F12-20 lighting packages

I normally post over on the N-series board, but I do lurk around here a bit as i would like to have an F-20 someday.

I got the F-series photo archive book for Christmas and was flipping through it the other day and noticed 2 different lighting configurations on the tractors. One had what looked to be a standard Automotive Delco or Autolite generator setup clamped/hinged off of the right hand frame rail to supply power. I imagine this would only be applicable to the later V-belt tractors.

The second one (one i'm interested in) actually had a generator that went between the timing cover and the magneto. The magneto was relocated further back towards the operator and was then supported by a bracket using an extra mounting boss on the engine. This really intrigues me. I have NEVER seen a generator like this.

Surely, it would have to have been a custom made, one-off genny as the mounting configuration (drives on both ends) is bizzare, and the fact that it would be spinning incredibly slow....1/2 engine speed, so custom windings would have to have been made to produce enough current at low RPMs. Does anybody have any info on these gennys or better pictures of them? Who made them? I really like the weird stuff!

Jeb

I’ve seen a lighting kits installed on a few old tractors at shows. Most interesting are the batteryless ones – I think made by Prestolite.

I believe batteryless generator is actually a permanant magnet alternator. Thus the lights are powered by variable frequency/variable voltage AC - same as the work lights on cheap, modern lawn tractors, walk-behind snowblowers, etc. Means the faster the engine runs the brighter the lights!

Anyway If I can find a photo of a Prestolite setup in my archives I’ll post it tonite.

Regarding gear drive “double ended” generators, they were somewhat common back in the day. Waukesha used them, as did Reo trucks and probably others. I recall also an early Cummins (J series?) diesel with one. On that the water pump drove off the shaft extension from the generator. All the double shaft generators I’ve looked at closely were made either by Delco or Leece-Neville.

Regarding generator speed, keep in mind for nearly all 4 cylinder magnetos the input shaft (impulse coupling) is driven at the same speed as the crank. The 2:1 reduction for the mag distributor takes place inside the magneto. So a generator sandwiched ahead of the mag on an F-xx Farmall does NOT need to be a special, low RPM design.

As you suggest this is weird (and fascinating) stuff!