1937 Ford Generator - STILL STUMPED!

don's 37

don's 37

Senior Member
I still cannot get my 6 volt 3 brush generator to charge on my car. I took the generator over to a V8 guy in a town next to me and he had the pulley spun at a high rate of speed and put a test light tip inside the rear resting on a brush terimal. The clip part of the test light was placed on the ARM terimal of the cut-out and it lit. He told me the generator was good but had no way to test the cut-out.

Back at the house I bolted in the generator and hooked up the cut-out but left the cover off. I started the car and the ammeter still shows zero at idle and at faster RPM's. The ammeter seems to be okay because when I turn on the lights it does discharge. My Dad, with the car running, used a wooden stick and closed the contacts on the cut-out and still nothing made a change. The cut-out is a new repro.

Please help...Thanks, Don
 
Hi, my Model A generator was doing the same thing! I had a used field and put my guts the brushes , arm and front in it and wow charges like new !!! it's most likely your field thats bad ?
 
I find that I can bench test a generator by hooking it up to a battery- if it motors, it will generate... For two brush... Hook the positive to gen case, field AND armature together to the negative... If a three brush, there's only one wire- hook it to negative... If functional, it will turn as a motor... Karl
 
You can also trying to shortcut the cutout relay, start the engine upp.

And use a voltmeter over the battery, the voltage should be around 7.7 volts or above when charging (you need to rev it a bit).
If you have 7.7 Volt you have a problem with the cutout relay.

If the voltage is the same as when the engine is turned of or lower, you have a problem with the generator
 
When the car is running the relay in the cut out should pick up, when the car stops the relay drops out, you should not have to pick it up, unless the cut out is bad...OR... The wiring is not connected properly or broken. Then the cut out relay will not pick up by itself and the generator will not charge. With the engine off place a test light across the two terminals of the cut out, if the light lights, the wiring to the car and to the generator is good. If it does not light then connect the test light from the cut out terminal with the car wiring to ground if the light now lights that wire is good. Then connect the test light to the cut out generator wire terminal to a battery (-) and the light should light if not the wire to the generator is open circuit.
 
I have been researching cut-out's for my new rebuilt generator so I can start driving my car before the summer is ends. What is the best kind to buy and why? The original style, the diode style or the voltage regulator style? Are there any modifications to do on the last two? I see some can get very expensive. I have the original 6 volt system. Who sells good quality cut-out's? Thanks.
 
Don, cutouts don't protect your battery from overcharge. Get a voltage regulator. A good one for your car, looks original, is available from Fun Projects. 6V or 12V electrtonic, with or without Script, correct looking units from Model A's rtight up to your '37.

Fun Projects www.funprojects.com
 
Maybe the battery does not call for a charge. Make sure you have the correct cut out there is one for + ground and one for - ground. Best check is motorizing it as Karl Wolf has said.
 
Don,
I have a bunch of original cut outs converted to diode....email me your
address and I'll send you one. The diode is sort of an electrical check valve...
' juice ' only goes one way. I'll toss in a sketch. I feel good.....all my check ups
came out good.
Charlie ny
cas5845@yahoo.com
 
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