That doesn't sound right. Generators usually need brushes and maybe bearings. If the armature was shorted rewinding it, which requires pretty good technique, will cost you far more than you should ever sink into a charging system. Ditto if your field windings were bad.
Well, I handed it off to a buddy...I honestly don't know much about them......lets hope he's just putting in some new brushes I'll find out tomorrow.
If the generator needed more than brushes I'd be seriously thinking about switching out to an alternator and I'd go with an internal regulator delco rather than buying a Ford Alternator and external regulator. There are lots of threads on here showing how to wire up the internal regulator alternators on just about anything. And on the Econoline no one will ever see under the hood anyhow. On the distributor being off a couple of teeth an the wires being off. Someone in the past no doubt got it off a couple of teeth when they had the distributor out and wired it like that. The only other thing I can think of is if the timing chain is bad an the moved it around to try to keep it running but that isn't likely. You could check by taking your ratchet/breaker bar and after you turn the engine clockwise to get the slack out of the chain, turn it back to see how far it turns before the rotor starts to move backwards. That will tell you how much slack you have in the timing chain. On an unknown engine I always try to run a compression test first to see what I am working with before I try to do any tuneup work on it. Most of the working mechanics on here who do tuneup work will tell you that a compression test is the first part of the tuneup as you can't really do a decent tune up if the compression isn't right to begin with. Make sure you have all the plugs out and the throttle plate propped open when you do the compression test. At the moment you are looking for even compression or close to even. It should be within 20 lbs from lowest to highest at the most and closer than that is really desireable. If it is even and real low put a couple of squirts of oil in each plug hole and spin it over a few times and run the test again to see if it comes up measureably. If it comes up a considerable amount the rings aren't working right.
I'll chime in a little here and say check check and double check your choke on my 61 falcon it runs great but if the choke is a little bit too far in or out and she'll run like crap. firing order is correct but I belive that the distributor rotates counter clockwise is your truck auto or manual transmission. if it's manual the ford manual calls for 6-8 degrees intial advance if it's an automatic then 10-12 if your engine is like mine then you only have two marks 6 and 10 you'll just have to eyeball the others. you can get a generator complete rebuild kit from macs for about 60 bux that's new field coils bearings and all that good stuff. you can get a new three wire altenator from the parts store for a little more than that probably and all you have to do is run a wire from the bat. terminal to the bat. side of the starter solenoid and the run the #2 terminal to the positive side of your battery and the #1 side the gen. light and viola 62-100 amps of charging power. anyway good luck and let us know how it goes.
Thanks for your help fellas...........I appreciate your time and wisdom 1. I'll get an update on the generator this weekend. 2. Conduct a compression test. 3. Dependiing on the outcome of the generator - possibly convert system to an alternator. 4. Set TDC - reset the dizzy to the #1 wire on the cap.
pull valve cover off, remove plugs,rotate motor in direction of rotation till INTAKE valve opens then closes. when valve is approching closed, look down at the timing marks on timing indacator should just start to line up. use your straw now and you should be comming up to tdc.then back up motor to 36-38*or whatever is on timing marks and install distributor to which ever you want to call #1 cyl. install rest of plugs, wires, valve cover. drink beer. start motor, drive to town to buy more beer!
My generator wasn't charging in the 61 a while back and a friend of mine came over and we re polorzed it and it has worked fine evry since then.... btw its for sale if your looking
Converting from Generator to Alternator this week!! Anyone having a wiring diagram/explanation that'll help me out? Thanks
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