So, I've got an old 555 that starts instantly, runs great, and all of the mechanical features work as they should. However, the entire electrical system was abandoned many years ago by a previous owner. The only electrical thing that functions is the starter. I just keep the battery topped off with a maintainer when the machine is parked. Now I could spend countless dollars and countless hours repairing or replacing the wiring loom, or I could do a little hillbilly engineering. My solution? A $180 generator from Tractor Supply, and a couple of work lights that I already had. I just needed to mount the lights, and strap the generator to the fender. Works great, but I can't run both lights at the same time as the generator is only rated for 800 watts continuous.
Looks like it works! If you were near me and the alternator in that machine works, I would come over and help you wire lights to a dash switch powered by the alternator.
That would be great, but I am pretty sure that the alternator is belly up. When I was taking the machine apart a couple of years ago to repair the transmission, the nut that holds the main hot wire on the alternator was so rusted that the post spun around rather than the nut coming loose. I never did get the nut off, and finally ended up just cutting the wire.
And yeah, I could have wired a couple of 12v lights to the battery, but I like to save all of the battery's energy for starting the engine.
You were able to get your work done in the dark thats the main thing Now you will be dreaming of enclosing the cab and using the genny to run a window ac unit........
Now don't go giving me ideas! Lol In all seriousness, I am a very early riser, and it drives me crazy to sit around the house waiting for daylight so I can do stuff. Ever tried to drive a backhoe by flashlight?
Yeah I have. It wasn't a backhoe but but JD 350 crawler loader. We were up in the woods way too late in deep snow putting in our thank you ma'ams so we wouldn't be fined by the Forest service for creating creeks. No work lights on the dozer so my brother was out there with the old-fashioned square battery flashlights. They were state of the art in 1980
I am a sucker for Milwaukee 18V tooling. They have some incredibly impressive work light solutions - almost impressive as this solution. All of which can be purchased from ACME tool
If you don't like fixing rusted old alternators, then look up one wire alternators. You only hook up that fat wire, it turns on automatically, and you have a battery that stays charged.
Let's not bring logic into this thread, ok? But yes, that would probably be the way to go. However, with this generator I have 120v power to run small power tools.
I would just switch to leds. They draw alot less power than the halogens you have.
Good idea. I just had those already.
The OEM harness(s) is/are pretty involved (there's a guy in NY who wants $1,300 to build one) but you don't need half of the OEM wiring to obtain a working electrical system. Is there anything left of your wiring harness or is it all gone. You don't need turn signals and a dozen fuses. Your dump valve isn't hooked up and probably never will be. A front and rear harness for a 4000 is cheap and should do just about everything you need, whether you build it or buy it. There's plenty of online help in the build it yourself category. Try the Ford Forum on Yesterday's Tractors for a diagram. Handles the alternator, starter and sending units, battery and instrument cluster but it won't provide heat like your generator's exhaust. After that you can pull power off your key switch and build a wiring harness to power a LED lighting package.
Yeah, there are a lot of things I could do to improve my machine, but I just honestly don't have the time to devote to it. And, like I said, it runs and operates well as it is. It is an old obsolete machine that likely has a bazillion hours on it, and is one major breakdown from the scrap yard. Even if I did have the time and money to make it really nice, I would still have a 40+ year old machine that would be worth very little more than it is worth now. My new chinaman generator was a quick and relatively inexpensive way to get some functioning lights, and a tiny 30 pound generator can be mighty handy for other stuff. I mostly started this thread because I figured people would get a chuckle out of it.
Yes. Your contraption did give me a laugh. I hate to tell you this but it will still be running when you and I are being fitted for wheelchairs and long after the CAT and JD successors' electronics have failed.
i've got a forklift like that. blown side shift hose, probably 350 to replace. you learn to not touch the side shift lever. Brakes? not so much. Keep it on flat ground.
Wasn't ACME tool bought out by Tractor Supply?
OMG....My OCD is off the charts right now LOL. I can't watch this!
Oh you'd LOVE how I start my backhoe! I have a wire with an alligator clip on the end of it that I touch to the positive terminal on the battery. That's the way I got it, and I have never bothered to wire it through the start button. And yeah, even though it is hot wired, I know that it was not stolen. I keep telling myself I am going to wire it through the button one of these days, but I never seem to get around to it.
I am with you. I can't own anything that is not working as intended. I bought my backhoe 10/2019. I have not used it for any work yet. Been fixing everything on it and doing all the extra repairs that a 30 year old machine needs. We bought land to build a house and since materials and labor are an issue we are holding off a bit. Also need to see where inflation takes us. I decided to to just make my machine 100%. between other things, hot weather, bad weather, below 35 deg weather I have not worked on it as much as I need to.
I’ve strapped both a small generator and a battery charger on a machine to finish a shift.
I believe you are correct, but I seem to recall they subcontracted all the work to China
My neighbor has you beat...he has been using a "special" screwdriver (read busted tip so otherwise worthless - and now eaten away from the arc) for over 5 years now to start his old tractor
Before anyone gets the wrong impression, I bought my backhoe for $3,400 knowing that it had transmission problems. The guy who had owned it just before me had severely neglected it. He passed away, and his daughter was selling it. She knew almost nothing about it, other than that it had a transmission problem. It ran good, and the hydraulics worked fine, so I took a chance on it. Not only did I fix the transmission, but I have made many other improvements to it. In other words, I am not just running it into the ground. I actually find the hot wire thing kind of funny, because it drives some people crazy. Lol
Are the outlets on the generator GFI's ? If not have you considered the possibility of being electrocuted from that set -up ?
I try to not think about stuff like that. Lol But seriously, yes I had considered that. I probably should run a ground wire from the generator to the machine. Maybe that would help? I'm about as electrically inept as anyone you will find.
You have to drive an 8' ground rod into the ground with a long run of Cu wire..... then just don't drive any further than your wire at any point during your 'job'..... that ought to work right?
my forklift was $500. It needs a new converter I think, brakes, that hose. It will eventually get all of that and any leaks fixed before it goes to the new shop up north.
My first thought when I saw this setup was the need for a carbon monoxide alarm.
The exhaust is pointing away from me. I figger the backhoe exhaust is a lot more likely to get me.
Just drag your stabilizers to create a path to ground.