I had to re-edit this message... I am going to try this again... I got a lot of helpful tips but none that helped me to figure what's going on... Any thoughts on the below welcomed. My car was converted to 12v... It looks to have the original generator still in it... After looking into it and listening to suggestions I have decided the best bet is to go alternator instead of rebuilding the generator since it is my daily driver... I was told by a lot of guys here just to go to O'Rielly's or AutoZone etc...but the alternators there have this plug hole on the back of them,,,, while my generator only has two wires on the back that someone labeled "F" and "A"... Can I use the alternators from O'Reilly's or AutoZone and if so what is that plug hole for? Please take it easy on me guys LOL, I am new and trying to learn... Any help always welcome and appreciated. You guys have helped me come so far already. thanks, Larry
For a purist restoration, keep the generator If you want to actually USE the car, an alternator is excellent. My prices may be out of date but alternators were $35 last I looked while a generator was $35 and you had to pay another $35 for the regulator
I've never actually spent 35 bix for a regulator but I haven't bought one for awhile. 35 bucks seems cheap in todays economy for an alt or a genny. But again I would have to stand at the parts counter and ask. You own a '51 Chevy, right? it is 6 volt or 12 volt? that is where I would begine to ake my decision on running another generator or switching to an alternator. if you are still 6V it will be involve making a change to 12V if you go to an alternator. It is more involved than changing lights like on a bike. You have all your gauges, blower radio if you have and use one etc. You will also need to build or come up with a bracket to hold the alternator. Niether is any big deal but it is worth mentioning. More often than not all that is required if your genny is bad is a set of bushing and brushes. cheap and easy. It may not even be the genny that is the problme if you are not charging, it could just be the voltage regulator. That isn't awlays a matter of needing a new one sometimes it is just the points that need cleaning. i used to use GM voltage regulators on my HAWGs all the time. They were cheap and reliable, if I lost lights it was more often than not just a matter of popping the cover and giving it a cleaning. Once in awhile I burnt one out but that was usually 4 or 5 cleanings down the road. Either one in good shape will run your car.
porkybeaner has a good point, if you find regulators and polarizing generators too much hassle, a one wire alternator cant be beat. 6 volts sucks
A few years back I converted a flathead Ford to 12 volts. The Chev can be done the same way. Find a generator off a 56 or newer truck and take it and the one you have to a generator repair shop. They will put the 12 volt guts in the six volt housing. Then you need a regulator for a 56 pickup and a box of new bulbs
Well, it has been converted to a 12v... So, alternator is the best it seems from what you guys are saying... So for my question you are basically saying since it is converted to 12v I can just put on the GM alternator my friend has? I"m not worrying about staying all original because this is my daily driver now and I just want to be able to start her up after a day or two without having to take the battery out and charge it again or get a jump start from one place to another LOL... Basically if I can get it to bolt up to the bracket then the GM alternator should do just fine right? BTW... where you guys getting alternators that cheap?? Places I look are running 150-250 bucks!?! Any help with that would be great too! LOL thanks for the info and anymore is welcomed... Larry
I am alternator poor, they just seem to multiply here at my place. But if you need an alternator and have a core a remanned alt from O'Reilly's or Autozone shouldn't run you much. maybe not 32 bucks any more but certainly less than 100.00. If you are parking it and need a jump after a couple of days your genny is not your problem. You have a dead short somewhere that is draining the battery. Just pull the ground cable until you get a chance to chace it down. Your generator isn't going to put any less charge into your battery than an alternator. if you have equipment that is pulling a lot of amps like say a bumpin stereo or mega headlights than a high output Alternator is the only way to go.
here it is on my 37.....a one wire deal....cant get much easier then that, you just need to sqaure away the bracketry....its 12volt NEGATIVE ground correct?
I usually get my old alts rebuilt, there's a company out here that does a really good job. If you're still looking for one let me know. As far as the hooking the alt up. I run a newer internally regulated alt with the exciter wire plugged into the power stud.
