Hello again guys! Anyone know how to test a Ford 12v generator? It's on a '63 Ford 260 V8, that has been swapped into the '55 Mercury Montclair I bought this weekend. Yep - been researching here and elsewhere and not getting exact procedures for testing it. It has 3 terminals. F - Field (coils) G - Ground (other end of coils) A - Armature (on rear of generator) Disassembled it and checked over. *Coils have continuity and do not ground out to the casing until it should at G terminal. *Brushes articulate and working correctly. No premature grounding. *Armature has no visible burns. *Commutator good shape. But what I'm reading and finding in my search is that there is a way to test run it as a motor. On THIS particular generator where would I connect power and ground leads to for doing that?? Thanks! Greaser
Yes you can motor a generator and that is/was a rather back street way of checking them that doesn't prove anything except that they will motor. Last time I even saw it done was when my generator crapped out in the mid 60's and Jim Willy who had the wrecking yard a mile from me dug one out that fit out of a pile and hooked it to a battery and it spun up and he sold it to me for 5 bucks exchange. The thing did work for as long as I drove the car with that engine in it though. You still should be able to carry it into O'Reilly's or another parts house and have them hook it to their test bench and test it right for free. They will no doubt have to get the book out to tell how to hook it up but it can be done.
Hook the negitave to the case and the postive to the out put terminal and jumper 12v to the field terminal and it should motor then remove the jumper and it should still motor at a slower speed.
I have a great auto-electric shop I use for stuff like this. Drop it off, get it back in 3 days and its like new. Spring for a new regulator at the same time. Make sure to follow the polarization instructions.
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