

With this set up though you still don't have a "voltage regulator" the field terminal would have to go to a feild terminal on a two brush generator in order to regulate the output of the generator. The three brush generator can't be regulated normally. There is an electronic cutout that acts as a regulator I read.

Zane

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Rob

03-30-2005 16:07:33




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 Re: Testing the Voltage Regulator? in reply to ZANE, 03-30-2005 15:38:23  
I have a three-brush, three-wire genny with a regulator on a "44 2N. The regulator is mounted to a triangle-shaped plate bolted to the left side of the battery support. There was a post a couple, few days ago about one like it.
It"s an A-circuit.



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Dell (WA)

03-30-2005 15:29:39




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 Re: Testing the Voltage Regulator? in reply to Long Island 8N, 03-30-2005 14:42:51  
LI..... ....while in the olden days of $50c/hr wages, they used to have great big impressive "test-benches" for generator and voltage regulator testing and adjusting. Now-adays, with $7/hr min wages and impossible to open voltage regualtors, ya just throw that old piece of $30 mechanical junk away iff'n you even think there is sumptin wrong withitt.

But I digress..... the eazy way to tell iff'n yer voltage regulator is workin' correctly, is measure yer battery post volts with yer engine runnin' 1/2 throttle; shud be about 7.4 volts. Less than 7 volts or more than 7.5v yer voltage regulator ain't reggen correctly. Throw'er away and install a new'un and remember to re-polarize the new V/R. Simple, eh?..... ...Dell

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