Connected the battery wrong, what did I damage?

Hello, I just connected the battery with the wrong polarity on a 1950s Fordson Major Diesel. Something was obviously damaged. Any idea what it might be?
 
I connect the battery and I can turn the lights on. When I turn the ignition key things still look normal. When I press the starter lever I get a "spark" sound from the battery or somewhere near it and the lights go off. Then I turn the ignition off and it's still all dark. If I disconnect the battery and connect it again I can repeat the whole procedure.
 
Sound like just a bad connection somewhere, on my
major there is a switch under the battery box that
has given me problems in the past. As far as hurting
anything it is hard to say, but unlikely that it did, the
Lucas system is kinda foreign to me lol
 
If original generator, and not alternator conversion, I doubt you hurt anything.

Sure sounds like bad connection on battery cable to me.
 
Sounds like you have a bad connection either on the battery or in the cable from
battery to starter via the solenoid. Also could be a bad earth.

Majors were a Positive earth, the only thing you are likely to damage is the
dynamo and regulator but then, only if you get it running, otherwise all the other
components will happily work either Positive or Negative earth. The dynamo and
regulator will also work if you "flash" the Field Terminal on the dynamo from the
"Live" battery terminal. To do this you need a piece of wire from the "Live"
terminal on the battery to the Field (small) terminal on the dynamo, a small spark
and the job is done.
 
(quoted from post at 01:03:28 07/27/17) Sounds like you have a bad connection either on the battery or in the cable from
battery to starter via the solenoid. Also could be a bad earth.

Thank you all!
A closer inspection showed that the battery terminals were in a sorry state. I guess it was just dumb luck that they worked until a few weeks ago.
I replaced them, and that did the trick.

The tractor was a gift from my father-in-law to my wife. Now I can show them both that it works. (Happy.)
 
That is a simple dirty battery posts and or dirty battery cable ends. Remember clean tight and bright on all connections
 

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