Battery help???
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=21689
Printed Date: 12 Feb 2025 at 7:14am
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Topic: Battery help???
Posted By: AC WD45
Subject: Battery help???
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2010 at 6:22pm
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On my WD45 tonight, I just noticed that the Ground wire is on Positive, and the live wire is on Negative, for both batteries. That can't be right is it? Could this be why my batteries keep going dead? My WD45 requires two batteries to start because it has the D17 kit.
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German Shepherd dad
1957 Allis Chalmers WD45
#WD234847
1951 Allis Chalmers WD
#WD88193
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Replies:
Posted By: AC WD45
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2010 at 6:43pm
I know it's a stupid question but that's how it was when I got it and this has been an on going problem. We've put a new alternator in when we got new batteries 3 years ago so it's not that.
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German Shepherd dad
1957 Allis Chalmers WD45
#WD234847
1951 Allis Chalmers WD
#WD88193
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Posted By: Don(MO)
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2010 at 6:56pm
If you have a 12 volt alternator on it then the batteries need to have the neg ground and pos post going to the starter. Do you have two 6 volt batteries or two 12 volt batteres? Don
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3 WD45's with power steering,G,D15 fork lift,D19, W-Speed Patrol, "A" Gleaner with a 330 corn head,"66" combine,roto-baler, and lots of Snap Coupler implements to make them work for their keep.
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Posted By: RickUP
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2010 at 6:56pm
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The tractor came with 6 volt positive ground when it was new. Mine is still hooked up that way. Many have been switched to 12 volt neg. ground over the years. Try to get some history and see if yours has been changed or not. Then go from there. You say alternator, not generator, that tells me it has been changed in some way.
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Posted By: AaronSEIA
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2010 at 6:57pm
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I'd suggest finding the right diagram http://dueyschutter.freeservers.com/photo3.html - http://dueyschutter.freeservers.com/photo3.html on this web site. Sounds like it is still wired with the original positive ground. Are you using 12v batteries? Even with a hot D17 kit, a single 12v and a WD stater should start it just fine. Sounds like you just need to go through the wiring and make sure it's right to the diagram.
AaronSEIA
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Posted By: CTuckerNWIL
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2010 at 9:05pm
If you have an alternator and still have the original Positive ground set up, your alternator is probably no good or it will kill the batteries right quick and maybe even smoke some. Get a wiring diagram and set it up with negative ground, making sure the coil is wired neg side to the distributor. There should be no need for 2 batteries if things are wired right and you have something up front to charge the battery.
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http://www.ae-ta.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.ae-ta.com
Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF
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Posted By: TedBuiskerN.IL.
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2010 at 12:44am
A WD45, even with a D17 kit, which merely raises compression a bit, should start easily on six volts if you have the correct size OO cable to the starter and the strap type ground cable, both clean and corrosion free.
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Most problems can be solved with the proper application of high explosives.
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Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2010 at 6:43am
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Yep, just like Ted says you need a minimum of 02 gauge cable with 00 being preferred. With 6 volts, you have half the voltage of 12 volts, so it requires twice the amps to do the same work as 12V does. Twice the amps requires thicker cables to carry the load. If you have thinner 06 gauge cables, they will work only if you have updated to 12V. If you're using the thinner cables on 6V, it will always seem like your battery is run down and not start reliably.
Originally all generators on A-C equipment used positive ground. One nice thing about a generator is it can be "Polarized" to run either way. Polarizing is a simple process that sets the polarity of the residual magnetism in the generator which then sets the polarity at which it will charge.
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"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford
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Posted By: Gerald J.
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2010 at 8:39am
The common alternators are negative ground. Hooking one to a positive ground battery will burn out the diodes in the alternator almost instantly. Alternators can be had for positive ground, but they aren't common. And I suspect the common 10 SI can be switched by a good auto electric shop, but I've not tried to get that done.
Vintage generator voltage regulators are sometimes sensitive to polarity, because the contacts wear one side only, so the makers put the best material on that contact for the designed polarity. Solid state regulators are destroyed by connecting with the wrong polarity, and more than a few replacement regulators have a solid state circuit board in a box to look like an earlier regulator. That's why the car parts place won't take back electrical items that you've found faulty. They are too easily destroyed.
Gerald J.
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Posted By: skipwelte
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2010 at 10:55am
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You are most likely leaking current thru the alternator dischargeing the batteries.
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Posted By: Steve in NJ
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2010 at 4:03pm
Great info from the family. Alternators are Neg. ground, so if you're using an Alternator, and the Batteries are Pos grd wired, well... you need a new Alt. Thats why the Batteries are going dead. The Alternator is there for the ride. Install one good 12V Battery with a new Alternator w/a Voltmeter. If you need a wiring diagram, e-mail me at customcircuits@gmail.com and I'll shoot you the same wiring diagram that comes in our 12V conversion kits to set up your 45' the correct way. Be glad to help you out.
Steve@B&B
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Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2010 at 5:10pm
I just re read the first post. While it is possible to get a positive ground alternator, I'd say it's most likely had the smoke let out of it.
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"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford
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