Re: (ET) Re:MY "NEW IDEA" EGT ON FIRE

[Jeremy Gagliardi com]

Something similar happened to my father.  He originally owned two E20s (I 
have
since inherited one of them).  The E20 he used in Potomac, Md where we 
lived
(as opposed to Pennsylvania where we vacationed) came back from the shop 
one
day, and upon first use, something began smoking under the seat.  While he 
was
still on it, one of the batteries exploded.  Because he was sitting on it, 
the
explosion went down and out, rather than on him, but gave him a fairly big
jolt.  He got rid of the tractor soon after and never bought another one.  
I
remember him only using the one in Pennsylvania.  I don't remember there 
being
a tractor in Maryland at all (I was 4 when we moved there), so the 
explosion
must have happened fairly early on, probably 74-75 when I was still 4 or 5.

Recently, I inspected my E20 and did find worn wires both under the tractor
and in the steering box.  One had caused the terminal of one of the rear
batteries to melt from a momentary (thank God!) cross connect.  I have 
since
repaired the wires and nothing serious has happened.  I use this as a 
caution
to periodically inspect all wires and battery connections in my tractor.

I'm thinking putting in some big fuses at the batteries just might be a 
great
idea.

--
Jeremy Gagliardi
Bethesda, Md
E20

On Fri, 17 Jan 2003 09:27:31 -0800 (PST), "Jim (fiskfarm)" wrote:
Hi Paul, What's cookin?
Sorry )-:
On a similar note, you better add an inline fuse AT THE BATTERY TERMINAL
on the ACCESSORY LEAD!! (lights, etc fuse block.) My son was pulling the
axle and wheels out from under a semi trailer using the I-5 while I picked
it up with the loader. It was doing a fine job pulling about 800 lbs. when
suddenly black smoke started pouring out all over.
My son bailed, turning in mid flight to throw the disconnect, again
Paul to no avail. I jumped off the loader, lifted the seat bat. cover and
ripped the burning acc. wire off the battery. As any fellow electrician
knows, the wires should be protected AT THE SOURCE rather than at the load
end. Apparently this never occurred to the engineers at GE. The acc. wire
has no disconnect and no fuse to protect it and I have never seen an ET
that did.
Cause: The shunt by the steering column got very hot during the pull
and melted the insulation off the acc. wire which then shorted and burned
in the cluster right back to the rear battery, even melting part of the
battery itself. Still ran fine but I must now run a new wire AND FUSE IT
at the battery. Radio Shack, etc all have nice heavy in line fuse holders
that are used for high power amps in our teens cars.
This also goes for the LIFT WIRE as well!
Jim
++++++++++++++++++
Paul Wood wrote:

Dear
EGT owners and sages,Tonight,
with the first 6" of snow in Nebraska, I tried putting concrete (2 hole)
"'cinder" blocks on the sheet metal shelf behind the seat of my 27 year
old larlge frame EGT by GE.   
This to help the snowthrower clear my driveway which is only 34 ' x 17'.It
didn't help the traction much, and I had to raise the hood and press the
reset button to get it going once.After
trying to back up the 12 percent grade of my concrete ddriveway, smoke
started pouring out of the dash compartment.   
The emergency disconnect sw lever didn;t make a bit of difference. I
ran, got the big Halon beast fire and owner killer, and with a 4 
or 5 sshots, the smoke stopped for a while.  Again, dark, no light,
no wrench, burst into house, found flashlight, crescent wrench, and burst
out to disconnect any batt terminals I could get to;  more smoke,
more Halon, REAR batt coompartment now oozing smoke.  Knock the two
blocks off, raisee the seat/nattery cover and disconnected one of the four
rear batts.  No smoke. I died. *&*%$*& blocks.Fright.Remorse
to have rewired a new timer charger last month and  miswired the 
$*%&#*wires. 
   
When daylight comes, I'm going to be sick looking at the fried wirings.I
have an auto short finder gadget, might help.Advice?
be careful not to load cinder blocks on the rear batt cover, and be sure
the emergcncy disconneect will disconnect!Paul
Wood, "sadder but probably no wiser."

----- Original Message -----

From:
Ferguson Apiaries

To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu

Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 5:13
PM

Subject: (ET) solid state
 Hi!I
have looked at some of the arckives, has anyone had sucsess at solid 
state? 
I was thinking of a two stage: a golf cart controller for the armature
and a second swithch for the field.  I would reverse the field instead
of the armature.BillFerguson
Apiaries
Hensall, On
519-236-4979