Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
- ruckman101
- Lord God King Bwana
- Location: Up next to a volcano.
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
1970 Ghia running freshly rebuilt 1600 dp. Stock.
Don't seem to be getting any current off of my generator. A fairly new generator Gypsie and Hambone helped me put in what, three, four, five years ago?
The generator light had been playing games lately, sometimes staying on for a few minutes after starting, then randomly going out. No apparent reason. On our last run into town we had no problems, until we stopped, one of many stops, at the Van Mall and there the generator light was glowing brightly and solid. Connections are good, so I assumed it must be the voltage regulator. Barely made it up the hill and home, engine beginning to cough searching for spark, headlights very very very dim. Of course it had to be night time.
I had a spare regulator, put it in, squared away a couple dicey wires, charged battery, and no change. Got out the meter and seem to have all kinds of voltage across the regulator, it's grounded, but nominal at the generator posts. Brushes look fine, I noticed the brushes were visibly sparking when I was in the dark. Wiring is all good.
Am I really looking at a new generator? Is that the life of them now? Please tell me I am missing something.
thanks,
neal
Don't seem to be getting any current off of my generator. A fairly new generator Gypsie and Hambone helped me put in what, three, four, five years ago?
The generator light had been playing games lately, sometimes staying on for a few minutes after starting, then randomly going out. No apparent reason. On our last run into town we had no problems, until we stopped, one of many stops, at the Van Mall and there the generator light was glowing brightly and solid. Connections are good, so I assumed it must be the voltage regulator. Barely made it up the hill and home, engine beginning to cough searching for spark, headlights very very very dim. Of course it had to be night time.
I had a spare regulator, put it in, squared away a couple dicey wires, charged battery, and no change. Got out the meter and seem to have all kinds of voltage across the regulator, it's grounded, but nominal at the generator posts. Brushes look fine, I noticed the brushes were visibly sparking when I was in the dark. Wiring is all good.
Am I really looking at a new generator? Is that the life of them now? Please tell me I am missing something.
thanks,
neal
The slipper has no teeth.
- Amskeptic
- IAC "Help Desk"
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
Clean thy brushes/commutator. I had the generator light come on several times with Chloe over the summer. Slightly low spring tension on the lower brush seemed to make it particularly susceptible to developing a layer of non-conductive crud. Just follow the cleaning steps . . .ruckman101 wrote:1970 Ghia running freshly rebuilt 1600 dp. Stock.
Don't seem to be getting any current off of my generator. A fairly new generator Gypsie and Hambone helped me put in what, three, four, five years ago?
The generator light had been playing games lately, sometimes staying on for a few minutes after starting, then randomly going out. No apparent reason. On our last run into town we had no problems, until we stopped, one of many stops, at the Van Mall and there the generator light was glowing brightly and solid. Connections are good, so I assumed it must be the voltage regulator. Barely made it up the hill and home, engine beginning to cough searching for spark, headlights very very very dim. Of course it had to be night time.
I had a spare regulator, put it in, squared away a couple dicey wires, charged battery, and no change. Got out the meter and seem to have all kinds of voltage across the regulator, it's grounded, but nominal at the generator posts. Brushes look fine, I noticed the brushes were visibly sparking when I was in the dark. Wiring is all good.
Am I really looking at a new generator? Is that the life of them now? Please tell me I am missing something.
thanks,
neal
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=11129
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
- ruckman101
- Lord God King Bwana
- Location: Up next to a volcano.
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
Good call, thanks. I'll let you know mañana.
neal
neal
The slipper has no teeth.
- ruckman101
- Lord God King Bwana
- Location: Up next to a volcano.
