I need charging system advice.

howie123

howie123

Senior Member
I have recently started driving my Model A speedster with stock generator and cutout. Everything seems to work OK. I have not been left with a dead battery yet. I would like to upgrade the system to prevent under or over charging of the battery. I am not against installing an alternator but since the generator seems to be working I have been researching the voltage regulators that are available. The Fun Projects regulator looks like the easiest to install but requires accurate setting of the third brush. What is the most accurate way to check and adjust the charging rate? The regulator offered by James Peterson uses the stock cutout but takes the third brush out of the equation. It does look a little more involved as far as installation. Any advice would help. Thanks. Howie
 
The charge rate is adjusted by moving the third brush up or down,, easy to do..Just remove the band and use something non-metal to rotate the brush up or down to get the rate you want.. The style of driving usually determines where the third brush is set.. There are a fair number of regulators on the market,, personally,, I like the one offered by our very own Tom W.. It removes the third brush and works very well.. He'll probably be on soon and give you his info..
 
i have 2 of tom w evr's and both work well. i recently wanted to try the fun projects regulator so i purchased the one with ford script on it. i took it out of the box and was very unhappy with the plating on the cover. it was pitted with what looked to be tiny specs of rust all over it. i sent it back and they promptly refunded my creditcard as was told the rest of there stock is no better. very happy with the quick no hassle refund from them but i did have to eat the shipping back to them. it did not taste very well...
 
Howie123, Not much help but here ya go. skip.

Thegeneratorcut-out-1.jpg
 
There are three avaiable regulators;

Tom Wessenberg unit that goes into the genny end plate.
I have no contact information since forum moved to the new ford barn as the old links no longer work.

Fun projects that replaces the cut out;
http://www.funprojects.com/

James Peterson unit that replaces the genny band and third brush
P.O. Box 884
Bend, Oregon 97709
541-389-0438 home
 
Fitted the fun projects regulator to both my As - Would n't have any other now. wonderful little electronic gizmo which comes with full instructions.
 
If I use the Fun Projects regulator, the generator output needs to be set at 15 amps max. Is wathing the ammeter in the car accurate enough to determine the charge rate? While driving, as I speed up between gear changes the ammeter tops out at 12-14 amps, however, while driving this morning I noticed a short spike to 30 amps for about 2-3 seconds. Any ideas on the cause would help. I am relly leaning toward the Fun Projects regulator just for ease of installation but I don't want to burn one up. Thanks again. Howie
 
howie123 said:
If I use the Fun Projects regulator, the generator output needs to be set at 15 amps max. Is wathing the ammeter in the car accurate enough to determine the charge rate? While driving, as I speed up between gear changes the ammeter tops out at 12-14 amps, however, while driving this morning I noticed a short spike to 30 amps for about 2-3 seconds. Any ideas on the cause would help. I am relly leaning toward the Fun Projects regulator just for ease of installation but I don't want to burn one up. Thanks again. Howie
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The reproduction ammeters are mostly junk and usually give a false higher reading. Just to be on the safe side I leave the cutout mounted when setting the third brush. All you need to do to adjust the third brush is remove the generator band, reach in and push down on the third brush to increase the charging rate. I then start the engine and rev it up to what I feel will be the highest rpm that I will run the car. If the rpm is higher than 15 amps for the 6 volt regulator you will need to push the third brush up slightly to lower the charging rate.

If the generator is spikeing 30 amps you more than likely have a loose battery connection, loose nuts behind the ammeter, or a loose connectionat the terminal box. Be sure and clean and tighten all wire connectoins before setting the third brush or serious problems will SOON follow.

I use the Fun Projects regulator with good results. With the other regulators you will have to know enough about generators to take them apart and put them back together, to use them. If you have never fitted brushes over a commutator it can be difficult. Also if you allow wires to contact the armature they will QUICKLY rub through and short out. This will result in a ruined generator. I only say this because if you were experienced with model A generators you wouldn't have asked. Good luck.
 
Purdy, Thanks for the advice. You are right. My classes in starter/generator repair were a long time ago. I guessed as much about the reproduction ammeters given the price. Is there any source for a better quality unit. I am running sealed beam headlights. Will that pose any problem?
 
howie123 said:
Purdy, Thanks for the advice. You are right. My classes in starter/generator repair were a long time ago. I guessed as much about the reproduction ammeters given the price. Is there any source for a better quality unit. I am running sealed beam headlights. Will that pose any problem?
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There is a guy on eBay that sometimes offers restored original ammeters, they usually go for over fifty dollars. The name that this guy goes by on eBay is Phoncom or somrthing like that. Maybe that will be close enough to help. I would do an eBay search.

I have run sealed beam headlights with a model A generator years ago, they push the generator to its limits. Probably the best way to go is the halogen bulbs from Australia. these bulbs draw less amps and are brighter than the original type bulbs but not as bright as the quartz halogen bulbs that require a 60 amp capable system. You will be better off with resilvered original reflectors but they are expensive and a lot of trouble to obtain. I use the aluminized reflectors from Bratton. Avoid the chrome plated reflectors, they are the lowest cost and give the worse reflection. Good luck.
 
howie123 said:
Purdy, Thanks for the advice. You are right. My classes in starter/generator repair were a long time ago. I guessed as much about the reproduction ammeters given the price. Is there any source for a better quality unit. I am running sealed beam headlights. Will that pose any problem?
Click to expand...

Most sealed beam headlights draw about 8 to 10 amps each, so you'll have to change to a later generator with more output if you want your car to look right and charge enough.

With a later generator, many people will not notice it's not stock. With an alternator, EVERYONE will notice it's not stock. I have good original silvered reflectors and stock bulbs and generator and am very pleased with the light. I think it's very funny when people are amazed that I dare to drive my Model A at night.
 
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