Ed Whitney or Powermaster alt/generator?

[37 Coupe]

I still do not know which way to go oneither a stock generator or a Whitney alternator /generator> I have run a Whitney 6 volt generator look alike for 12 years in my '37 Ford coupe with no issues and no third brush adjustments. I just do not know yet what a new one for a '31 Model A would cost now as I have tried to contact them a couple times. I was kinda waiting also for a supposedly pretty good Fordbarner guy to rebuild a stock generator for me but he is still not home to do so. I think the Powermaster is cheaper than a Whitney but I do not know anyone who is running those in 6 volt and I searched some who have problems installing. This is really about the only issue holding me up. I have two original generators that need rebuilt,I have two brand new armatures for them,the repro type and 55 years ago I just drove my all original '30 roadster with no concern and never touched the generator and like today never drove at night much.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

There is a certain amount of confidence that comes with one of Tom's rebuilt unit(s) as you know what it is. If your timeline does not match his scheduling, why not rebuild your units yourself and learn a new skill-set. Toms a pretty sharp cookie however there have been people WAY dumber than him that have successfully rebuilt a generator that has provided many years of troublefree service.


As for whether to go with an original unit vs. an aftermarket unit, you first must ask yourself the question of 'What are you trying to gain?'. More often than not, people use false reasoning for upgrading. With solid-state cutouts available now along with quality armatures & fields, the weak link has been eliminated. Then couple that with LED bulbs, you can set the 3rd brush to output around 8 amps and a rebuilt 6v generator will last a long, long time.


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[37 Coupe]

Thank you .I think you told me what I wanted to hear.

[HDowse]

When I bought my Standard Coupe a year ago it came with an alternator. Tom had sold me the VR for a long generator I had and I installed it no problem. I removed the alternator, put in the long gen with the VR built in and now have the alternator stored. I like the looks of the stock unit and get the benefit of Tom's voltage regulator, so no adjusting the third brush.
If Tom is going to rebuild your generator, have him install the VR and you'll be all set.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by HDowse

When I bought my Standard Coupe a year ago it came with an alternator. Tom had sold me the VR for a long generator I had and I installed it no problem. I removed the alternator, put in the long gen with the VR built in and now have the alternator stored. I like the looks of the stock unit and get the benefit of Tom's voltage regulator, so no adjusting the third brush.
If Tom is going to rebuild your generator, have him install the VR and you'll be all set.

Not saying that is bad advice, but these new LED bulbs are game changers as far as needing an electronic voltage regulator. I think many people are also using battery tenders to keep their battery fully charged when they don't drive that often, and so setting the generator to produce about 5-6 amps constantly keeps the battery charged in normal use whether being driven in day or night. Even if the system is discharging an amp or two for an hour or so, when they pull into the garage and reconnect to the tender, they are ready to go the next day. If they don't use a tender, the next time they drive during the day will top the battery off again with a 2-3 amp charge ...and IMHO, a 1-2 amp discharge for an hour or so at nighttime driving will never be noticed on a good battery.

[AL in NY]

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Years ago for safety and night drivibility, I installed a Russ Evans look-a-like Model A alternator because I would be running halogen headlight bulbs and didn't like to looks of a modern alternator on the Model A. But now, with the introduction of LED headlight bulbs, the need for an alternator on a Model A is not as critical because the LED bulbs are as bright as halogen bulbs and use much less amperage.