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Ammeter just nudges a bit

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DickB
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Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby DickB » Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:23 pm

The ammeters needle on the '56 Farmall Cub doesn't swing up into the positive side of the meter, nor does it dip down low. Turn the lights on, no engine running, and the meter hardly dips down. With engine running, grabbing the governor linkage and pulling to rev up engine...the needle doesn't go over the middle. I thought the VR demons were at work. Nevertheless, being a bit chancy, I have plowed twice with it like this and everything sounded okay.

Today, not wanting to get deep into anything that I'd prefer doing in the summer, I opted to recharge the battery. There is a bit of snow storm coming, so just being on the safe side. When I charge I pop off the battery terminals so it is just the battery alone and put the charger's contacts + to +, - to -. To my surprise the charger's meter indicated that the battery was almost fully charged. Now that was sort of really nice. I'll leave the charger on for an hour or so to top the battery up.

So I've got a question: What's going on? Wire loose on the ammeter? Other ideas?

I'm guessing I can discount a misbehaving voltage regulator, but not sure about that.

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CharlieK
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Re: Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby CharlieK » Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:31 pm

sounds like the batt does not need a charge
get er done; life is good

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Re: Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby Eugene » Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:39 pm

Agree with Charles.

Multi-meter, 20 volt DC setting. Connect across battery terminals. Read voltage. Start and run engine at above half throttle. Read voltage again.

Should show about 1 1/2 volts above battery voltage when charging.
I have an excuse. CRS.

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MiCarl
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Re: Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby MiCarl » Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:59 pm

Some thoughts for you:

A fully charged battery will show little amperage on the ammeter. I know on my '48 it seldom budges the needle much on Low charge. On High charge it'll move the meter. Today I started the tractor and on High charge it was reading about 10Amps. I've been working on the tractor so it's started a lot without time to charge the battery. It's been on a 1 amp charge for several hours and I restarted it now. On High charge it's only showing about 5 amps at high idle. (The first mark on my clearly aftermarket ammeter is 15A)

My lights didn't show any draw. Looking at it the lights were connected on the same side of the ammeter as the battery, they should be on the same side as the generator. After I corrected that the ammeter shows the lights drawing about 10 amps.

You might check the charging system with a volt meter. I haven't found an IH number but mine comes up to about 6.7 volts at high idle with the lights off, about 6.5 with the lights bright.

My battery was abused by the previous owner so I think it's on its last legs. A good battery might show higher voltage when the system has stabilized.
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BIGHOSS
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Re: Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby BIGHOSS » Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:09 pm

This may not be the "proper" response for maintaining anything mechanical, but I don't look for trouble. In my younger days (I am fast approaching 80 years old) I looked for trouble and it found me quite easily. Have you ever replaced an older non-leaking seal with a new one (while you are in there) and the new seal started leaking shortly. Same thing can happen with belts, hoses, radiators and tons of other items that have been and are working very well. I believe in leaving well enough alone if at all possible.
That being said, my thinking is if my charging system is keeping my battery charged enough to crank over the engine, don't worry about it. After all that is the goal in my opinion. As stating above, check your battery with a VOM. If you get any movement of the needle after starting the engine, that's good, leave it alone.
But, if you want everything working perfect, knock yourself out!
JMHO
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Re: Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby Waif » Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:19 pm

Needle moves ,I'm happy.
As long as battery gets charged ,all is well.

inairam
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Re: Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby inairam » Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:00 pm

Are you running 6v or 12 ?

If you are snow plowing at night with a 6 volt systems and the standard lights the generator can barely keep up with the 12 amp draw for the lights

You may want to try to plow without the lights if you can safely do so. In my teens I plowed snow for my father. I was instructed to plow with my jeep without lights.

I would keep charging the battery around snow storms until to confirm you are charging.
When you only have 9 horsepower you need to know the names of all of the ponies!

DickB
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variety of cultivators
Wagner WM-1 bucket loader
rear carrier -- homemade
Location: Berkshire hills

Re: Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby DickB » Thu Jan 04, 2018 6:47 am

Yeah, I'm not looking for trouble! What I'm doing is looking to keep out of trouble! Such as running out of battery power when in the middle of the town road and the town snow plow is coming down the hill full bore. That's me...scooting out of the way long before the trouble gets near....

Running the original 6v here. Plowing is only in the daytime and, on purpose--even when on the town road--the tractor lights are off. I use, instead, a batter powered yellow flashing light set on the Cub hood.

For a reason I cannot recall (I too am approaching 80), I messed up the original ammeter last year and replaced it with one sold at the Case/IH dealer. It doesn't say "USA" on it. Two, no...three...VR's ago, I had a VR from India that lasted just over a year, then another one (bought at Case/IH dealer) that lasted a few days. Now running a USA VR from Brillman. I see that TM has an ammeter from USA. But it doesn't seem as if it is the meter.

After charging for a few hours yesterday, a) Cub started up without delay and meter needle just the tiniest bit on the discharge side, and b) with engine off and lights on, the needle did go much further to the discharge side.

Snow today...4 to 8"...so I suspect I'll be out there once, perhaps twice. Wind gusts (max. about 40mph) will rearrange and I'd go out the day after but at nearly -20 I would not even dare. :tractor: A shivering tractor.

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Re: Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby Urbish » Thu Jan 04, 2018 7:42 am

Does the ammeter have numbers on it or is it just a range? Some ammeters are made for a much higher current range and the piddly 10A (or less) that a Cub can put out will barely make the needle move.

Image

Image
Last edited by Urbish on Thu Jan 04, 2018 7:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jim

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MiCarl
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Re: Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby MiCarl » Thu Jan 04, 2018 7:43 am

Do you have battery ignition or a magneto?

With the magneto you don't use any battery power to run the ignition system. Without lights you should get a lot of starts before you draw the battery down.
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Glen
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Re: Ammeter just nudges a bit

Postby Glen » Thu Jan 04, 2018 7:57 pm

Hi,
Below is a page from the Cub service manual showing the recommended voltage for the voltage regulators. The first 3 in the table are 6 volt regulators.
It says 6.6 - 7.2 volts, in the column that says Voltage Setting.

This page is for voltage regulators, this manual doesn't have the info for a cutout, or Relay, IH called it. :)

http://www.farmallcub.info/manuals/gss- ... 009-04.jpg


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