Help With HD5

Hey folks im looking for little insight on a dozer i just picked up. its "1965 A-C HD5" although that doesn't sound right to me. it has a dozer blade, Ripper and a 2-71 engine., currently has no charging happening, i believe it has been refurbished and is swapped to 12v wiring. any help on what year, charging info, etc is greatly appreciated

The serial # would help...

The HD5  271 DETROIT are all 12 volts .

HD5B sel # makes it a 1953 - 
Looks like starter was changed to M42 late starter as they did not use a solonoid but a rod to a contact switch on starter 

Nice setup
Did it come with ear plugs?

Any more info or picture of starter area or the unit itself 

If the starter works fine by just pushing the button you won't need to do any more to it. At one time that solenoid was likely put in to give good current to the solenoid on the starter itself. I've had trucks with old Detroit power set up that way. It's just important that you have a heavy duty (push button) switch so there is no shortage of current going to the solenoid mounted on the starter. If you have insufficient amps hitting the solenoid, the starter motor is starved and will turn over slower than it should and may shorten starter life span. The red wires attached in the picture seem to be a good gauge for the job. If your alternator itself is good there is an easy way to wire it up for charging even if you don't have an ignition key/switch on your machine. Just let us know the current state of affairs... maybe you have it wired by now? I can tell you how to get it charging the Canadian way LOL. Another thing I would highly recommend you do is to put a real good quality battery disconnect switch on your machine. If anything goes wrong with wiring on an old machine and wires start shorting out and smoking... even starting a fire - you just flip the disconnect switch and save further damage. This may not apply to you but if kids get on the machine when parked and start playing around with switches and buttons you can prevent a lot of trouble by having no current in the system. 

Edited by Eric B - 23 Aug 2018 at 11:19pm

Eric B the starter works great with the push button the way it is set up right now. fires right up in a few seconds no problem. as for the alternator, im listening on how you would recommend to wire it up. it looks like the original wires were actually pinched in between the fuel filter and housing and that is how they burnt. i haven't wired it yet but i have put in a good battery disconnect as you mentioned. exactly for those kinds of reasons, and then i know if it sits for a bit there was now parasitic draw on the battery. 

In the event that your HD 5 does not have an ignition switch of any kind that you have to turn on before starting and off when shutting down, this is how you can have your alternator start charging by just pushing the starter button. Take the two wires on the alternator (in the little plug on the picture, field and regulator) and twist them together with one additional wire that can reach the "S" contact (the small stud) on your starter solenoid. Into this line you MUST splice in a 6 AMP diode so 12V can only flow to the pigtail on the alternator but not be able to come back from the alternator to the solenoid or else the starter won't quit when you let go of the button. You MUST make sure you have the diode facing the right direction by testing flow direction on a battery using a 12V light bulb. The idea here is that while the engine is turning over and starting, enough current goes up to those two terminals to excite charging mode. Charging works until you shut the engine off and this way there is no draw on your system after. The battery terminal on the alternator can go to the ammeter if you have one, if not just connect it to the stud on the starter that has the fat battery cable coming to it. If you don't have a working ammeter and you want to know if the alternator is charging just put a screw driver to the back of the centre bearing cap on the alternator, if you have magnetism and the screw driver sticks it's working... if the screw driver doesn't stick it's not charging.

Fuel pressure - filters need to be clean - tank pickup needs to be clean - return line to tank needs to be open - tank needs to be vented - HV7 Injectors used . 
 Make sure air cleaner is not full of crud and the bowl for oil is clean and filled to right level - pre filter clean - drain hole on bottom of blower not plugged - 

Had simalar problem changed all the fuel lines and filters, no impovement. Finally changed the little fuel pump on the side of the block. This was 20 years ago and the pump was cheap,but who knows now days.I believe the Snowflakes have desided the old engines are the devils work.

I believe if the injectors are worn it would run badly all the time. Did you check all the things listed earlier? Fuel lines, filters, vented cap or could be clogged? Put a gauge in the tee at the rear of the engine on the return line and check the pressure. Put a line on the return and put in a can and make sure you are getting return fuel. If it starts and runs I do t believe injectors are at fault.

Clean your air filter well - make sure the element isn't full of crud so when oil is pulled up it drains back into bowl . 

If the filters and lines are good,and fuel flows from tank it is most likely the pump. HD 5 has 2 fuel filters from the factory,but that was 65+ years ago. Who knows what has been added or subtracted in that time. The Detriots I have been around would need starting fluid even hot to start with bad injectors.