D4 generator

kind of a redneck way but you can unhook your generator and take it out of the drive housing so it can free wheel and connect the armature to positive 6VDC and the field to neg 6vdc and the gen should run like a motor. if it doesn't there may be a problem with the brushes or armature. if it turns half and stops you most likely need a field. if you want to test it on the tractor make sure all the wireing is correct and flash the field at the Vr and it will probably charge.

there is nothing hooked up to it....the relay box is free...has 3 tabs sticking out of it...I would assume it is a 12v generator beings the pony starter is 12v.....or should it be a 6v....serial is 7U23655.....had a 12v battery when I first got it a couple yrs ago....appears to be original starter.or equivalent....I put brushes in it this last winter.as well as re bearinged the starter adapter......has worked beautifully with 12v.......but I'm thinking of adding lights....its why I'm curious if the generator is functional...if not....will have to come up with a alternator somehow.....

someone with more savy needs to chime in. i thought all pony starters were 6 volt. it isn't uncommon to have a 12 volt battery on a tractor though. you can still test the generator with a 6 volt battery though. the relay box is the Voltage Regulator. you should find a wiring diagram for your model an proceed to reconnect. if the previous owner used a 12 volt battery on a 6 volt system then he probably just let things go because the gen wouldn't charge a 12 volt anyway. i reconnected mine and flashed the generator and now it charges a 6 volt just fine. if your pony is in good order 6 volt is enough. be aware that there was different generator amperage to accommodate lights. you should confirm that your gen has enough amperage to do what you want.

someone with more savy needs to chime in. i thought all pony starters were 6 volt. it isn't uncommon to have a 12 volt battery on a tractor though. you can still test the generator with a 6 volt battery though. the relay box is the Voltage Regulator. you should find a wiring diagram for your model an proceed to reconnect. if the previous owner used a 12 volt battery on a 6 volt system then he probably just let things go because the gen wouldn't charge a 12 volt anyway. i reconnected mine and flashed the generator and now it charges a 6 volt just fine. if your pony is in good order 6 volt is enough. be aware that there was different generator amperage to accommodate lights. you should confirm that your gen has enough amperage to do what you want.

The regulator terminals are almost always (from left to right with terminals pointing down) BAT, ARM (or GEN), FLD.
Clean them up to bright metal and reconnect the generator and 6 volt battery and then you are ready to flash the field (polarize the generator).

Most common battery polarity is negative ground but check the regulator for a label on the back. Some will work either way.

I have heard there was supposedly some advantage as far as corrosion potential of leakage current that would favor positive ground but the fact that negative ground has become the standard makes that my choice. The CAT starter and generator don't care. The regulator might matter or not. If you have a permanent magnet type starter motor on something, it must have the correct polarity or it will run backwards. Old fashioned wound field designs do not care.