It Lives!

[Mike_H 92]

So, I think I can finally call this one a runner! I've been fighting her for a while, through a defective coil, a full engine rebuild, and acquiring the tractor as a basket case. Got it fired up today, and no backfiring, coughing, spitting, sputtering, anything. She just fired up, and ran. Little surging at first, but a little tinkering with the carb fixed that. Anyway, The only weird thing I noticed, and it may not be weird, but just my inexperience (this is the first tractor I've had that actually charges), is the amp meter bounces all over. It will be steady, then jump around, then steady out, etc. I've attached a link to a video on Youtube (click the picture of the vid:D)...What do ya'll think?

[yukon 331]

i would say its charging.

[PhanDad 3,616]

The amp meters do bounce some, but in my experience not that much.

I think it's a sign of dirty/sticky voltage regulator contacts. Hopefully others with more voltage regulator experience should confirm.

It might "self heal" with some time since it sounds like the tractor's been sitting a while so the voltage regulator needs some "exercise".

[Mike_H 92]

Thanks Bill, it has been sitting, but its also brand new last spring. I had the starter/Generator rebuilt and put a new regulator on at the same time.

[GregB 941]

Any chance of swapping out the ammeter for a known stable meter?

Or pull it from the dash and run when holding the gage in your hand to eliminate vibration effect.

Does the bounce significantly change with Engine RPM?

[goatfarmer 817]

The amp meter on my 712H would do that when I first got it. Cleaning the connections at the regulator fixed it.

[Bill725 1,177]

Put a voltmeter across the battery terminals while not running & note the voltage. If the voltage is higher with engine running, then it is charging.

[dentwizz 6]

Its kinda pulse based, so I wouldnt worry about it as long as the voltage is up where it needs to be.

[Kenh 37]

Voltage while running should be somewhere around 13.5 to 14.1 If the voltage fluctuates then the regulator is sketchy. I agree that the connections on the amp meter may not be the best. That would be my first look.

Ken