'60 Charging System Woes
05-23-2007, 04:07 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
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St. Jude Contributor '03 & '04
'60 Charging System Woes
Stage 1. Ammeter “frozen” at zero. Took the generator apart. Cleaned the armature, checked brushes. Everything looked fine. Measured 7.7 volts output on the generator at fast idle.
Stage 2. Removed ammeter and checked it with a 9 volt battery. Needle moves one way, then the other, when poles reversed. . Replaced the ammeter and re-wired everything between solenoid, ignition switch, and ammeter according to the wiring diagram in the shop manual. Now the needle moves slightly POSITIVE when I turn on the ignition switch, and highly POSITIVE when I turn on the headlights. Still reads zero on fast idle (headlights and everything else off).
Stage 3. Replaced voltage regulator. Polarized it by connecting BAT and ARM terminals. Same result.
Any ideas before I go looking for another generator? Thanks.
Stage 2. Removed ammeter and checked it with a 9 volt battery. Needle moves one way, then the other, when poles reversed. . Replaced the ammeter and re-wired everything between solenoid, ignition switch, and ammeter according to the wiring diagram in the shop manual. Now the needle moves slightly POSITIVE when I turn on the ignition switch, and highly POSITIVE when I turn on the headlights. Still reads zero on fast idle (headlights and everything else off).
Stage 3. Replaced voltage regulator. Polarized it by connecting BAT and ARM terminals. Same result.
Any ideas before I go looking for another generator? Thanks.
05-23-2007, 08:24 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
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St. Jude Contributor '03 & '04
I just found John Z's post on the backwards ammeter wiring:
"be aware that the factory wiring diagram has the ammeter connections shown backwards; the 12-ga. black main feed wire from the starter solenoid goes on the left side (as viewed from the driver's seat) ammeter terminal, and all the red feeds go on the right side terminal. That's why your ammeter is reading backwards."
I'll fix that, but why isnt it charging?
"be aware that the factory wiring diagram has the ammeter connections shown backwards; the 12-ga. black main feed wire from the starter solenoid goes on the left side (as viewed from the driver's seat) ammeter terminal, and all the red feeds go on the right side terminal. That's why your ammeter is reading backwards."
I'll fix that, but why isnt it charging?
05-24-2007, 08:38 AM
#3
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It's not clear from your two postings whether the cause of the charging issue is the generator or the voltage regulator.
Try this: With your Voltmeter connected to the generator output terminal, and the engine running at something above idle, momentarily ground the "Field" terminal of the generator.
If doing this caused the generator output to shoot waaaaay up (15 Volts, maybe more), then your voltage regulator is bad. And if not, then, yep, your generator needs work.
Good luck,
Jim
Try this: With your Voltmeter connected to the generator output terminal, and the engine running at something above idle, momentarily ground the "Field" terminal of the generator.
If doing this caused the generator output to shoot waaaaay up (15 Volts, maybe more), then your voltage regulator is bad. And if not, then, yep, your generator needs work.
Good luck,
Jim