WF/WC Light switch
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=46621
Printed Date: 31 Aug 2025 at 2:58pm Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: WF/WC Light switch
Posted By: BLee Mn
Subject: WF/WC Light switch
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 6:44pm
the light switch on my WF seems to have 3 postions, the third postion or all the way out turns the lights on, are the other 2 postions for charging??? the tractor isnt charging and drains the battery, with the switch in off postion, there is 6 volts to the regulator on top of generator all the time. Regulator Bad??
------------- Cowboy UP
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Replies:
Posted By: Redwood
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 6:54pm
The three pole switch charges in all three positions
in 3 amps
mid three amp lights on
out charges at 10 to 13 amps
The manual states the full out position is for abnormal conditions.
is the resistor broken?
All the way out on yours is lights on? is it the original round switch or a rectangular shape?
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Posted By: DanD
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 6:57pm
All the way in is low charge, middle position is high charge, and out is high charge with the lights on. There is no regulator in this system. It is controlled just by the light switch (and the position of the third brush in the generator..but that's probably a topic for another time!) The little box on top of the generator is simply a cutout that disconnects the generator from the battery when the tractor is off or running slowly. When you say there is six volts here all the time, are you measuring from the wire heading to the battery, or from the little wire coming from the A terminal on the generator. There should be six volts all the time at the wire coming from the battery. If there's six volts all the time at the short wire coming from the generator to the cutout, then the cutout is sticking closed and that's why the battery goes dead. Now, if there's a square box with three wires going to it on the generator instead of a little rectangular box with two wires going to it, then somebody has replaced the old system with a regulator and the light switch is now nothing but a light switch. However, the cutout function in the regulator could still be sticking if there is six volts all the time at the short wire going to the A terminal on the generator. Clear as mud?
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Posted By: DanD
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 7:00pm
I made a little mistake after I reread my post. Middle position is lights on with high charge, while all the way out is high charge with lights off. With the lights on, you won't see a high charge on the ammeter as most of the generator output is being used by the lights.
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Posted By: Ted in NE-OH
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 7:05pm
I think the after market switches are different. All the way out is lights on.
------------- CA, WD, C, 3 Bs, 2 Gs, WC, I-400, 914
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Posted By: CTuckerNWIL
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 7:11pm
show us a picture of the genny with the box on top.
------------- 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: Redwood
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 7:13pm
sounds like a slight difference in the switches but charging in all positions if everything is working in either case. The problem might not be the switch in this case.
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Posted By: DanD
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 7:50pm
Does the box on top of your generator look like this? This is the original style cut out with the charging rate controlled by the light switch.

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Posted By: BLee Mn
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 10:20pm
yes my box looks like one in picture although my gen looks different, my gen doesnt have posts coming out for wires . my wires go directly in to generator, ill try and get a picture of mine on tommorow
------------- Cowboy UP
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Posted By: BLee Mn
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2012 at 6:04pm
here is apic of my cutout, i have 6 volts at yellow eyelet, but under no circumstance do i have any voltage coming out of cutout going in to generator (different engine rpm or switch postion) Bad cutout???
------------- Cowboy UP
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Posted By: BLee Mn
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2012 at 6:11pm
i just saw wd gen post and will use that advice to check out my problem
------------- Cowboy UP
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Posted By: DanD
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2012 at 8:16pm
Wow..somebody really butchered that poor generator! Best I can tell is that the black wore in the back must be for the field coil, and the wire in front is from the armature. When running, you should ground out the black wire. This would put the generator in full charge mode. Then, you should have voltage at the other wire. If not, the generator is probably bad.
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Posted By: Steve in NJ
Date Posted: 05 Mar 2012 at 9:42pm
The original Delco 3 pos. switch that was used in the AC machines functions were as follows: all the way in- 3amp charge through the resistor. Second position: High charge/Headlights ON. Third position: Headlights OFF approx. 5-9 amps should be going into the Battery depending on where the third brush is located...... If so equipped. The 3 pos. switch controls the amount of ground to the Gennie to manually control the charging rate... Steve@B&B
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