Weekend Warrior defeated

[Mitch//pa]

I know many swear by the original style...

I only use the diode installed cutouts... Never had to worry about the contacts..
Never seen one fail yet

[TommyCoupe]

I may buy another, but I'd hate to keep buying cutouts and find out that the generator is shot.

There's a guy not too far from where I work that rebuilds generators/alternators/starters/etc.

Maybe I'll just drop it off and have him go over the whole thing.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Did you jump across the cutout terminals while the engine is running at fast idle, then read the voltage?

[Terry, NJ]

A few weeks ago I was having the same problems (well similar) Mine may have been due to the fact that it was hooked up backwards. It was an early (?) generator (Not Powerhouse) with the connector at the front of the gen. case instead of the rear. As it got progressively worse, it went from me having to polarize every time I used the car to not fully charging at all beyond a 1V trickle charge with the ammeter reading 0, no charge, no discharge! Towards the end of it's useful life, the needle was bouncing so I turned the commutator. It was out of round and I did no harm to it and it ran steadier till it gave up the ghost completely. Tom W. gave me a couple of tests to perform that involved insulating the armature from the brushes with strips of light cardboard and while the tests did not show anything, the generator kept failing. Now it's out being replaced with a one with standard connections configuration.
Terry

[TommyCoupe]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Did you jump across the cutout terminals while the engine is running at fast idle, then read the voltage?

I will try this tonight.

[TommyCoupe]

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OK. I feel like the dumb kid on the playground that keeps getting beat up by the bully.

Today, before I started the engine, the battery was at 6.14V.
I started the engine and put it on a fast idle.
Cutout output side (where yellow wire is connected) to ground was 6.09V.
Cutout output side to opposite side of cutout (generator output stud) was 6.09V.
Generator output stud to ground fluctuates from 8.09 to 12V.
Not sure what any of this means, but I think I'll have a beer.

BTW. Turned engine off and steam came out of the radiator overflow tube again. Perhaps this car doesn't like sitting in one place at a fast idle.
Steam doesn't come out when it's running.

Tommy-

[Tom Wesenberg]

It means the output stud nut is loose, corroded, or you are still not using an analog meter as recommended.

Use an alligator clip to jump from the generator output STUD to the yellow wire terminal, then measure the voltage of that connection at fast idle.

Pictures would help.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Here is an inexpensive 10 volt DC meter that is excellent to use for Model A voltage checks.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/162135741015...MakeTrack=true

[TommyCoupe]

Analog meter on it's way

[Tom Wesenberg]

Here are some alligator clips to use with the meter, and to use to make jumper leads.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-Stainles...IAAOSwSHZWdJ5V

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Here is an inexpensive 10 volt DC meter that is excellent to use for Model A voltage checks.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/162135741015...MakeTrack=true

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Here are some alligator clips to use with the meter, and to use to make jumper leads.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-Stainles...IAAOSwSHZWdJ5V

and a box to put it in,

Box

[TommyCoupe]

Analog meter results:
Battery voltage before startup 5.9V.
Started engine. Jumped wire across the cutout to read voltage like the photo.
The ammeter pegged, and the jumper wire smoked and melted.
Voltage at cutout output side 5.9V(yellow wire side), after the jumper wire was removed.
Generator output post to ground now reads 0V with engine running.

Must be a short inside the generator.
4th down and long, I think i'll punt.

Tommy-

[John Kuhnast]

Willie Krash is right. An old guy taught me when you have a problem just sit and look at the car until you get a message,

[Tom Wesenberg]

I would remove the cutout, then measure the ohms from the case to the input terminal.
It should be 40 to 50 ohms.

While the cutout is off start the engine and measure the voltage at the generator stud.

[TommyCoupe]

More weekend fun.
Pulled the cutout and measured ohms from gen stud to grd.
No resistance at all, so I decided to take the plunge and start taking the generator apart. Something that I don't feel qualified to do, but at this point, why not.
Pictures attached.
You'll see that the field coil wire was hanging on by a strand, and it broke off just before I took the picture.
So I soldered on a new wire and put it all back together, and wrapped all the exposed wires with heat shrink.
Put it all back together and measured ohms. Still nothing.
Pu the jumper cables on it, and it spun.
Took the generator stud out and made sure it wasn't grounding out. It wasn't.
Then I put it back in the car and started it (without the cutout).
Gen output to ground read 17-18V. The needle wasn't bouncing. It just looks to be in that range.
Out the cutout back on, and polarized the generator.
Ran the car at fast idle.
No movement on ammeter, voltage at battery and voltage at cutout output was the same, looks like about 5.8 V on the analog meter.
Measured gen output to ground, and it was less than 2V.

I think I will just bring it to someone who can fix it. I'm wasting too much of my weekends.

Tommy-

[TommyCoupe]

oops. Pictures

[Bob C]

From the wear on the brushes it looks like they have very little contact
with the armature.

Bob

[Tom Wesenberg]

You should swap two brushes, and insulate the wire from the power brush to the stud.

The thin field brush goes on the adjustable ring.

The short side of the brushes faces the brush holder pivot, just as you have them.