Pinto: What's happening? Are they electically fried or bearing failures or what?

Paul

They're electrically fried I guess. I got the car out a month ago to get ready for the CVA convention,gen light was on.Wired an ammeter under the hood to see what was going on.Tried another regulator - not charging.Put the regulator from the truck on - not charging. It's the generator.Put the generator from the truck on we're charging.But when I rev the engine charging amps are way above 35amps.Had gen. repaired with new armature I had.We're charging again with 3 different regulators still high amps.Ok maybe battery is low.20 miles on the way to Maryland gen. light comes on.Lift the hood and look, we're not charging.Drove 50 miles on battery.Battery ok?

Got a rebuilt gen. at the convention from a guy from NC.He had meters with him to check voltage output, it was right on. I was still afraid because of the high amp charging rate. 20 miles toward home gen. light came on.Lifted the hood - not charging.Almost made it home.Put the truck battery in and drove 1 mile home.

I don't know what's putting the load on the generator.I've seen it close to 60 amps when I rev it.On a 35 amp generator?When I get it repaired again I'm going to put the truck battery in to see what happens,only thing I didn't try.Could the battery be putting such a load on the generator?At rest there's no current draw on the system.I'm glad I have 2 6 volt vehicles to swap parts around. Any ideas?

  Dennis in Lititz PA

Pinto

You may have walked right by me carrying the generator with Mike Suter. I was in a group in the upper parking lot checking out my friends 56 blue/blue convertable with the late model Lincoln engine.

On your generator problem, as you have found out a generator will put out an almost unlimited amount of current. The current limiting is part of the regulator, You have a regulator problem that is cooking your generators. The shop manual gives an adjustment procedure for the regulator but I think you would have a hard time finding someone who has the equipment to do it today. The manual also says grounding is important, is the regulator mounted to clean metal, I remember some that had rubber bushings in the mount and had a copper strap to bypass the rubber and provide proper grounding. Also check the engine to firewall ground strap, if it's loose your body ground (where the regulator is mounted) will be diffrent than the engine ground.

Pinto

Another thought, If you remove the field wire at the regulator does the charge rate go to 0.  If not you may have a short between the Armature wire and the Field wire in the harness between the regulator and the generator.  If these wires are shorted together the generator output would also be providing the field current and the output would be completely unregulated.

Dennis,



Is gen. light staying on after you remove key?

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Pinto: I'm hardly an expert here but, I think Kev has nailed it!  Theres likely a short or lack of continuity in your generator/regulator harness & your generator is running out of control! Two or three regulators can't all be bad.  As mentioned, grounding should also be checked & don't forget to polarize any new regulator.    

Paul

I'm thinking too I need to check the wiring from generator to regulator.Putting in the generator from the truck produced the same symptoms.I'll keep you posted. Thanks

  Dennis in Lititz PA

ok. so heres a question. is it the regulator that limits the amps output of the generator?

Yes, it's the regulator that limits the current output (amps) as well as voltage. In the regulator there is a coil that is wound with heavy gauge wire, all the output of the generator armature wire flows thru this coil. If the current goes above a safe level the coil pulls the contacts open and that places a resistor in series with the field causing the generator output to drop of momenterly. Once the current drops the contact closes again and the output increases, this happens about 20 to 30 times a second the contacts actuly vibrate.

This usuly only happens at high RPM's because as we well know a generator at idle cannot even keep up with the current draw of the headlights.

My 56 has an alternator as I am planing on adding A/C and electric radiator fans, does not help you 55 guys who are 6 volt. The 6 volt system in a car with only factory accessorys can be made to work, just needs larger gauge cables than you find in an auto store.

If anyone wants to know how to do the alternator conversion I had prevously posted it here, I used an alternator from a Ford Escort (70 amps) and it bolts up without to much trouble. Do a search for it, If you cannot find it I will post it again.

They do make 6 volt, positive ground alternators.

54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