The Ford Barn

JimNNN · 08-04-2019, 02:21 PM

Hello again everyone! I rewired my '54 Ford passenger car last winter, replacing pretty much everything electrical including the generator and generator regulator. Battery, too. I kept the car 6 volt, but the car is negative ground instead of positive (as from the factory.) FYI, the car came to me converted to negative ground, and the people who made the wiring kit strongly recommended keeping that way, as that's how their 6 volt kit is designed. And yes, I DID spark the regulator (per Fordbarn advice) to make sure the rebuilt gen is polarized to negative ground.

Anyway, up until recently, the gen light would go on when I first started the car, then go off in a minute or two (often a lot sooner) as engine speed increased. Sometimes it would momentarily flicker on at low idle or as load was put on the engine when starting out in first gear, but this seems to be in accordance with the shop manual. All normal as I understand it.

Yesterday and today, however, I noticed a different pattern. The light was staying on a long time (15 minutes +) ...and would actually get brighter with engine speed (???) while sometimes being off or close to off at idle. Only when I would get the car up to highway speed (50+) for a short stretch would the light go off abruptly and stay off...at any speed, even idle or starting off in first gear. Any ideas about what might be going on? Haven't got my volt meter with me to check that out, but I will in the next few days.

The only other potentially pertinent info is that I drove the car in the rain for the first time the day before yesterday. It was a pretty light rain though - not enough to even make puddles that splash up into the engine bay. I tried to make the new wiring weather proof, but I may have missed something. Thanks for any input.

08-04-2019, 02:21 PM	#1
JimNNN Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 522	6 volt generator light question Hello again everyone! I rewired my '54 Ford passenger car last winter, replacing pretty much everything electrical including the generator and generator regulator. Battery, too. I kept the car 6 volt, but the car is negative ground instead of positive (as from the factory.) FYI, the car came to me converted to negative ground, and the people who made the wiring kit strongly recommended keeping that way, as that's how their 6 volt kit is designed. And yes, I DID spark the regulator (per Fordbarn advice) to make sure the rebuilt gen is polarized to negative ground. Anyway, up until recently, the gen light would go on when I first started the car, then go off in a minute or two (often a lot sooner) as engine speed increased. Sometimes it would momentarily flicker on at low idle or as load was put on the engine when starting out in first gear, but this seems to be in accordance with the shop manual. All normal as I understand it. Yesterday and today, however, I noticed a different pattern. The light was staying on a long time (15 minutes +) ...and would actually get brighter with engine speed (???) while sometimes being off or close to off at idle. Only when I would get the car up to highway speed (50+) for a short stretch would the light go off abruptly and stay off...at any speed, even idle or starting off in first gear. Any ideas about what might be going on? Haven't got my volt meter with me to check that out, but I will in the next few days. The only other potentially pertinent info is that I drove the car in the rain for the first time the day before yesterday. It was a pretty light rain though - not enough to even make puddles that splash up into the engine bay. I tried to make the new wiring weather proof, but I may have missed something. Thanks for any input.