Power house generator woes

[Mongo]

Power house status.
- Hook up to battery. positive to ground negative to the output post- it motors pretty good.
- Field measures about 3.5 ohms
- Growler shows no shorts on the com
- Have checked segment to segment on the com with ohm meter--each segment reads less than ohm
- when in the growler I do not seem to get voltage between adjacent segments any where on the com---not sure of what levels to expect.
- cleaned brushes and com
- seems to be decent spring pressure on brushes - moved field adjustment back and forth
- scratched my head lots!

When I spin with a good drill--lots of speed it lays there like a stunned chicken - perhaps half a volt output. Perhaps I am the stunned chicken doing something wrong!!!

[redmodelt]

Try zapping the output post with line (battery) voltage, maybe it just needs to be polarized.

[Mongo]

I believe I have done that--does that happen when you hook it to run it like a motor? I have also connected the field separately--- negative to lead and positive to ground as well
I have also checked the connection on the brush holders to the frame etc.

[Kurt in NJ]

I look for amperage between segments, depending on how it is wound, I look for the position of the highest reading, and rotate and test each segment, most have made 10-15 amps--- remember it is ac amps on the growler---- if the solder connection between wires and commutator bar is bad you may show good with most tests, but have low- no output

[Synchro909]

Just a short hijack here: I have about 3 powerhouse generators I want to move on but the brush ring is either missing or damaged. Are they available?

[Mongo]

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Good info thx

[Tom Wesenberg]

The brush holders are hard to find in good condition.
If you have the parts, I have used JB Weld to repair them.

When the field isn't working, the generator will put out about 1/2 volt from residual magnetism.
I have found poor solder joints where the field coil wires twist together. I have also found a broken wire just inside the wrap, so I cut the wrap back enough to solder the wire. I check the fields by connecting a battery charger on 6 volts, then read the amps. Powerhouse fields should draw about 1 1/2 to 2 amps.

Poor output can also be the ground brush spring post not making a good connection where it meets the metal frame. I've had to use a large soldering gun to heat and solder the post. Try not to heat the Bakelite, or it may crack.

[Mongo]

I went over what I thought I had checked correctly and just as repeated on the forum several times there was bad post connections. Thx again for reinforcing what has already been indicated several times.