38plymouth Posted February 16, 2023 Report Share Posted February 16, 2023 Same thing, generator started making noise and I never liked the performance out of it. It was probably cheaper to do the alternator as well. Unless you are building a numbers matching car the alternator just makes sense. My car is close to 100% stock, alternator, lowered slightly and dual exhaust. They all made it a nicer looking and performing car but can easily be put back to stock. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted February 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2023 Pulled the generator, Whoooo what a job! Sprayed it down with degreaser, wiped it down and pulled it apart. The brushes look newish(orange circle , however one of them (yellow circle) isnt wired to anything. Donwe see any extra wires. Is it some kind of grounded terminal? The armature is gacked! I'm guessing that the Previous owner did a home job and just replaced the brushes. Times like these make me wish I had a mini lathe. Cleaned it up best I could. Playing with waiting till monday and seeing if the local electric shop can turn it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted February 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2023 (edited) Pulled the end cap <?> off the generator. In the process of cleaning it I noticed an opening. I assume that this is a vent but the gasket completely seals off the end and apeares to be professionally built. Is this supposed to be like this or should I cut out the center of the gasket? Edited February 19, 2023 by OUTFXD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted February 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2023 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazyK Posted February 19, 2023 Report Share Posted February 19, 2023 20 hours ago, OUTFXD said: Pulled the end cap <?> off the generator. In the process of cleaning it I noticed an opening. I assume that this is a vent but the gasket completely seals off the end and apeares to be professionally built. Is this supposed to be like this or should I cut out the center of the gasket? That is an oiling port. A few drop of oil at each engine oil change will keep the bearing/bushing lubricated, there should also be one in the front plate for the front bearing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted February 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2023 So, Put it all back together, painted it, let it sit over night, Reinstalled it. Got 6.3v with nothing turned on. 6.1 with the headlights and fan on.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted February 20, 2023 Report Share Posted February 20, 2023 (edited) What gauge wire are you using? The piece in the picture could be thicker. I would use 12 gauge for the lead from the armature to the regulator. The thicker thicker post is the armature terminal. Speaking of which, what condition is the regulator in. Have you dressed the points and checked their operation? Generator should put out 7.2 volts with everything up to snuff. Edited February 20, 2023 by greg g 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted February 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 7 hours ago, greg g said: What gauge wire are you using? The piece in the picture could be thicker. I would use 12 gauge for the lead from the armature to the regulator. The thicker thicker post is the armature terminal. Speaking of which, what condition is the regulator in. Have you dressed the points and checked their operation? Generator should put out 7.2 volts with everything up to snuff. Swaped the existing wire out for 10 gauge HOC wire on both terminals to check if the wires where the issue. I suspect the regulator is the issue. all three sets have been dressed ,pivots lubed with dry silicon,and appear to open and close but I have no idea how to check/adjust beyond that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirebill Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 My shop manual has 5 pages with information about the generator regulator. Do you have a shop manual? If my memory serves me correctly I had a similar problem to yours. I had added a voltmeter to my dash guages and it read a little over 6 volts with engine running and nothing electrical on. Based on what I could decypher from the manual, I pulled the cover on the regulator and increased the spring tension on the center coil. Now have voltmeter reading of about 7.5 volts. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kencombs Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 8 hours ago, OUTFXD said: Swaped the existing wire out for 10 gauge HOC wire on both terminals to check if the wires where the issue. I suspect the regulator is the issue. all three sets have been dressed ,pivots lubed with dry silicon,and appear to open and close but I have no idea how to check/adjust beyond that. an old Motors manual will have a section on servicing the reg. Along with much more info on engine, trans, brakes etc. Well worth purchasing. And available online, ebay etc, almost daily. Adjustment is fairly easy, just bending and taking measurements. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted February 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 4 hours ago, squirebill said: My shop manual has 5 pages with information about the generator regulator. Do you have a shop manual? If my memory serves me correctly I had a similar problem to yours. I had added a voltmeter to my dash guages and it read a little over 6 volts with engine running and nothing electrical on. Based on what I could decypher from the manual, I pulled the cover on the regulator and increased the spring tension on the center coil. Now have voltmeter reading of about 7.5 volts. I have a service manual, but it was pretty vague. It alluded that you could adjust the voltage regulator by bending the spring perches. But nothing about which perch adjusted what. My instinctual nervousness around electricity prevented experimentation. Electricity has spent most of my life finding new and interesting ways to shorten my life span! Yours has been the best advice I have had on adjusting the voltage regulator! thank you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 Reference sections of public library's have old motors manuals, and copy machines. Check out this source before some one decides to ban them. I believe it is the cut out circuit. Kind of like a high limit switch in a furnace. Sets the maximum out put for the generator. Cuts it out over the set max. