[AT] "After Tractor is running" questions.

Ben Wagner supera1948 at gmail.com
Fri Oct 8 17:19:14 PDT 2010


  On 10/8/2010 7:13 PM, charlie hill wrote:
> I'm searching my memory here but doesn't the light switch on a super A have
> to be pulled on for the generator to charge or something like that?  Isn't
> it a two position switch?  I can't remember if it has a pull out switch that
> comes out one notch for run and two for run, lights, charge or if it has a
> rotary switch with an off, run and lights position.  Or am I off all
> together.  It's been 40 years since I've been in the seat of a Super A.
>
> I'm thinking you might have the ammeter wired backwards so that what looks
> like discharge is actually full charge.
>
> Charlie
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Ben Wagner"<supera1948 at gmail.com>
> Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 6:58 PM
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Subject: Re: [AT] "After Tractor is running" questions.
>
>>   On 10/8/2010 5:07 PM, Dean Vinson wrote:
>>> Ben, I can't add to Mike's good comments on the hydraulics and throttle
>>> lever, but I recommend you very carefully inspect all your wiring to make
>>> sure it's hooked p correctly and to look for places where the insulation
>>> could be worn through and allowing the wire to short to ground or to some
>>> other wire.  (Bob Melville's wiring diagrams may help--can't recall if
>>> we've
>>> talked about them before.  Check out
>>> http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m46/farmallbob/Farmall%20Tractor%20Wiring
>>> %20Diagrams/ if you need them.)
>>>
>>> I wouldn't expect the lights to draw enough current to make the ammeter
>>> show
>>> full discharge regardless of what the generator is or isn't doing.  I
>>> don't
>>> know what kind or how many lights are on your tractor, but assuming
>>> they're
>>> about the same as on M series tractors I'd expect the lights alone to
>>> pull
>>> maybe 5 or 8 amps.  But full discharge, as in around 20 amps?  I don't
>>> see
>>> how that can be coming from the lights alone.
>>>
>>> I also don't see how the generator couldn't keep up with the lights if
>>> it's
>>> able to keep the battery charged.  If the generator is working that well,
>>> I'd expect the ammeter to show zero or very close with the engine running
>>> and lights on--meaning the generator is powering the lights rather than
>>> making the battery do it.
>>>
>>> So, if the generator is keeping the battery up but somehow can't come
>>> close
>>> to keeping up with the lighting load, and the lighting load sounds too
>>> high
>>> to begin with, I have to think there's something other than lights
>>> pulling
>>> that high current.  Must be a short somewhere.
>>>
>>> Dean Vinson
>>> Dayton, Ohio
>>> www.vinsonfarm.net
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>>> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Ben Wagner
>>> Sent: Friday, October 08, 2010 10:09 AM
>>> To: At; Farmall/IHC mailing list
>>> Subject: [AT] "After Tractor is running" questions.
>>>
>>>     Just so you know, I am not familiar with Farmall Super A's working
>>> like they are supposed to.
>>>
>>> That being said in the open now, I will show you a couple of
>>> observations that I have seen while driving the Super A.  What I need to
>>> know is whether these are normal or abnormal and what is wrong if they
>>> are abnormal.
>>>
>>> 1- When I work the hydraulics, engine full throttle, the tractor acts
>>> like I have overloaded the engine.  It struggles and gasps.  I was
>>> wondering if this was related to the air that was trapped in the lines
>>> (stupid mistake that I did) or maybe something else.  Maybe this is a
>>> normal phenomenon, but I am seriously wondering if, since the engine
>>> struggles moving the hydraulics when the hydraulics are not loaded, the
>>> tractor will be able to lift the snowblade.  Speaking of snowblades, I
>>> have some questions about it too, but I will send them a little later
>>> after I fiddle with the snowblade itself.
>>>
>>> 2- When the lights are one, what should the ammeter say?  My ammeter
>>> shows full discharge.  Does this mean the battery is running the
>>> lights?  The generator does charge the battery, so I know it works.
>>>
>>> 3- I have to hold the throttle lever to keep the engine in full
>>> throttle, otherwise the lever returns to about a high idle.  I hesitate
>>> to ask this, because I am thinking this is a result of the worn teeth of
>>> the quadrant, but I want to make sure something isn't adjusted wrong.
>>>
>>> Thanks for your help.
>>>
>>> Ben Wagner
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AT mailing list
>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>> Well, there could be a short.  I am just wondering if the lights are
>> being powered by the genny, but the ammeter is confused because my
>> wiring is simply confused...  and you are right, the lights are the same
>> as on the M's.
>>
>> I may have confused you, though, now that I think about it.  When I said
>> full discharge, I meant that that ammeter looks the same as if I turn on
>> the lights when the tractor is not running.  So the discharge is not
>> more than normal... and I am sorry that I confused you.
>>
>> Is there any way that I could have screwed with the wiring enough to
>> allow the genny to power the lights, but the ammeter to think that the
>> battery is powering the lights?
>>
>> Ben Wagner
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>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>
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The Super A light switch, at least on my tractor, is a four position 
light switch: Low Charge, High Charge, Dim Lights and Bright Lights.

Yes, I have wired the ammeter wrong before... it is right now.  I had it 
wired wrong the first time I started the tractor, much to my horror 
until I figured out the problem.  So yes, I know the ammeter is wired 
correctly.

Ben Wagner



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