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
So I'm a wuss. Snowy, rainy, no absolute resolution. I approached the task with kindness and gentleness, taking off the belt and spinning the generator by hand with a chopstick and a soft cloth, with brake cleaner sprayed onto the cloth until things cleaned up. No joy. Went to sandpaper, 600 grit emery, buffed it up real nice. No joy. Resolved to abandon the kind and gentle approach and take the sandpaper to the task again with the engine running this time (it wasn't gleaming shiny copper). Didn't need to. Generator light out, generator giving me 17 some volts. I'm beginning to suspect the bottom brush was hanging up. The only thing I did between fiddling episodes, was give the bottom brush a good eyeball, pulling up and releasing the tension spring on the brush. It looked like it may have settled further on the inside side of the brush, so maybe uneven wear, cockeyed?
A couple quick questions, am I correct to assume arcing is bad? And that both brushes need to contact.
neal
A couple quick questions, am I correct to assume arcing is bad? And that both brushes need to contact.
neal
The slipper has no teeth.
- hambone
- Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
- Location: Portland, Ore.
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
Yes and yes. If you are fretful it wouldn't hurt to pull that bottom brush and see the wear. Replacements are cheap. Or you could just run it and see what happens...
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
- Amskeptic
- IAC "Help Desk"
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
Endeavor, Ye Olde Bus Pilots, to clean commutators magnificently smooth. Also, make damn good and sure that the brush contact surfaces are smooth. Then make sure that they slide without cocking.hambone wrote:Yes and yes. If you are fretful it wouldn't hurt to pull that bottom brush and see the wear. Replacements are cheap. Or you could just run it and see what happens...
Chloe tells me that she doesn't like running high beam H4s. Apparently the amp load is just severe enough that any imperfections between the commutator and the brush will throw sparks and carbon crud that looks like graphite but is actually a heat crystallization or something, this rips commutator copper. I think there might be some small period of time for the brushes to wear in a radius to the commutator curve.
ColinButAin'tTheseEnginesGreat?
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
- ruckman101
- Lord God King Bwana
- Location: Up next to a volcano.
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
Going to run it a bit, spare brushes, chopstick, sandpaper and VOM on board, along with the allen wrench to change brushes. Not running any extra or excessive electrics.
neal
neal
The slipper has no teeth.
- Amskeptic
- IAC "Help Desk"
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
Grit. What is the number? Recommend an easy 600 +ruckman101 wrote:Going to run it a bit, spare brushes, chopstick, sandpaper and VOM on board, along with the allen wrench to change brushes. Not running any extra or excessive electrics.
neal
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
- ruckman101
- Lord God King Bwana
- Location: Up next to a volcano.
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
- ruckman101
- Lord God King Bwana
- Location: Up next to a volcano.
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
- hambone
- Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
- Location: Portland, Ore.
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
I would. And that spray electrical cleaner works well, providing you do it with the engine OFF (highly flammable).
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
- Amskeptic
- IAC "Help Desk"
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
Shiny-er, fer, like, sher.ruckman101 wrote:Shinier?
neal
NASTY . . .
NICE . . .
PS . . . I clean it with the engine running, cuiado, claro que si.
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
- ruckman101
- Lord God King Bwana
- Location: Up next to a volcano.
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
Alrighty then, I'll get brave and less gentle and compassionate, broaching the task with engine running.
neal
neal
The slipper has no teeth.
- Amskeptic
- IAC "Help Desk"
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
Brushes must be removed. Non-friable sand paper. Grit must stay with paper. Be careful. We accept no liability due to incidental or consequential damages arising from the use of this product aka forum advice. I like using motel room card strip, cut to slightly skinnier than a brush, wrapped with sandpaper held firmly taut. Lightly kiss the brushes crosswise with the same sandpaper then wipe commutator and brushes with a clean paper towel just before reassembly.ruckman101 wrote:Alrighty then, I'll get brave and less gentle and compassionate, broaching the task with engine running.
neal
Nag nag nag . . .
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
- hambone
- Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
- Location: Portland, Ore.
- Status: Offline
Re: Say it ain't so, generator gone south?
I used a tongue-depressor cut square at the end.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat