hey all, kinda new to the board. have a 53 olds 98. i rebrushed the generator, but i dont think its charging. i put a voltmeter to the battery and no change when i rev the motor. I did the thing where you arc the 2 terminals on the gen when you reconnect it, but the brushes dont seem to be contacting the armiture when its spinning. i can get them to contact when its not running, but once its running they seem to get pushed away... is the spring tension too weak? what else / how can i check to make sure the regulator / etc are working correctly... im kinda new, so any info or direction to websites would be greatly appreciated. just trying to get my charging system working better.... FYI..i did see a negligible increase in volts at the batter but it was only 12.38 to 12.39/12.40 not much charge if any correct? any advice is greatly appreciated. brian
Here are two posts on generator testing... NOTE! Delco and Ford wiring and hence testing are DIFFERENT. Both are covered within these posts, I believe, but be sure you have found the Delco procedure. Two easy tests to perform are the one that cuts regulator out ("full fielding") and sends gen to full charge IF it is good, and motoring the generator. I think I still have the source books here if you can't find the right stuff in the seiously messy posts. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278956&highlight=generator+testing&showall=1 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278956&highlight=generator+testing&showall=1 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278956&highlight=generator+polarize&showall=1
A simple test is to idle the engine at high idle, then temporarily ground the FIELD terminal with a jumper wire. This bypasses the Voltage Regulator's cut out circuit. As such, the genny should put out full charge whic will peg the ammeter. (this assues your wiring is still in its stock configuration) Use a wire with aliigator clips and do not leave it connected very long as it will quickly over heat the genny. If the Ammeter does peg, you can usually eliminate the genny and concentrate on the VR and its associated wiring.
Either that or the brush guide is restricting the movement. The only thing that I can think that would cause that is the commutator coming apart with a few high segments so as it turns the high spot bounces the brushes away from the comm.. New unworn brushes with good springs can be tough to get over the commutator when assembling. They should snap against the comm.. The spring should be strong even after the brushes have worn down by as much as a 1/2". The first thing that I'd check is if you got the correct brushes.
On the spring tension...get a couple of helpers and push them against armature while car runs, using something like taped screwdrivers to prevent shorting. If your theory is right, results should be dramatic, and you need to find new springs. I've gotten into trouble by hooking springs aside on the brush holders to make assembling endplate easy, then forgetting to poke them back into position... Delco (NOT Ford!!) full fielding: Connect a jumper from F on regulator to ground, rev up engine to charging point. Regulator is out of circuit, good gen should charge.
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