Gen Question

[30Ford]

Generator does not seem to charge ...Had it apart and there was a wire rubbing on the armature ..repaired the wire ..tested by motoring it but it runs backward ,,on the car ..there is no voltage from the top terminal to ground ...amp meter does not move except discharge ,,,have been reading just about every thing i can find this weekend ,,,sooo any ideas....thanks

 

[Purdy Swoft]

If the generator motors backwards the ground is connected backwards. There are two wires that come off the field coils , one connects under the screw on the third adjustable brush. the other wire grounds to the case of the generator

 

[Purdy Swoft]

The wire from the field coils that grounds usually has a wire end with a larger hole . This wire grounds under the terminal post inside the generator. This is a confusing connection and seems odd that it would ground in this location. It doesn't necessarily have to ground there but can ground anywhere to the main inner housing , but a hole would need to be drilled and tapped in such cases . The model 46 generators used on the 1933 four cylinder generators were sold as a replacement for the model A generator.. These model 46 generators had two wires instead of a post terminal. One of the wires grounded under the foot of the cutout while the other connected to the rear terminal of the cutout.

 

[Tom Wesenberg]

The earlier Autolite style generators did ground with a small terminal and small screw threaded directly into the case. In early 1930 the output stud was moved from the front of the case to the rear of the case, and then the field ground used the large terminal as Purdy said.

Did someone have the field windings out? Otherwise I don't see how the fields got reversed. Anyway, you need to swap sides with the field coils.

 

[Purdy Swoft]

If it motors backwards, the ground has got to be backwards or the fields reversed which would have the same effect.

Usually when I rebuild the model 46 generator , I install a terminal post and ground the fields inside the generator so that it looks like the model A generator. In such cases I drill and tap a hole for an internal ground location .