Re: F12-20 lighting packages

Posted by Bob M on February 25, 2005 at 07:24:29 from (151.190.254.106):

In Reply to: F12-20 lighting packages posted by Jeb2N on February 25, 2005 at 03:19:57:

Hey Jeb � Welcome to the �red side� of the old tractor world!

I�ve seen a lighting kits installed on a few old tractors at shows. Most interesting are the batteryless ones � I think made by Prestolite.

I believe batteryless generator is actually a permanant magnet alternator. Thus the lights are powered by variable frequency/variable voltage AC - same as the work lights on cheap, modern lawn tractors, walk-behind snowblowers, etc. Means the faster the engine runs the brighter the lights!

Anyway If I can find a photo of a Prestolite setup in my archives I�ll post it tonite.

Regarding gear drive �double ended� generators, they were somewhat common back in the day. Waukesha used them, as did Reo trucks and probably others. I recall also an early Cummins (J series?) diesel with one. On that the water pump drove off the shaft extension from the generator. All the double shaft generators I�ve looked at closely were made either by Delco or Leece-Neville.

Regarding generator speed, keep in mind for nearly all 4 cylinder magnetos the input shaft (impulse coupling) is driven at the same speed as the crank. The 2:1 reduction for the mag distributor takes place inside the magneto. So a generator sandwiched ahead of the mag on an F-xx Farmall does NOT need to be a special, low RPM design.

As you suggest this is weird (and fascinating) stuff!

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