I did this to my 53 Chevy and it works well. For you, just skip the 12 volt stuff and follow the directions for the alt. http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/miscellaneous/5412volt.htm ~ Carl
Get a new, reasonably-priced 3-wire 10si clone from http://www.dbelectrical.com/c-8468-110-amp.aspx or the 1-wire http://www.dbelectrical.com/c-8471-110-amp.aspx. I prefer the 3-wire, which can also easily be set up either as a one-wire or a two-wire by connecting the #2 sensing terminal directly to the output, and either leaving the #1 exciter terminal open or connected to the ignition switch. The 1-wire setups usually require an rpm bump to get things charging. Jack E/NJ
Your local junk yard is a great resource for alternators. Even if you just need a core. "polarizing" A lost art?Thank you God for making me old skool!!
you know the one i bought doesnt need any RPM to get it to charge. i think www.madelectrical has info on the 1 wire vs 3 wire set ups you may want to consider
As usual some of the people should read the whole thread before answering and I can't figure out why one showed pieces for a flathead installation on a thread about Chevrolets. First as P&B said, it most likely isn't the generator that is your problem right now. Has the battery been tested and is it in top shape? Do you have anything on the car or do anything that might drain the battery when the car is sitting? One thing I have found that causes a drain on a good battery is a dirty battery top. Take your multimeter and put one probe on one battery post and the other on the top of the battery in different spots to see if you have current running across the top of the battery case. If it shows voltage there clean the top of the battery and most likely that will take care of the drain. On the alternator install, I'm pretty sure that you can use the original generator bracket on the block by making a spacer to take up the distance between the mounting lug on the alternator and the ends of the generator bracket. It takes a bolt long enough to go all the way through both ends of the bracket and get a nut and lock washer on it.
I use generators and regulators in both of my flathead cars and on the 283 in my '36. Not that tough to set up and it's still a reliable way to charge the battery. I also took the generator off my '51 Chevy (to be used on the '36) and replaced it with a one wire 12V alternator. (it had previously been converted to 12V). All I did was remove the regulator and the field/ arm wires and toss 'me on the bench along with the regulator. I used the power source to the regulator to power the Alternator.... A bracket for the inline was a simple affair. I just modified a generator mount....
Thanks for the help guys... The battery is new and has been tested... I don't believe it is draining when sitting up, I only say I don't believe because the only reason I have to re-charge every couple days is because it is my daily driver and I use it a lot... It never sits for more than a day or 2 at the most. I think I am going to swap out for the alternator and see how it goes... thanks for all the help and I'll post with results.
I just picked up a chromed alternator for my rod... used at 40 bucks. Doesn't quite look old school, but it'll charge well! I'd go with a vintage looking alternator if I had a choice.
Alternator best way to go for d/driver, just remember 1 wire is best way to go don't need 1 way diode or any of the rest of the crap, easy to mount etc, Alternator's are maintainers, generators are chargers, try to charge a dead battery with an alt and you will fry it, ask any rebuilder
i posted it so he could see how the bracketry was different and give some ideas. and the post was about alternators and generators
I had to re-edit this message... I am going to try this again... I got a lot of helpful tips but none that helped me to figure what's going on... Any thoughts on the below welcomed. My car was converted to 12v... It looks to have the original generator still in it... After looking into it and listening to suggestions I have decided the best bet is to go alternator instead of rebuilding the generator since it is my daily driver... I was told by a lot of guys here just to go to O'Rielly's or AutoZone etc...but the alternators there have this plug hole on the back of them,,,, while my generator only has two wires on the back that someone labeled "F" and "A"... Can I use the alternators from O'Reilly's or AutoZone and if so what is that plug hole for? Please take it easy on me guys LOL, I am new and trying to learn... Any help always welcome and appreciated. You guys have helped me come so far already. thanks, Larry
OK, I'll bite ... changed a friends Ford Falcon over to a GM alt this past summer. We used a GM alternator from an early 80's Gm G-body (Cutlass, Regal, Monte etc). There are three wires on it ... one on its own on a stud and two that go into that plug you are talking about. A heavy gauge wire goes on the stud and two lighter gauge wires are on the plug. You should be able to purchase the plug at your local auto parts store. I am going to give you the basics ... then I will do some Google searching for you and return, but here is the basics ... the heavy wire goes to the non battery end of the positive battery cable (on Chevs it goes to the starter solenoid mounted on the starter, on the Ford I did this summer it went to the starter solenoid mounted to the inner fender). Now for the two wires on the plug. One of those wires also goes to the same spot the heavy wire went (I know, sounds odd but it is true) and the other wire gets attached to your original wire that feeds your generator light. Basically just three wires and you are done. Other people speak of a 1-wire alt ... in that case you just need to run one single wire from the alt to the non battery end of the positive cable. I have never run that type of alt. I will try to find a wiring diagram and return shortly.
