Hey guys,
I seem to have a similar problem with my generator light. It is faint when I start the pickup, but when I'm driving for a while especially with the lights on, the Gen light gets stronger and the truck seems to lose power and drain the battery. When I turn the lights off, it seems to drive just fine.

I just got the pickup to Switzerland so finding parts here will be difficult to say the least. The battery was dead at the port, but we charged it for the weekend and put it in yesterday and the truck was good to go, except that the gen light went back on after a few miles of driving.

I just bought the shop manual online in CD format but that won't reach me in Switzerland for a couple weeks. I would like to get this settled ASAP as the winter and snow are coming by the end of the week and I want to have this set before the big winter sets in here in the Alps.

Does anyone know what the generator voltage should be if I test that? Also what should the voltage regulator test at? I'm guessing it's either one or the other, or maybe just a connection problem between the 2 and the battery...

Thank you for your help!!!
Tracie

1960 Ford F100 6cl, 223 CI

 

Kind of sounds like the generator to me as it is running of the battery, but it could be a loose belt. Glad you got yourself a truck. You should be able to charge the battery again to get it where you need to before the snow comes. We all would love to see a pic of a Fridge in Switzerland!

 

You need the specifications for proper voltage, adjusted for ambient temperature. They are similar to what an alternator would produce, not surprisingly. The battery must be fully charged to adjust the voltage regulator, and the regulator cover must be installed before measuring. Be sure to "blip" the throttle after any adjustments. There are three adjustments - cutout, current, and voltage. Corrosion is your enemy, because voltage adjustments are impossible if the cables and connections are poor, and sufficient current will not flow.

GENERALLY, you'll want to see about 14.5 volts at say, 2000 RPM, up to 15.5 in cold temperatures. If the system is charging above idle RPM the cutout relay is probably OK, don't mess with that - but make sure every connection is clean and shiny bright, any excess resistance will cause problems in a generator system. Get the voltage adjusted right, and then adjust the current cutout adjustment if necessary.

 

My Gen put out 14 volts at 3000 rpm i thought if i changed the pulley size to make it run faster it would charge more BUT that was not the case the faster it ran the brushes actually moved away from the armature causing it to charge less i assume this prevents over charging.. i eventually went to a GM one wire alternator.

 

Thanks! I can move it around fine at this point. He starts right up actually. It did snow today but I left the truck down in the valley where it was just raining. I need to get it inspected here in Switzerland which is difficult. I hope you are right and maybe it's just a bad connection or something. Anyway it should be nice out by the weekend so I'll take some nice pics for y'all.
Have a good one.
Tracie

 

That's great information. It's raining cats and dogs and a bit of snow out there now. I will have to do this on Friday when I can move the truck back up to the garage. My guy is very willing to help and I think he's happy to work on an old truck. I would have loved to do this at home with my dad, but it didn't have any problems in the US. Ah, maybe he's just getting used to the Swiss Alps. I'll check all the connections, I'm sure that's a great place to start :-)

 

I have to stick with the generator to pass the Swiss inspection. The car has to be in the condition as if it were in 1960 to pass, so it can have new parts but the pieces should be current to the year of the car.

 

Hey guys, I had my mechanic test the generator. He did find a loose wire which he fixed and he says the voltage output looks fine. He thinks there is a problem with the voltage regulator. I think I will just buy a new one and have it shipped to Seitzerland. Can any of you recommend where I should buy it and which brand to get. I've seen them on Macsauto supply but read bad reviews on them. The one I have looks like it's from their stock... I would like to get a better quality regulator if I can. Thanks!

 

The voltage regulator is typically grounded to the fender apron, and has a dedicated ground wire connection as well. It is important that there is low-resistance in the circuit.

Replacement is not a bad idea but would likely need adjustment for optimal charging. Ideally try to find NOS regulator from eBay. I bought a new regulator from Macs (with the FoMoCo script) and works just fine, but was badly out of adjustment, both voltage and current were way too low. There is not a lot of precision or fine adjustment on these, "ballpark" is doing well. Too much current and the generator will start slinging solder.

