Hi I'm doing the new electrical installation and have a problem with the generator as I do not charge the battery, any suggestions or idea why?
thanks:
http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps8e250346.jpg

 

If you put in a new generator (not alternator) and/or voltage regulator it needs to be polarized before it will charge. see:

 

If the unit is polarized and still doesn't charge, your generator may be the issue.

 

thanks for the video, but do not understand what it does? could make a written summary, thanks

 

the regulator is not new, is that when you purchase had my f100, and disassemble the generator to change a bearing, and prove before installing it, getting current as if it were a spinning motor.

 

you may have a bad connection on, as the lamp is connected box?

 

I can't explain exactly what it does, it has to do with electrically aligning the magnets, but I've changed a lot of generators and regulators and know that it is necessary to momentarily apply voltage to the field terminal at the regulator or generator after removing and reinstalling either one or it will not charge.
To polarize you need a temporary "jumper" wire. You need to hook one end of this wire to a power source that has power with the engine off (to the battery, the B or batt terminal on the regulator, or large terminal on starter solenoid).
Simply quickly touch or scratch the field terminal (marked F) on the generator or regulator once or twice with the other end of the wire. You should see a small spark when you do this. Remove the jumper wire, you are finished polarizing. Start the engine and see if it is charging. (remember a generator does not charge at low engine RPMs so advance the throttle to ~ 1/4 engine speed while testing). If not now charging you have a broken wire or bad regulator or generator.

 

hello, thank you again as I did above, but fails to load, I place another test lamp between terminals "bat" and "fld" and so if it gets loaded and the interior lamp goes out, it can happen

 

hello, thank you again as I did above, but fails to load, I place another test lamp between terminals "bat" and "fld" and so if it gets loaded and the interior lamp goes out, it can happen

 

Are you saying your generator uses a Charge Indicating light on the dashboard? I would have thought it has an ammeter.

 

Yes, they use a generator lamp as indicator. Usually half-bright at low idle.

Capelo, the generator system and regulator is very robust and works very simple. However there aren't too many people left who remember how to adjust and calibrate the regulator, or take the time to bother. They just barely worked when running the headlights, so long as everything iwas set up correctly. (Short trips generators don't work too well, it will start but eat batteries) My 64 has a thirty amp generator. Headlamps and brake lights draw maybe 10 amps. Heater blower motor on another 5 or so, Ignition maybe 5, it works fine but there isn't much room or, margin. You must have excellent cables and connections to gound and earth the fender apron, and from the engine to the firewall and to the frame, battery cable to engine block. Replace them with new cables is best, by now.

The generator itself, is grounded or earthed to the engine block. The resistance or ohms in the entire system is critical. Any rust or corrosion from the generator will make adjusting the voltage regulator impossible/problem, since current isn't flowing to begin with. Make sure there is no paint or anything, all the brackets and hardware is cleaned up.

There are three (3) windings on your regulator. The one winding in the center (with heavy big gauge wire) is for current regulation. Don't worry about that one for now. The "cut out" winding, too - should be close enough right now, set or calibrated OK, if it works at all. You can adjust this later if you want. Usually a generator system is "discharging" at idle or low RPM. The light won't illuminate, but you're not really charging either. This is a big difference with alternator system. You really must use a fully charged battery to start with to calibrate and adjust the regulator system with a generator. They don't have a lot of fine adjustment.

The voltage regulation will be easier if you can find a manual that dates from the time period. Any good general repair book from around 1950 to 1955 is excellent. "Motors Manual" is a good one. .PDF if you can find it. Bring your engine to normal operating temperature. Only remove the cover when making adjustments. It is a magnetic thing, not because of temperature fluctuations. With a pair of needle nose pliers you can CAREFULLY stretch the Voltage regulator spring brackets and make spring LONGER to INCREASE the voltage as measured at battery terminals @ say, 2000 or 2500 RPM. Use a temperature-compensated battery charging chart. At around freezing or 32F, and below Zero it will be closer to 15.5 to almost 16 volts. At 70F say, at 2500 RPM one would still see 14.5. The cover must be on to test the regulator voltage. And be sure and "blip" the throttle each adjustment, and back down to idle RPM. The regulator springs are best adjusted always in tightening direction (just like when tuning guitar strings, always tune down first, and then adjust upward to take the slack out)

Don't try to get too fancy, adjust it so the battery will charge to around 14.5 volts or better WITH the headlights on and heater running at same time at 2500 RPM and call it good.

 

thanks for your answers, the wiring is all new, I'm in full restoration of my 56 f100, it may happen that the new paint all the generator does not have good contact, proves to scratch the paint