Alternator -vs-generator

springerpete

springerpete

Well-known member
I have the powerhouse generator on my 29. The ammeter shows a + 9-10 amp charge while driving but if I use the lights I get a - 3 or 4 amp discharge. With the + charge I am getting I figure I can not adjust the 3rd brush for a higher charge without doing damage. I do have quite a few instances when I want to drive my car in poor daylight mornings and evenings. Is an alternator my most realistic option ? Thanks for your thouights, Bill.
 
Depends on your distance. I can drive with lights on and discharge for quite some time. If you have a long distance just adjust your brush.
 
With head lights on I show NO DISCHARGE with my 6V alternator, but I wonder how many amps you draw with the engind off.
You might have some kind of short that is demanding all that power.
How many negative amps on the meter with the engine off and headlights on?
 
springerpete said:
I have the powerhouse generator on my 29. The ammeter shows a + 9-10 amp charge while driving but if I use the lights I get a - 3 or 4 amp discharge. With the + charge I am getting I figure I can not adjust the 3rd brush for a higher charge without doing damage. I do have quite a few instances when I want to drive my car in poor daylight mornings and evenings. Is an alternator my most realistic option ? Thanks for your thouights, Bill.
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Buy the voltage regulator offered by the vendors to replace the cut out. then you can adjust the generator to maximum output without boiling over the battery. I have the later generator which is less powerful than yours and have no problem running sealed beamed headlights with dual tail and brakelights. If you decide to get an alternator, I'll buy the powerhouse off you if the price is right! I'm just down the road in Oxford Hills!
 
The adjustment was expected to be set for the average load. Sometimes to high sometimes to low. For long drives with a heavy load the output should be readjusted. For those of us who are lazy modern regulators are made that fit in the generator.
 
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Alternator? Bad language is frowned on here!:D:p

Why not install an electronic voltage regulator and have the best of both worlds!:)

The first 2 pictures show the EVR install on an unrestored 5 brush powerhouse. I also make a different shape EVR for the 3 brush powerhouse. The last picture shows the EVR installed on the common long generator. The only time my powerhouse shows a discharge is when I'm idling at a red light and have the headlights on and my foot on the brake (brake lights also on). Then it's only an amp or two and just while the brake light is on at idle. All other times the amp meter shows about 1 amp because I'm not overcharging the battery.:)
 
We're not going to get into that alternator arguement thing again, I hope! Alternators ain't UGLY! Main advantage is that the battery is NEVER undercharged or overcharged!
Eliminates always doodling with the 3rd brush, and what if you loose your CHOP STICKS?? I don't even like Chinese food! Bill W.
 
I have the charging rate of my generator set to about 14 amps, it works out to 1 amp + charge with the lights on( Quartz Halogen), the Optima battery is now about 14 years old, about 7 years ago it was on the trickle charger for 10 min because I left the ignition on for 3 months ---hand cranked it, drove it for 60 miles without turning the lights on ----normally I turn on the headlights after about 40 miles, turn them off about 10 miles from home if it's daylight, the generator has been more reliable than the alternator in my 74 chevy truck(same type as used to make A alternators)---it has been rebuilt 3 times in the same miles over 30 years ---I havn't touched the generator except to adjust the charge in 40 years.

It says in the owners manual that the ammeter should show a discharge with the headlights on.

With a generator the belt should seem to be quite loose ---it doesn't need a lot of tension to prevent slippage at the generator ---with the small pulley the alternator needs to spin fast the belt needs to be tight to prevent slippage ---them you have to think about water pump modifications, belt wear
 
Bill,
I have a powerhouse with Tom's EVR unit. I add a small amount of water each spring and forget it. The battery is 5 years of age, never over charges and shows a small discharge with lights on at idle. I have a diode in my cutout. The combination is fault free. Soon I will be sending Tom a slant case powerhouse (Canadian I beleive) for a rebuild and EVR in order that I have a perfect good working spare.
 
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Not only does the small alternator pulley offer less grip on the belt, but most of the alternators I see don't line up due to the brackets being made wrong. Generators can run the belt loose enough to easily flex 1 1/2" midway from the fan to the generator and not slip.
 
Thanks guys for your input. Without the engine running the parking lights show a 2-3 amp discharge and the high and low beams are about -11 amps. I will ask around about the modern regulators and see .
 
I run a 1935 Chevy truck Delco-Remy generator with the Delco cut-out
in my '31 roadster. Works great and puts out more juice if needed then the Ford genny.:p

Bob-A:D
 
springerpete said:
I have the powerhouse generator on my 29. The ammeter shows a + 9-10 amp charge while driving but if I use the lights I get a - 3 or 4 amp discharge. With the + charge I am getting I figure I can not adjust the 3rd brush for a higher charge without doing damage. I do have quite a few instances when I want to drive my car in poor daylight mornings and evenings. Is an alternator my most realistic option ? Thanks for your thouights, Bill.
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Sounds good to me, I have used the same settings for years. Unless you are going to drive for hours with the lights on you will have no problem.
 
It is amusing when some "hope" that we are not going to get into the Alternator vs Generator argument, then continue to argue about it.

I would imagine there are hobbyists that appreciate people like Tom who can furnish a voltage regulation solution for those interested in preserving the original appearance of Model A components, such as the generator. :cool:
 
Tom, can your set-up be put in a regulator generator?? I dont have what you call a powerhouse generator. I do have a brand new cutout with the diode that could be put on my generator.
 
Tom F OHIO said:
Tom, can your set-up be put in a regulator generator?? I dont have what you call a powerhouse generator. I do have a brand new cutout with the diode that could be put on my generator.
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Yes, that would be the last picture in post #6. The early Autolite style generator has a ball bearing in the rear (1929-March 1930) then changed to a bushing. They both take the same EVR pictured.

Sometimes people use the post Model A generators with the spring clips for the adjustble brush riveted in place. This takes a different style EVR.
 
BILL WILLIAMSON said:
We're not going to get into that alternator arguement thing again, I hope! Alternators ain't UGLY! Main advantage is that the battery is NEVER undercharged or overcharged!
Eliminates always doodling with the 3rd brush, and what if you loose your CHOP STICKS?? I don't even like Chinese food! Bill W.
Click to expand...

Thing is it's not the alternator that maintains the charge rate it's the built in regulator. Adding the regulator to a generator gives you the good without the bad.
 
I prefer the generator. I like the original look and the fact that I can repair the generator my self if needed, not so with the alternator. To improve operation and make it simple, I use the Fun Projects regulator. They are all good, but the Fun Projects regulator takes the place of the cut out, it solves two problems. Because the Fun Projects regulator has no points to stick, thats one headache out of the way. The
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other is that it gives voltage regulation like modern cars.

For the sake of fairness, here is a picture of mine. The Fun Projects can style regulator looks near if not identical to the model T carry over cut out that was used on the early 1928 cars or the repro cutouts that were sold by W&co. and many others. It isn't identical to the later style cutouts but that would only be noticed by the experts. I have no problem running one on my later model A.
 
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My AC requires 23 amps plus say 6 amps for lights equal say 30 amps . Will a generator put out 30 amps ?
 
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