[AT] Allis C doesn't charge.

[Francis Robinson]

    MY Allis C (1946 if IIRC) has "ALWAYS" given charging problems from the 
time an old family friend bought it new. He fought it for years. We got it 
sometime in the 1960's I think. We rebuilt about everything more than once 
over the years and finally gave it a new generator and a regulator 
conversion kit and that held for a good while. Over the last few years it 
has fallen back into its old habits. I like to keep stuff kind of original 
but I'm giving serious thought to biting the bullet and giving it an 
alternator conversion and 12 volts. The conversion alternator is a one wire 
system (from www.natauto.com) with an internal regulator. If I break down 
and do this I will keep all of the original stuff just in case so it can be 
put back without chasing parts. I've just become weary of it not being ready 
to go when I am far too often... My other 6 volt stuff starts well except 
the #$%& CUB but that one is my fault for just not fixing it yet. It worked 
perfect for many many years and will again when I fix it. That C just seems 
to have a jinxed charging system... The starter on this C also tends to have 
grounding problems and draws quite hard unless it is absolutely perfect. I 
wouldn't think so much of it if it was not for the fact that all of these 
other tractors here go for many many years without problems.
    BTW, the old family friend didn't have a regular battery charger but up 
on a shelf in the shed that the C was kept in he had an old 6 volt generator 
from an old car that had a regulator and two wires that were soldered to a 
couple of small sharpened nails. It was belted to an old washing motor. He 
would tap the nails into the top of the battery post and flip on the motor 
to charge the battery.
    That reminds me of an item in some 1940's Popular Mechanics magazines 
where they told how to make a wooden mount so you could use an old washing 
machine motor (boy, those things got used for a lot of stuff) to charge up a 
dead battery. You made this board to fit your particular vehicle's engine. 
You took the fan belt off and belted the generator to the washing machine 
motor on the board. After you charged it a while you then put the belt back 
in place and started the car.


--
"farmer"

Our wretched species is so made that those who walk on the
well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are
showing a new road.  ~Voltaire

Francis Robinson
Central Indiana, USA
robinson at svs.net