Super M amp gauge dance

----

As Paul mentions above some vibration or “dancing” of the ammeter with the engine running at speed is completely normal. So also is light sparking at the voltage regulator relay contacts.

However if the ammeter swings all over the place here's a few possible causes:

1 - A poorly damped ammeter movement will swing wildly even though the charging system is working perfectly.

You can test damping by bringing a small magnet near the face of the ammeter and moving it around to make the hand deflect either way. Then quickly pull the magnet away. If the hand swings back and forth like a windshield wiper several times before settling back at 0, poor damping is the cause. The only fix is to replace the ammeter.

2 - Poor ground between the regulator and the tractor.

3 - Loose or badly worn generator brushes, worn commutator or worn armature end bushing.

4 - Faulty regulator. (Not every new regulator works as it should – especially the *&^%@# “made in China” imports!)

5 - Loose generator drive belt. However a loose belt will generally cause the ammeter hand to move slowly back and forth as the belt alternately slips then catches.

Worn brushes,,,,, weak or stuck/corroded brush hold down spring assemblies,,,,, ,,worn genny commutator to the point the mica seperating segments arent sufficiently undercut making the brushes bounce,,,,, ,,,,, burned/carboned VR contacts,,,,, ,loose ground or loose/corroded wiring connections,,,,, ,bad VR mount making a loose or intermittent ground..... LOTS MORE BUT THESE ARE TYPICAL CAUSES ID CHECK FIRST

John T