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generator vs altnernator

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by trbomax, Sep 13, 2012.

  1. autobilly
    Joined: May 23, 2007
    Posts: 3,123

    autobilly
    Member

    I for one don't have (or need) "creature comforts", just basic interior and exterior lights along with a dissy/carb engine to run and 12V battery to keep charged. My generator powered daily driver serves me fine.
     
  2. autobilly
    Joined: May 23, 2007
    Posts: 3,123

    autobilly
    Member

    Oh, I overlooked the wipers and fuel guage.:D
     
  3. It was a great day when I discovered the big 3 were using alternators instead of those pesky generators. The most trouble we [me and my high school buddies] had was with the charging system..er, yeah we had our share of transmission and clutch problems but that was self-inflicted.
    Sitting while idling with the headlights, heater, tube-type radio on would flatten your battery in short order...not with an alternator.
    Wiring up a generator and regulator for a hotrod was a lot more work than an alternator is...'specially a 1 wire job.
    I gotta admit, when I built my 33 ford pickup I couldn't possible go with an alternator because it was a tribute to a truck built like a guy coming home from the war in '45. It did however, get 12 volts with a 56 merc generator and regulator.
    My present build is more of a mid 60s style build and will have an alternator. If I don't have room for an engine-driven fan, it'll get an electric but I'll do everything I can to run a belt-run fan.
     
  4. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member


    that one won't charge much at idle!

    Who remembers the big Moroso aluminum alternator pulleys that were so common in the 70s?
     
  5. johnny bondo
    Joined: Aug 20, 2005
    Posts: 1,547

    johnny bondo
    Member
    from illinois

    i think people are mistaking bad voltage regulators for generator issues...... basically, the only way a generator is going to go bad is if the bearings are shot, the only way a bearing is going to go to hell is if you dont oil it; the little flippy cup things on them, little household oil can.......... anyone under 25 reading this is now scratching there head. that, and SUPER high miles on it before the brushes would wear down enough to cease to exist! a lot of the time when people bring in generators to be rebuilt, the brushes are fine, but they had been sitting so long unused that they corroded from water and where stuck in the little housings. clean them real good, get them moving and make sure the springs are good. good to go.
     
  6. japar
    Joined: Jun 30, 2007
    Posts: 264

    japar
    Member
    from Seekonk Ma

    When my generator crapped out in my 37 I went to drop it off at Town Generator a local shop that has been in business for over 75 years to be rebuilt. The guy at the counter said "What the hells is this" then he yelled to his dad who came over and said "Sorry son we don't rebuild generators anymore since grandpaw passed away" Then he went on to say that Nikola Tes<WBR>la always ran alternators in his cars and he invented electricity.
     

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  7. johnny bondo
    Joined: Aug 20, 2005
    Posts: 1,547

    johnny bondo
    Member
    from illinois

    what a bunch of crap^ you can rebuild an alternator and you cant rebuild a generator? he never learned from his dad??? what the hell is wrong with people.... i mean tesla created lightning apparently..... sheesh i could not have left that shop fast enough.
     
  8. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,757

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    I agree. I rebuilt mine myself last year. The bearings and the brushes cost about 20 bucks from Ebay. I did have to buy a new armature. 65? bucks or something from Macs. Less than a 100 bucks for a new generator and I did it myself. The first one I ever tried.

    Sometimes the field winding wire breaks but you can see that. The parts are easy to come by and it's not rocket science.

    [​IMG]

    I bead blasted the very rusty exterior parts, painted the body and powder coated the ends and then added the piecesderesistance...a genuine Cal custom stainless generator cover from the 60s. A lot nicer than a credit card bill for a one wire alternator. I had heard the rumors of Chinese regulators so I found a NORS Atlas regulator still in the box. made when the Chinese were still sailing junks.:D
    It was very rewarding for me when it was charging like a bitch when I finally got around to checking it on the initial start up.

    I don't find credit card slips rewarding.
     
  9. CutawayAl
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,144

    CutawayAl
    Member
    from MI

    Generator commutators can fly apart due to centrifugal force. However, when cars were switching to alternators in the '60s there were numerous cases of alternator rotors coming apart on high performance engines. That is one of the reasons for using a larger alternator pulley in race/high RPM applications.

    I'm surprised no one has mentioned the commutator in this debate. All things being equal, the slip rings in an alternator are more reliable than a generator's commutator.
     
  10. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,757

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    So you like old cars because they are superior to modern cars? It's about the look and not the performance. If performance was the only criteria I doubt that the HAMB would exist at all. We'd all be driving fuel injected Honda's. Let us enjoy our ignorance.:D
     
  11. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    They would be, except that they're so much smaller, because they're designed to last only as long as generator brushes last.

    I've fixed quite a few alternators by replacing the brushes and putting some grease in the bearings.
     
  12. Truckedup
    Joined: Jul 25, 2006
    Posts: 4,661

    Truckedup
    Member

    How long do generator commutator and brushes last? I know that alternators can go over 200,000 miles with no attention.Of course not all last that long.
     
  13. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    newer engines usually last 200k + miles, too. Everything has changed in the last 40 years.

    But it was pretty common on 60s-80s cars for the alternator to die around 50-75k miles
     
  14. langy
    Joined: Apr 27, 2006
    Posts: 5,730

    langy
    Member Emeritus


    Hahaha, best posting so far !!!
     
  15. Ned Ludd
    Joined: May 15, 2009
    Posts: 5,025

    Ned Ludd
    Member

    I enjoyed that, thanks :D
     
  16. Lurk king
    Joined: Dec 12, 2011
    Posts: 197

    Lurk king
    Member

    "The gods & ghost of ancient rodding smile down from the Drive-Ins of Valhalla upon those who still run the sacred generator." CurbFeeler.

