generator cut outs

[sheppfour]

I tried to order a cut out last week and parts supplier said he was out and it may be 2 months before he gets any. Are they hard to find now ?

Where is everyone getting them ?

Thanks Chris

[Steve Jelf]

My guess is that they all come from the same source, and that your best bet is to call all the Model T parts dealers to see if anybody still has one in stock.

[sheppfour]

Thank you. Enjoyed following your trip in the fall .

Thanks Chris

[Brian D]

I've been waiting since October for a cut out!
Brian.

[Bill Dizer]

If you check at your local auto parts store for a ford 2N or 9N diode replacement for the cut out, other than possible mounting differences that really don't matter, it will work fine. Now those tractors may or were positive ground rather than the model t negative ground. All you do is check that the wire from the battery is hot, then attach it to one end of the diode, and, check the other side of the diode with a test light or volt meter. IF there is voltage there or the test light lights, you have it reversed! Switch the wire to the other side/end of the diode! Check again, the light or volt meter should indicate no voltage going through the diode. Then all you do is attach the wire from the generator output to the end of the diode, and it will charge, and shut off when the engine stops. If you can mount it to one of the cutout mounting screws, great, if not all you need to do is tape up the wires at both ends of the diode so they can't short out. There is no need to ground the diode in any way. It can hang in open air and work fine. All a diode does is prevent electricity from flowing in one direction, which is what the cutout does. A diode does not regulate voltage at all, it is Not a voltage regulator! Just as your cutout is not a regulator either. All either one does is prevent electricity from flowing back to the generator when it is not charging. Think of them as a one way valve-electricity can go through in one direction only. When the engine is running,and the generator is charging, the power it produces goes through the diode and on to the car/battery. When the generator is stopped or not charging, the electricity is blocked by the diode from getting back to the generator and trying to make it run as a motor, which runs the battery down, and can get the generator hot enough to ruin it.

A voltage regulator is a totally different unit. It does what it says, it regulates the output voltage and amperage, based on its sense of what the battery needs to remain charged. Not what a T had from new, but a good idea if you drive a lot especially at night, where you use more power.

[DaveD]

I put a diode in mine. Looks like OEM Ford on the outside. Easy install and inexpensive. https://www.modeltford.com/item/5055DIO.aspx

[Philip]

i have the same problem with standard size rings. philip