Who's good at 6V Farmalls?

[J. Cower]

So I repainted my Farmall H and now it won't even try to start. Pretty it's all out back together correct but I replaced the wire on the generator that goes to two points on the generator and it seemed to fry. This was connected for maybe 2 seconds and disconnected when I saw smoke. So what could I have screwed up? Also, when I took it apart it's still a 6V system and it was negative ground. How do I make sure that's not my problem?

 

[J. Cower]

And don't mind my finger in the last one as that is not the wire in question. The red wire is with the the break

 

[khryslerkid]

I'm pretty sure they are positive ground. Unless you changed something...

By the way, looks nice!

 

[J. Cower]

Originally they are but 90% sure I took it apart as neg ground which didn't make sense to me but I know there is ways to switch them. How do I check? Can I just try to switch the battery or will that blow stuff sky high?

 

[khryslerkid]

I'm not sure how anyone would go about changing it to negative ground.

In your picture of the battery, is it a "before" picture? Can you remember the cable that is still attached if it is?

 

[BeeKool]

Nice tractor.
I was under the impression that all 6 volt systems are positive grounded.

It's not much work to change the tractor over to 12 volt negative ground. And change the points style to an HEI ignition. I did it to my H and was a good choice.

 

[J. Cower]

It is a before pic and the cable still on is the ground. So unless I really did something after a night of working and the whiskey, that's why I thought it was neg ground

 

[J. Cower]

Thanks for liking the paint job by the way. Three months of prep on that

 

[Bb70charger500]

I'm thinking pos ground also I've worked on a ton of these I've never had a neg ground one unless modified as said above to 12v but on these it 6v is plenty
Nice looking tractor the ones I worked on didn't look like that . More of one wheel in the junkyard look !

 

[khryslerkid]

It is a before pic and the cable still on is the ground. So unless I really did something after a night of working and the whiskey, that's why I thought it was neg ground

Don't know what to tell you. I'm thinking the only things it would effect would be the charging and maybe a slow cranking with the starter compared to hooking it up positive ground. Might be why there's that wire on the generator. It won't effect the lights but maybe the coil. Does it have a magneto? How long has the battery been hooked up positive ground?

 

[BeeKool]

What year appr. Is the old girl?
Do you have a cross pick view?

 

[J. Cower]

She's a '46 and I don't know how long it was like that before IFFF it was and I didn't screw up. I can try switching, just wanted to ask the professionals on here before I blew more stuff up. These were all the electical pics I took during tear down to put it back rogether.

 

[J. Cower]

Last pics

 

[khryslerkid]

Maybe search a Farmall tractor forum for changing to a positive ground.

I'm seeing wiring on there that I don't recognize.

 

[J. Cower]

I'll try that. Thanks

 

[PRND21]

Every old tractor with a generator that I ever worked on had a positive ground.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Generators can be polarized negitive or positive. Its been over 40 years and I have forgotten how.

 

[PRND21]

Generators can be polarized negitive or positive. Its been over 40 years and I have forgotten how.

True, anytime you replaced the generator or regulator you had to polarize the charging system with the engine running by (if I remember right) using a jumper wire to ground the field wire momentarily. Then check the ammeter to see if the needle pointed to the charge side.

 

[super-bee_ski]

Some good info on: http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=farmall&th=3761

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Maybe this will help.