Anyone familiar with Lucas Generators?

M

Mike B

Well-known member
I have one from this Ford Pilot engine...it has two lugs on the back-one large(about 1/4inch) and one small (about 3/16th inch) I assume the large one is the Armature and small is the field?

There is no ground lug, is it to be grounded from the mounting surface on the intake?

I should be able to just wire up to a regular regulator, correct?
The numbers off it are:

C45PV4CW37

22418F

6v 5 49

Thanks.
 
You are aware that Lucas is the Prince of Darkness? :eek:

On the hookup, not having a ground terminal may be like the early Ford generators not having a dedicated lug for grounding that just grounded through the body of the generator.
 
Yes.

I think a ford type regulator will work. If you have a Lucas one you could use that. Big terminal Armature Small terminal field. No earth. (grounded through the motor).

Date code week 5 1949 6Volt.

Mart.
 
Thanks gents.

Yes,

I've heard Lucas electrical parts are just keepers of smoke;)

Last question, if I connect the Arm and field together and spin it up, it should still go full voltage, right?
 
If I were you Mike, I wouldn't tempt fate like that. Yes, I had a similar oft-rewound Lucas mated a Ford regulator on a square4. Getting 8 amps out of the thing was always a challenge until the next time it threw solder balls and had to be re-wound. I finally threw in the towel and rigged the bike with a 60amp 10SI alternator. Maybe a bit over the top, but it's comforting to know that it prolly puts enough amps to do a bit of light-duty welding alongside the road on their notoriously weak frames. 8^)

Jack E/NJ
 
I thought full output voltage was a test done on generators?

Maybe best to just run it through the regulator and see what I get:)
 
Hi There, I don't really know why Lucas equipment was criticised so much. I worked with it for over 50 years and had no more problems than with other types. More likely was the fact that it was not serviced/repaired correctly or was messed with by those who had no clue what they were doing. All those jokes are mostly here say and quite dumb. A bit like all the T ford jokes in its time. Lucas lamps, switches, wiper motors etc were good quality. Lucas published some very detailed service literature, just like ford did so all that was required was to read and UNDERSTAND it all. The 5 - 49 stamped on the generator housing equates to fifth month (May) 1949 manufacture. The original ford pilot voltage regulator was a Lucas black Bakelite two bobbin as in a cutout and a compensated voltage control inside. It had five screw in terminals on the front. Type RF96 or RBI06. (6 volt). We only would test a generators maximum output for a few seconds by linking the field terminal to the armature or dynamo terminal as some called it. The field wire should be disconnected from the regulator for this test otherwise reg damage could be the result. A 6 volt ford V8 3 unit regulator could be used on this Lucas generator as the field control circuit is the same as a Lucas generator. One common problem with Lucas generators (and others as well) was the fan belt being too tight thus chopping out the commutator end bush causing the armature to "POLE" (hit the field pole shoes) and overheat. A people problem ,not a generator problem. Hope this is of some help, Regards, Kevin.
 
Jack E/NJ, hi there. Reference that Aerial square four M/C. Yes those Lucas motor cycle generators are only rated at 8 amps maximum, where as the ford current regulator would have been set at 33 amps to match the ford generator it belongs to. I doubt very much that the ford reg would be able to be set as low as 8 amps. No wonder that little Lucas generator armature burned out several times !!! Should have had the matching Lucas voltage reg on that bike. Another case of experts "fixing things up" I would think. MERRY CHRISTMAS Jack. Regards, Kevin.
 
Someone told me that with our weather and the way they treat the roads in the states it raised hell with the connectors. A compromised connection leads to all kinds of gremlins.
 
And then there is the old saw about why the British drink warm beer : They have Lucas refrigerators.
 
The regulator has to match the amperage of the generator, if you use a 30 amp regulator on a 20 amp generator the generator won't be protected from charging too much ---yes, the ford regulator will make the Lucas generator charge, and regulate voltage, but it won't protect the generator from making too many amps unless it is adjusted.
 
koates said:
Jack E/NJ, hi there. Reference that Aerial square four M/C. Yes those Lucas motor cycle generators are only rated at 8 amps maximum, where as the ford current regulator would have been set at 33 amps to match the ford generator it belongs to. I doubt very much that the ford reg would be able to be set as low as 8 amps. No wonder that little Lucas generator armature burned out several times !!! Should have had the matching Lucas voltage reg on that bike. Another case of experts "fixing things up" I would think. MERRY CHRISTMAS Jack. Regards, Kevin.
Click to expand...

Happy Holidays Kevin. Yep, it was originally a 3-brush setup that kept throwing solder. So as I recall the armature rewinder suggested an 8N cutout-to-regulator 2-brush upgrade adjusted to 8 amps. That helped the armature last longer but just didn't allow enough output for safe night-time driving with a regular 6v sealed-beam headlight. So the regulator was re-set to 10 amps, which helped with the lights, but eventually fried the armature again. Bottom line, the generator used was just a bit too small for the application --- probably more the fault of the Ariel designers than Lucas. Anyway, the 10si alternator made driving this bike almost a pleasure at night --- I say almost because the notorious Burman ****** was also a bit too small for the enormous low-end torque of the square4 --- it was indeed a tractor.

Jack E/NJ
 
My old Triumph 1800 roadster works just fine with Joe Lucas electrics.

I think the "Prince of Darkness" thing came about more with british motorcycles than with any of the car stuff. American motorcycles were no better but the Japanese cycle stuff came along and blew them all away with relatively reliable function. Folks didn't b!tch till they had something to compare it to. By then a lot of the Lucas stuff was being repo'd in India which didn't help matters.
 
Ask any Brit bike owner what he thinks about Lucas electrics.They cant all be wrong.A new Triumph owner,no lucas electrics on them. One of my friends has 5 restored Trumps all of them come back "on the hook" every time he rides one. LOL All have Lucas electrics. ken ct.
 
I have a good friend that is really into old British bikes, Norton's, Triumph's, etc.. He has all of the correct tooling, repair manuals, etc., to work on the English bikes..
One minute he'll speak very highly of them, touting all the races they have won and speed records they set.. Then he'll go off on their unreliability, especially Lucas and their constant oil leaking from the gear and engine cases..
One of my neighbors favorite comments is; "The English never invented a computer because they could not figure out how to make one that would not leak oil"..
My neighbors everyday riding bike is a BMW... Bill
 
BSA means ******* stopped again.
Only thing wrong with TR6 was Lucas diode for a regulator.

Bruce

Works good
Lasts long time
 
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