Generator output post wire size

Woodie1

Woodie1

Well-known member
What would be the proper wire size of the pigtail that runs from the output post to the brush on a 3 brush generator? I just changed a wire for this & it seems to stiff. The brush won't spring freely. I have even bent the spring a little to try to get the brush to have more snap but no go.
 
A 14 or 16 gauge wire is sufficient. That said, It’s not necessarily the gauge of the wire but the number of strands of wire. As the strandcount goes up, each strand is thinner. This makes the wire more supple so it’s more flexible.
 
The wire I received was 12 gauge which I was sure was much too heavy. Thanks.
 
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On the long Autolite model A generators, 12 ga wire was used. When I restore them I use the 12ga silicone insulated flex wire. A stiffer wire can pull up on the brush spring.

Oddly, powerhouse generators which can put out more amps than the long style, use 14ga wire.
 

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A lot of old generators had stranded wire with just a woven cloth sleeve on them back in the day. I still use a modern silicon impregnated fiberglass sleeve called Varglas sleeve to do repairs on one's that still have good wire but the old sleeve crumbled to dust. Varglas sleeve was used by a lot of aerospace manufacturers for electrical system wiring protection. It's a product of Varflex Corporation and is made with a lot of different coatings but I just use the silicon coated types.
 
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