The Ford Barn

don-wi · 06-28-2014, 08:19 PM

I got a regulator from a friend to try today. Put it on, polarized by touching field wire to Bat terminal. Started car, not charging. I took the field wire off and put it to the Arm terminal to full field. Not charging. I full fielded it the other day and it charged great. I checked over wires and connectors some, nothing obvious. I was looking at the wiring diagram on Mac Van pet's website. Shows a junction of some sort that the battery wire from regulator goes to. Where is this located? Also not understanding the ammeter connections. I'm used to GM cars ammeter that have 2 studs and the wire goes in on one side and out the other. Thanks for the help. Don

koates · 06-29-2014, 03:56 AM

Don, the only thing you have changed is the regulator so why are you looking at wiring, ammeter connections now which were not a problem before ?? Go back to the regulator. WHAT TYPE IS IT ? (part numbers) Is it the correct 6 volt ford unit. If it is a 12volt reg the cut out contacts wont close when you full field it. You just cant put any old reg on it and you don't know if it is any good do you. The generator was OK the other day and will still be OK today. Don't get sidetracked on other items which are not the problem. Get a known good reg and fit it NOT an unknown condition regulator. Regards, Kevin.

don-wi · 06-29-2014, 06:38 AM

It is a known good regulator, NAPA #VR401. I went back to the original regulator and started testing fresh, found that full fielding didn't make generator charge. Don

G.M. · 06-29-2014, 08:28 AM

Loosen the fan belt, remove the wires from the generator, jump the arm and field on the generator and touch an 8 or 10 gauge wire from the neg battery to the jumped arm and field wires. The generator will now run like a motor if it is good. It won't run real fast. The purpose of the cut out on the 3 wire generators or the cutout relay in the voltage regulator on 2 wire ones is to disconnect voltage to the generator. If it don't disconnect at very low speeds and idle the generator is trying to run like a motor but the fan belt is a brake stopping it. As a result it puts a big load on it and smoke appears. On an alternator Diodes that only allow current to flow in one direction disconnect the battery. Diodes have a VERY SMALL leakage in the opposite direction which over a long period of time will drain the battery. G.M.

koates · 06-29-2014, 10:18 AM

G.M. Im not sure why you posted that because we have already established that the generator was building up voltage and charging when the field was jumped to armature. Motoring the generator is not a conclusive way to test it and we know already the original reg cut out is working. Just the regulator voltage or current contacts are likely at fault. Read the earlier posts. Regards, Kevin.

koates · 06-29-2014, 10:30 AM

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Don, I now see you are saying the generator will not work when you connect the field to armature terminal but it did on your earlier test ?? Maybe the generator brushes are about worn out or gummed up and sticking in the brush holders which will explain the intermittent operation. Better pull the generator down to check that out. Regards, Kevin.

don-wi · 06-29-2014, 10:30 AM

Kevin, yes the generator did charge the first test a few days ago, when I re-tested it yesterday it did not charge.

06-28-2014, 08:19 PM	#1
don-wi Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 150	47 Charging issues I got a regulator from a friend to try today. Put it on, polarized by touching field wire to Bat terminal. Started car, not charging. I took the field wire off and put it to the Arm terminal to full field. Not charging. I full fielded it the other day and it charged great. I checked over wires and connectors some, nothing obvious. I was looking at the wiring diagram on Mac Van pet's website. Shows a junction of some sort that the battery wire from regulator goes to. Where is this located? Also not understanding the ammeter connections. I'm used to GM cars ammeter that have 2 studs and the wire goes in on one side and out the other. Thanks for the help. Don

06-29-2014, 03:56 AM	#2
koates Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Melbourne Australia. Posts: 2,078	Re: 47 Charging issues Don, the only thing you have changed is the regulator so why are you looking at wiring, ammeter connections now which were not a problem before ?? Go back to the regulator. WHAT TYPE IS IT ? (part numbers) Is it the correct 6 volt ford unit. If it is a 12volt reg the cut out contacts wont close when you full field it. You just cant put any old reg on it and you don't know if it is any good do you. The generator was OK the other day and will still be OK today. Don't get sidetracked on other items which are not the problem. Get a known good reg and fit it NOT an unknown condition regulator. Regards, Kevin.

06-29-2014, 06:38 AM	#3
don-wi Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 150	Re: 47 Charging issues It is a known good regulator, NAPA #VR401. I went back to the original regulator and started testing fresh, found that full fielding didn't make generator charge. Don

06-29-2014, 08:28 AM	#4
G.M. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Florida and Penna. Posts: 4,471	Re: 47 Charging issues Loosen the fan belt, remove the wires from the generator, jump the arm and field on the generator and touch an 8 or 10 gauge wire from the neg battery to the jumped arm and field wires. The generator will now run like a motor if it is good. It won't run real fast. The purpose of the cut out on the 3 wire generators or the cutout relay in the voltage regulator on 2 wire ones is to disconnect voltage to the generator. If it don't disconnect at very low speeds and idle the generator is trying to run like a motor but the fan belt is a brake stopping it. As a result it puts a big load on it and smoke appears. On an alternator Diodes that only allow current to flow in one direction disconnect the battery. Diodes have a VERY SMALL leakage in the opposite direction which over a long period of time will drain the battery. G.M. __________________ www.fordcollector.com

06-29-2014, 10:18 AM	#5
koates Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Melbourne Australia. Posts: 2,078	Re: 47 Charging issues G.M. Im not sure why you posted that because we have already established that the generator was building up voltage and charging when the field was jumped to armature. Motoring the generator is not a conclusive way to test it and we know already the original reg cut out is working. Just the regulator voltage or current contacts are likely at fault. Read the earlier posts. Regards, Kevin.

06-29-2014, 10:30 AM	#6
koates Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Melbourne Australia. Posts: 2,078	Re: 47 Charging issues Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Don, I now see you are saying the generator will not work when you connect the field to armature terminal but it did on your earlier test ?? Maybe the generator brushes are about worn out or gummed up and sticking in the brush holders which will explain the intermittent operation. Better pull the generator down to check that out. Regards, Kevin.

06-29-2014, 10:30 AM	#7
don-wi Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 150	Re: 47 Charging issues Kevin, yes the generator did charge the first test a few days ago, when I re-tested it yesterday it did not charge.