The 10SI has three terminals (including those with a 1 wire regulator). The large "BATT" terminal which gets connected to your battery positive. (Or Terminal Post if your vehicle is so equipped). And a dual terminal connector. (Repair pig-tails for this connector available at any autoparts store. Or, salvage with alternator if pulling the alternator from a vehicle). The #1 Terminal. (Marked with a "1" on the case) This terminal is used to connect to the dash warning light. For the warning light, a lamp is wired in series with a switched voltage source. During normal operation the lamp stays off. If the regulator is damaged, the #1 terminal provides ground, and the warning lamp will light. Usually. This terminal is also active on 1 wire regulator equipped 10SI alternators. The #2 Terminal. (Marked with a "2" on the case) This terminal is used to excite the 10SI into operation. (3-wire 10SI) It is connected to the battery positive. For simplicity you can connect the #2 connector pigtail directly to the "batt" terminal on the al So this should be what you need to know ... heavy guage wire on stud goes to batt ... one of the wires in the plug also goes to batt ... third wire goes to your dash light for your charging system. The 10 S1 alt in (I believe) the same alt used in the early GM G-body cars I mentioned earlier. I should mention, the GM alt I speak of has a regulator built into it. Remove your present gen AND regulator ... locate the wire that feeds the dash light and run NEW (I highly rec) wires for the other two that come off your alt. You're good to go. Good luck
This diagram should explain it all ... as you can see there are actually four wires in total here ... the reason I do not mention the fourth is because it is a ground ... generally the alt is grounded to the engine when it is installed so a ground wire is not usually needed. Take a look at the pic, two of the three wires run to the battery (I told you to attach to the non battery end of the positive cable because that is how GM did it in the G-body cars) ... and the third simply connects to the original wire in your car that feeds the battery/gen/charging light ... (the one that lights up when you aren't charging). Very simple, toughest part will be mounting the alt to your engine (and that might end up being very easy). I guess I should also mention, just so there is no confusion ... this alt is 12 volts and GM (in their G-body cars) did NOT use a ground wire from the alt ... the diagram is simply showing that it must be grounded, and as I mentioned earlier, that happens when it gets bolted to the engine.
I thought this place was about tradition?? Nothing traditional about Alternators. A Generator is good enough for my 51.
You bring up a very good point ... may I be so bold as to suggest that you demand that anyone and everyone running an alt be banned from this site. Hope you and the other twelve remaining people don't run out of things to talk about. Oh, and thanks much for contributing valuable info to this post and helping out a fellow "old car person".
There has been a generator on my '57 since the day it was assembled. It has been rebuilt twice in 54 years and a new regulator at the time of each rebuild. As with any part of a car, you need to maintain it. I would trouble shoot your charging system, and make the neeeded repairs to solve your problem. Good luck it can be done!
OK, I'm a tad confused by these postings. The man said his system was converted to 12V's. That tells me his generator is 12 volts. Why not check the generator for charging before we go off and buy an alternator and modify the electrical system? First "polarize the generator" or "flash the field". With ignition switch on, touch a 12-14 gauge wire from the "B" terminal (battery) on the regulator to the "A" terminal on the voltage regulator. You should get a soft arc. You can do this a couple of times. Start engine. Check the generator for charging by checking voltage between the "A" terminal (armature) and ground with a voltmeter with engine RPM at 1000 or 1200 RPM. If working, the voltage should be 11.8 to 13 volts. If voltage output is low, say 8-10 volts, or lower, shut down the engine and remove the "F" terminal wire from the generator. Restart the engine and hook a jumper wire from the "F" (Field) terminal on the generator and temporarily touch it to ground, while checking battery voltage as discribed above. Taking the "F" terminal to ground bypasses the voltage regulator function of the 3 unit regulator and will allow the generator to charge at max capacity. If the voltage is still low, remove the generator for repair. If the voltage goes to 12-13 volts, its probably your voltage regulator. What is commonly referred to as a "voltage regulator" is actually a 3 unit regulator, because it contains 3 different units to perform 3 different functions. There is a reverse current relay, a current regulator, and a voltage regulator. All the voltage regulator portion of the regulator does is regulate the amount of resistance in the "F" (Field) terminal wire from the generator to ground. Generators have their drawbacks but they are easy to repair, even for a novice, and are reliable. Check that your engine ground straps are GOOD and even add another one before you check anything electrical. Not having a good ground from the engine to the chassis/battery will not allow your generator system to work properly. PR51 said "My car was converted to 12 volts" . To me, that means his charging system consists of 12 volt components, and I would repair the generator.
Awesome help guys... I appreciate it all... It seems so simple now that I know what's up. Good Stuff... I know I am still such a beginner compared to a lot of you but all the things I have done in the past year to my car on my own was made possible by the members here on the HAMB, a lot of scraped knuckles, curse words, and me being just too stubborn to let it go... LOL thnx again.
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