Ford 4600 Charging

Cheesehead

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Kent
Hi, our 4600 charging system is absolutely useless, it has the smame system as the TWs where it has a separate regulator pack by the fuel tank and battery about 6-7 years we brought a new alternator and regulator for it which were about £250 and £40 respectively but it still didn't work very well. The other day we had the engineer out replacing the ball joints on the telehandler and he suggested that we just get a cheap alternator that had the regulator in it and then either just earth it and then run a wire to the battery with its own light as a warning on or patch it into the loom but and use the looms feed and warning light.

I was wondering if I did that if anyone knew where the best place to do so would be and what colour wire to connect it to and if anyone else has done it? I had a look on the Agriline site and they have got one which they say can be fitted and patched into most tractors but it is only 32amps where the alternator that is usually fitted to the 4600, 6600, 6610 etc is 55amps but would mean I would have to find a way to patch it into the battery sensor.

Any ideas or thoughts would be appappreciated.
 

Jfp

Member
Would have to look at my 46. Not 100% sure mine is even installed right as im fairly sure mine doesnt go through a regulator?! I bought the alternator off local auto electrician so maybe that has a built in one?! Not sure! Mine has two wires coming off it anyway. One going round to the starter motor i think and another going up to the dash sort of area... For the light?! Like i say i cant really remember, will have a look tomorow and get some pics! People will probably tell me mine is wrong!
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
From what Ive seen of Ford alternator wiring there was a lot of rubbish with tempersture sensor under the battery. I don't see why a two wire set up won't do as it does on every other tractor of that era. Conect the big terminal to the battery and the little (field) terminal to the ignition switch via the alternator warning light. Simple.

Assuming a replacement alternator is fitted suitable for this 2 wire set up.
 

Cheesehead

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Kent
Thanks, I think from what the dealer said when we got the regulator and alternator they usually had the same built in regulator as the 6610s but ours happened to be built when there were the strikes so it was built with whatever they had on hand in our case a TW system.
 

Daveh

Member
Location
Oxon
Hi, our 4600 charging system is absolutely useless, it has the smame system as the TWs where it has a separate regulator pack by the fuel tank and battery about 6-7 years we brought a new alternator and regulator for it which were about £250 and £40 respectively but it still didn't work very well. The other day we had the engineer out replacing the ball joints on the telehandler and he suggested that we just get a cheap alternator that had the regulator in it and then either just earth it and then run a wire to the battery with its own light as a warning on or patch it into the loom but and use the looms feed and warning light.

I was wondering if I did that if anyone knew where the best place to do so would be and what colour wire to connect it to and if anyone else has done it? I had a look on the Agriline site and they have got one which they say can be fitted and patched into most tractors but it is only 32amps where the alternator that is usually fitted to the 4600, 6600, 6610 etc is 55amps but would mean I would have to find a way to patch it into the battery sensor.

Any ideas or thoughts would be appappreciated.
Sounds like you have got the old dynamo and cut out system. Alternators are fairly straightforward to wire up, run a thick wire from the big lug to the starter / battery lead connection and a thinner wire from the small lug to a bulb for an ignition light. Then from the other side of the bulb to the ignition key switch. Hopefully you can make some sense of this.
 

Cheesehead

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Kent
Thank you, I have a chat with Colin our local parts guy at Wraight tractors as they usually have a good stock alternators so I should be able to pick one up tomorrow.
 

Jfp

Member
Heres what mine has... Does this look about right?

Two wires coming off the alternator
ImageUploadedByTFF1417287233.439433.jpg


The thick one coming round to here... Yellow terminal
ImageUploadedByTFF1417287296.649877.jpg

ImageUploadedByTFF1417287275.375792.jpg


Like i say i bought the alternator and wired it myself, so if its right its easy enough to do!
 

Cheesehead

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Kent
Ah excellent I have order the alternator which looking at it is basically like the Lucas alternators that are normally fitted minus the battery sensor terminal so hopefully I can get it all going soon once I have sorted out fixing the shed from my dads adjustment
 

Cheesehead

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Kent
@Jfp I presume like your own that it is one of the large terminals to the starter motor, smaller terminal to the cab and that it is self grounding.

Now I just have to wait till I have decided the Yorkshire boarding back up after the doorway was adjusted with the loader, a least I was the cheque writer who did it.
 

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Jfp

Member
@Jfp I presume like your own that it is one of the large terminals to the starter motor, smaller terminal to the cab and that it is self grounding.

Yeh that looks pretty similar to mine. Large terminal, with a thicker bit of wire if you can find a bit, round to the other side, and smaller terminal up to the cab like you say! Sounds like youve got it sussed! ;)
 

Cheesehead

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Kent
Thanks i just wanted to make sure I didn't light up like Rudolph as I do that enough with the electric fences (always make sure the slide switch is all he way off when youyou swing your leg over)
 

Mursal

Member
Two wires on the back of the alternator
Large one straight to the positive terminal of the battery or the battery lead on the starter.
The smaller wire (WL) for the warning light switches the warning light on by connecting it to the chassis of the alternator. The other side of the light gets power from the ON terminal on the key. When the alternator starts charging it basically switches off the earth to the bulb.
Any alternator will do from a modern car as long as the belt will match. If you use a Bosch you might need to earth the alternator body as some are on rubber mounts.

Hope this helps ............
 

Cheesehead

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Kent
I have fitted the new alternator the most awkward bit was adapting the tensioning bracket and after fitting the battery isolator switch this afternoon I gave it a test and it was nice to watch the light come on with the ignition and go out almost directly rather than having a dull glow all the time, I just have the guard to make for it and then it is all done.

Thank you for your help hopefully I won't need to search for the jumper leads so much.
 

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