Another rant--GENERATOR CUTOUT!

[John Duden]

Well i have learned another Lesson. I just rebuilt a power house generator for a project at the county fair. I ordered a repop cutout, put it together and got it working and it was chargeing 5-10 amps on the amp gauge. i figured that a repop cutout would work until i found a GOOD original to restore. I had Tom Wessenberg rebuild one i found, to replace the one that i have for it.
Tonight couriousity got the best of me so i took the cover off the repop and discovered this! I am not going to complain or have a "pitty party" but look at this BRAND NEW cutout! it does not have more that an hour runtime on it, or 5 miles on it. the battery has always been unhooked when not in use. all of the wires were wired up right with no shorts that i could find! so beware!
BTW
it is cheaper to have an original redone By Tom than buy a repop!
The Redone one should be in the mail tommorow!

pictures tell a thousand words!

[quickchange]

Yeeeeep You can still save it by fitting a diode in it & have as a spare

[Purdy Swoft]

Looks like the repro is cooked. The screw at the front wire connection may have been too long and shorted the cutout to the generator housing. The burned out repro cut out can be easily fixed with the $2.95 diode on page A-142 of the Snyders catalog, part number A-10155-DIO .You gut the housing and clean it up. I use an electric soldering gun and rosin core solder . Its easy to install and has no points to stick. I like Snyders diode best for the style repro cut out that you have pictured . For me the Brattons six dollar diode works out best for the original style cutout.

[Purdy Swoft]

Sorry I'm a slow typer.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I've seen various quality of repro's, but this style is the poorest of the repro's I've seen. I haven't seen the coil cooked, but have seen the contacts and top plate badly burned on this style.

If you don't get your original in tomorrow's mail, it should be at your house the next day for sure.

[H. L. Chauvin]

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Looks like a turkey that's been in the oven too long.

[Bluebell]

Were the generator fields polarised?
Did this happen after you turned the key off, and before disconnecting the battery lead?

[Willie Krash]

Originally Posted by Bluebell

Were the generator fields polarised?
Did this happen after you turned the key off, and before disconnecting the battery lead?

If the generator was in neg. ground it would with the cutout be in series with the battery. 12V across the generator and cutout's coil. The cutout would be none to happy. Apparently this happened quickly. An interesting question.

[John Duden]

well i called the vendor that sold me the cutout and they have a new supplier, I WANT TO GIVE THESE GUYS A GOLD STAR AND THEN SOME! They said that they would replace it for free, and ship it free!
John

[TinCup]

John holding the vendor accountable is the only way to get better parts. The big parts houses have 10's of thousands of parts and they are not always quality checked. Salesman sells them a part and promises quality control but that is not always what they get.
Ford Barn is a great way of letting them know. The barn is well known to the vendors whether they like it or not.

[glenn in camino]

I put diodes in all of mine.

[SteveB31]

There is no QUALITY stock type cutout currently being made, so do not expect any better results with the replacement you get . All of the stock style cutouts are Chinese and not good, which is why we quit selling them years ago.Their is a great solid state one being made , and we have numerous restored originals available as well. Just so you know.

Steve Becker
Berts Model A Center

[TinCup]

If their are none then a restored original or a converted with a diode looks like your options.

[Lowell Fast]

VERY basic question.
In reference to the cutout's position in the car, what, if any, connections go to the front ( terminal tab) of the cutout and what goes to the rear of the cutout (screw).
I am referring to a 1928 Powerhouse Generator.

[Tom F OHIO]

What is the advantage of having a cutout with the diode in it.

[Kurt in NJ]

Originally Posted by Lowell Fast

VERY basic question.
In reference to the cutout's position in the car, what, if any, connections go to the front ( terminal tab) of the cutout and what goes to the rear of the cutout (screw).

Without knowing what generator you have "front", and "rear" is not enough to give a proper answer.

On the cutout there are usually markings
"ARM" --armature goes to the generator output stud or wire
"bat" or battery goes to the vehicle electric system, usually a wire that goes to the terminal box on the firewall, and the wire that goes to the light switch (lighting wiring harness)

most advice is given based on original stock factory setups, there are so many "modifications" and so called "improvements" ---those are hard to guess what was done,

Some generators had the output stud at the front, although most have it to the rear

[Bob C]

Originally Posted by Tom F OHIO

What is the advantage of having a cutout with the diode in it.

No points to stick closed.

Bob

[Tom F OHIO]

Originally Posted by Bob C

No points to stick closed.

Bob

Bob, I have a cutout with the diode and was wondering if all I do is change it out and do nothing else, or do I have to do something to the generator. Do you have one on your car?

Thanks,
Tom....

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Tom F OHIO

Bob, I have a cutout with the diode and was wondering if all I do is change it out and do nothing else, or do I have to do something to the generator. Do you have one on your car?

Thanks,
Tom....

Is something wrong with it? Why do you need to change it out?

[Tom F OHIO]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

Is something wrong with it? Why do you need to change it out?

Nothing is wrong with mine that I know of, just thought if this was an improvement maybe I would do it. I bought the one with the diode as a spare if needed.