 

Thanks for your advice. The last owner did change the regulator himself and I can see it's the same as the ones from Mac's so I suppose it's just out of adjustment. How do I tell my mechanic to try adjusting it for what voltage input and output?
I have to translate everything I learn here to French for him. We are in Switzerland :-)
On a happy note, we went for a ride today. He drives great! I didn't risk putting the headlights on though because that seems to drain the battery...
Have a good weekend!
Tracie

 

First measure the generator voltage output at the battery terminals with everything fully warmed up, fully charged battery, (use a charger as necessary) and regulator cover installed @ 1500 RPM. You have to compensate for the ambient outside temperature. At the same time, precision adjustment seems pretty much impossible with these. Look for ~14.5 volts at 70F say, higher if temperatures are below freezing. Below 0F well over 15 volts is normal.

Voltage adjustment is by (carefully!!) bending the bottom tab that the spring attaches to, stretching the spring longer (tighter) to increase voltage. Be sure to temporarily install regulator cover after each adjustment, return engine to idle RPM @500 and then quickly "blip" throttle before measuring output again @ 1500 RPM. No idea exactly why, but it won't measure/adjust correctly if this isn't done. The regulator cover needs to be on for accuracy as well but not for temperature related reasons. Not sure why on that either. Electromagnetic? Anyway..

If the voltage is set too high, adjust down well below the desired setting and then bring it back up. (Like a guitar string, always tune up, not down)

The same procedure generally applies for current regulation adjustment - increase spring tension until generator current measures 30 amperes with an ammeter connected in series with the current regulator. Most DVOM won't measure that high?

This is an important adjustment, because even if the voltage is set correctly it will not charge the battery sufficiently unless on very long highway trips, if the current regulation is too low. It won't provide enough current for the ignition, nor the lights. A well running charging system, battery, good grounds, etc means the engine runs noticeably better, warms up quicker.

If you have an external battery charger you can tell when everything is set correctly because a misadjusted regulator will mean the battery takes forever to charge up to 100% even after a short trip or a couple starts. Just because the truck starts doesn't mean the battery is anywhere close to 100% charged.

On the other hand, overvoltage will boil electrolyte, and excessive current will sling molten solder inside the generator. Take the time to set it right. For my part I keep a battery disconnect switch installed at the battery and remove power when the truck is unattended. If the regulator cutout points were to stick, the battery voltage backfeeds into the generator, and could cause a fire. Unlikely, but impossible when disconnected.

 

Thanks so much for these instructions. I'm going to print them out and bring them to my mechanic tomorrow morning. Hopefully we can do these adjustments and it will all work out. If not, I've got a line on a NOS regulator I can buy from eBay in the US and have my family send to me here in Switzerland. Hopefully I can explain everything. My French is OK, but explaining technical car stuff in another language isn't that easy. I'll do my best and let you all know how it goes. Have a good night.
Tracie

 

If you replace the voltage regulator you'll still want to check voltage and current settings.

Just a suggestion, buy a Ford Shop Manual for whatever year truck you have, and maybe a Motors Manual from the 1950s. This way you can read the general maintenance and repair procedures direct and not depend on the aging memories of old cranks like me Let us know how things go.

 

Thanks again. I'm patiently waiting for my shop manual in the mail... I'll keep you posted. :-)

 

My Dad was stationed in Nordholz Germany as part of the occupation forces. He never stopped talking about the forays they would take into Switzerland. The beauty of yur country stuck with him all his life. Good to know a fridge truck has found a home there. Hoping you get this all figured out before the long winter. It's just nice to know when he's put to bed for the winter, he'll be in good running condition in the spring. We just sleep better that way Oh, btw I ended up installing a cummins 6at turbo diesel in my '59. With that powerplant so far from stock, I ended up with a gm one wire on it as I didn't have the original alternator anyway. I know they make really nice solid state voltage regulators with no moving parts all sealed in epoxy. Certain Chrysler products used them. I put one in a 70's toyota landcruiser. Pretty small, could hide in your stock housing...