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kencombs Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 Here is a clear explanation of a generic regulator. http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/83.cfm Notice that the cutout relay only connects and disconnects the generator from the battery when not running to prevent discharging. The voltage and current relays are what sets the limits of those details. It's easy to ID the voltage relay as it is connected to the field terminal of the generator. It's not all that hard to change the setting a little at a time. No risk to life and limb from 6v dc, unless dealing with way more current than is present in a normal auto circuit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 I remember when I was a teenager, listening to my brother inlaw piss & moan about modern voltage regulators .... This was back in the 1970's. Older ones you had screws you actually turned to adjust the points. ...... I wonder if you shop around, you can still find them? Otherwise it was a hit & miss operation for a backyard mechanic to bend the point arms .... in the morning you need the car to get to work. But in the end it was just easier & cheaper to convert to 12 volts .... we were just trying to keep old heaps on the road for daily drivers back then. I think I read that one set of points on your regulator is burned? If they are pitted or worn, they can function ..... but never be 100% again. And only get worse. I do not think you can replace the points in them .... you are looking for a new voltage regulator at this point. My truck was having some charging issues when it was parked. The jenny is not original, it has a narrow pulley on it, there was no wires going to the voltage regulator & the fan belt was missing .... it was work in progress. I put a meter on the jenny at idle, I was only getting 2 or 3 volts from it. .... I have a coffee can full of brushes sitting on the shelf. I'm confident I could get the jenny working again .... then I would be working on the voltage regulator next .... just like you are. I have to rewire my truck to get rid of the original cloth wire, I'm diving head first into a 12 volt conversion 1 wire internally regulated alternator. I'm going to be deprived of all the fun OUTFXD is currently having ..... I can always live vicariously 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted February 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 (edited) 25 minutes ago, Los_Control said: I remember when I was a teenager, listening to my brother inlaw piss & moan about modern voltage regulators .... This was back in the 1970's. Older ones you had screws you actually turned to adjust the points. ...... I wonder if you shop around, you can still find them? Well. I found this beauty... If you look carefully above the polarization button you can just make out "standard motor products", and thats a name I can get behind! https://www.ebay.com/itm/134005266416 Edited February 21, 2023 by OUTFXD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 Just now, OUTFXD said: Well. I found this beauty... If you look carefully above the polarization button you can just make out "standard motor parts", and thats a name I can get behind! https://www.ebay.com/itm/134005266416 That looks great, hoping that will take care of the problem ..... I have to wonder though. You're currently getting 6.3 out of the jenny. We are hoping to see 7.5. The job of the voltage regulator is too see the battery does not get over charged? Seems the Jenny is right at the questionable stage to produce enough volts to make the voltage regulator work. ..... If they all produce only 6 volts, you would not need a regulator? I could be wrong here, you have burned points so replacing the voltage regulator is not a waste of time or $$. I'm thinking your generator is not producing enough needed volts. Short of cleaning the armature & brushes, I have no idea how to rebuild a generator properly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Buchanan Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 At some point we need to know when to fold 'em........... ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted February 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 I cleaned the genny up and the points on the voltage regulator. One of the sets of points was more than questionable! I tried adjusting the spring perches and got upto 6.5v before my screwdriver slipped. I shot a spring into the air, it hit the floor I know not where! So I ordered the above regulator. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ194950 Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 Keep lookin' for that spring- Jus' in case the New regulator does not work at all. ? DJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirebill Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 The above regulator would give me pause. On the front plate it says "NEG". This would indicate to me it is for a negative ground system. My memory tells me all Chevy cars were negative ground. It supposedly came off a '53 Chevy. I'm assuming your Plymouth is "POS" ground. Electricity baffles me....not sure this regulator will work on a "POS" ground system. Regards. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted February 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 3 hours ago, squirebill said: The above regulator would give me pause. On the front plate it says "NEG". This would indicate to me it is for a negative ground system. My memory tells me all Chevy cars were negative ground. It supposedly came off a '53 Chevy. I'm assuming your Plymouth is "POS" ground. Electricity baffles me....not sure this regulator will work on a "POS" ground system. Regards. Yeah noticed that myself... after ordering it and it was shipped. My brain tells me that it shouldnt matter, but I ran across another add for one that said "For Negative ground only". I ended up ordering an appropriate one for double what I paid for the first one. *shrug* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Buchanan Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 On 2/21/2023 at 2:53 PM, Sam Buchanan said: At some point we need to know when to fold 'em........... ? https://www.ebay.com/str/HowardEnt?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted March 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2023 so. Got the correct Voltage Regulator after some fuss. Installed it. Turned the key and she fired right off. Electrics seem to be working better but the amp guage still lies flat and moves into negative territory with I turn the headlights on. Also when I turn the key on the gas guage goes DOWN like it had reverse current. Sadly, the last time I checked the current I failed to turn my multipull digit reader off and it had a dead battery. Took it inside and pulled the battery lid off. 9v... the one battery I dont have a bulk supply of. Not interested in rolling the dice and driving to town, will have to wait till tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave72dt Posted March 9, 2023 Report Share Posted March 9, 2023 Did you find the location the second brush is supposed to be attached to? If it isn't attached, the gen won't work. The one pic you show of the gen case and fields is only a partial of what needs to be seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTFXD Posted March 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2023 33 minutes ago, Dave72dt said: Did you find the location the second brush is supposed to be attached to? Nope. Couldnt find any wires hanging out not attached to anything and assumed all was as it should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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