    Epic quote.
     
  17. junkyardjeff
    Joined: Jul 23, 2005
    Posts: 8,588

    junkyardjeff
    Member

    I agree.
     
  18. Paul I think that the first question to ask is what period one is shooting at. If the question has to do with an alternator and one is building an early '60s car then a period alternator would certainly fit the bill. Rodders were using them as soon as they became available contrary to what the fellas that learned from a book about what was being done believe.

    They were not a lot stouter than a genny but one can be beefed with a stator upgrade and a tweak to the voltage regulator, it still retains the look and who is actually going to come along and measure the output of the alt.

    They actually built a generator or two that would power most of what one wants as well, both my '58 Buick and Merc had power windows and pretty stout radios stock, the Buick even had power seats. Both vehicles ran 4 track tape players and electric fuel pumps while I owned them and never had the battery die or the engine die from lack of power.

    But getting back to it an alternator fits early '60s build just fine. Maybe one should avoid a one wire for period correctness but an alt with an external voltage regulator would fit.

    Now if you are building a '50 on back car then I would think that an alternator would be as out of place as a pork chop at a bamitsfa (sp), but I believe that it is totally dependent on the era that the car is being built for.



     
  19. Jimv
    Joined: Dec 5, 2001
    Posts: 2,924

    Jimv
    Member

    Boy this post really got out of control!! It was a simple question! Nine pages & 173 posts! i think we have too much time on our hands!lol
    TRBOMAX have you been given a good enough reason yet? I would like to start thinking about the world series!i hate for ths to run into the Stanley cup playoffs!lololol
    JimV
     
  20. 117harv
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 6,589

    117harv
    Member

    Fellow HAMBer GARY? and I traveled around beautiful SO. Oregon today in his 46 sedan, visiting a couple of seasoned hot rod builders/fabricators, checking out their stashes and enjoying the scenery all on bias tires, drum brakes, and and yes, a generator. Total miles driven, 75 all trouble free, it was scary, but we made it out and back with no problems:eek:
     
  21. What about a ford 9", a turbo 350, disc brakes, 4speeds, wide wheels and tires, stereos, and etc. None of this was around in the 50's. Most weren't even in wide usage until 70's. Very few cars on here are "period" correct. We had model A's okay. But they were on model A frames mostly, not 32's. Had 3 speed trans. Steel wheels. GMC superchargers were for the very rich and DRAG STRIP. 9" fords weren't even around until 1957 and weren't used for anything else until later. The strong ones were olds and pontiac. And as for as generators go, I remember many a time my dad driving with headlights on not for safety but because the regulator was sticking and boiling the battery and having to stop and walk to some stock pond to get water to pour over the fuel pump and carb and fuel lines to cool them or pour in the radiator because the water pumpz sealed. So as for as I am cocerned period correct is a bnch of sh-t and I for one prefer my a/c, power steering, ABS, 4or5 speed automatic and cruise control.
     
  22. trbomax
    Joined: Apr 19, 2012
    Posts: 289

    trbomax
    Member

    I had to go back and read my first post to remember what I ask! The gen/ps pump will stay. Its been on there since 1962 (had to go back and review some old pics for that). Its been thru 3 motors, 3 different frame/suspension configurations,two rebuilds of the steel body and was on the glass body car when I parked it around 1968.Its laying on the floor,in a corner now,but will rise again!
     
  23. trbomax
    Joined: Apr 19, 2012
    Posts: 289

    trbomax
    Member

    I guess a photo from 1962 would be proper at this point, showing the humble generator/pump in position on the steel body car. We were all a lot younger then,the generator is the only thing that still looks the same!
     

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  24. barstowpo
    Joined: Jun 27, 2012
    Posts: 232

    barstowpo
    Member

    Every time I buzzed my 64 Galaxie over 6000, the generator fried. I never had another problem after I converted it to an alternator.
     
  25. trbomax
    Joined: Apr 19, 2012
    Posts: 289

    trbomax
    Member

    I had a couple armatures come apart on it untill we made a bigger pulley for it. Yes it was "billet" but it was 62 style! Fortuneately back then those "drive thru"(extended shaft) armatures were easy to come by.I'd bet not so much now!
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2012
  26. T&A Flathead
    Joined: Apr 28, 2007
    Posts: 1,985

    T&A Flathead
    Member

    My problem isn't with generators, its with regulators. Who makes one for a ford that is worth a shit?
     
  27. jcmarz
    Joined: Jan 10, 2010
    Posts: 4,631

    jcmarz
    Member
    from Chino, Ca

    I guess what you want is a new car. This can go on and on but if you don't want a period correct car, fine. It's your choice, your money. Some of us like those old Gens and some of us prefer the Alts. Whatever floats your boat.
     
  28. johnny bondo
    Joined: Aug 20, 2005
    Posts: 1,547

    johnny bondo
    Member
    from illinois

    FYI... i guess it still be traditional to use an early alternator that still used the external regulator haha. you know the ones, the square box looking ones(as opposed to the rectangle ones used by generators), with 4 wires going into it messing up your nice clean engine bay!
     
  29. wutnxt
    Joined: Aug 2, 2009
    Posts: 333

    wutnxt
    Member

    About 2000 miles on my 33. Nice bright headlites and few(none) accessories
     

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  30. 55willys
    Joined: Dec 7, 2012
    Posts: 1,711

    55willys
    Member


    I put function over form also that is why I use mechanical fans wherever possible. If you have room for an electric you have room for a mechanical. As to alt vs. gen I like gen if the draw is not much, lots of acc=more amps and an alternator. That said hot rod = less. Less acc means less draw then a gen should be fine. Or are we going to do the m2 front, 9"rear, 350/350 or 700r4, a/c, cruise, power everything (is it still a hot rod) route?:D
     

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