Generator/Voltage Regulator Question

mistamick

mistamick

Junior Member
I have an ongoing problem with my '36 pickup that is baffling me and need some help. The truck has a '53 Ford engine and it is not charging properly.
The generator has been tested and is working properly. I have tried 2 new voltage regulators, the latest being a NAPA EV401. The results are that the amp gauge immediately reads a strong charge at high revs for a short time but then reverts to flat line. At idle the needle on the gauge fluctuates wildly up and down. Eventually the battery drains down.
I did a test by putting a jumper wire between the armature and field connections on the generator, thus eliminating the regulator and it charged strongly. Thus I assumed the regulator was bad but now I get the same result as with the old regulator.
A friend did some research and found some literature that mentioned there being and "A" circuit and a "B" circuit type generator and that each type would have to be mated with an A or B type regulator.
This is new to me and I'm wondering if anyone has heard of the two types and knows something about this.
 
On a "A circuit" the field post must be grounded to complete the circuit.
On a "B circuit" the field post must be energized to complete the circuit.
On your test you energized the field post making it charge which means you have a "B circuit" and need a regulator for a "B circuit" positive ground.
I hope this helps, Bill
 
With one the field is hooked to batt to make it go full charge, with the other the field wire is grounded to make full charge, but i do not remember which is A, and which is B

with the Ford 2 brush the field gets power supplyed to make charge, the 3 brush field wire gets grounded if the round cutout is used, or hooked to the oval cutout/regulator (both mount on the generator)

Are you using the 53 generator?, are you setup 6V pos ground? How was the wiring changed from original to adapt to the regulator?
 
Sounds like a "normal" behaviour,

If you turn on the light's will it still indicate 0 (flat) when the enginge RPM are raised a bit (generator is charging).

My 33 will not charge when idling and low rpm's.

Also had a problem with the battery going down slowly, it was the belt tensioning, causing the generator not to charge properly.

Another car i had it was one cell in the battery the caused the voltage to go down.

Get a (cheap) multimeter and measure the voltage at the battery when charging, should be above 7,2 volt at least.
 
Mr 42 said:
Get a (cheap) multimeter and measure the voltage at the battery when charging, should be above 7,2 volt at least.
Click to expand...

If it's not reading 7.2V at the battery, see what it's reading at the generator, both with the headlights on and off. If it's less than 7.2V, try bypassing the regulator as described above. If it is 7.2V at the generator, put the volt meter across the ends of the wiring between the generator and the positive post of the battery. You should be getting 7.2V at both the generator and battery at a high idle with lights on and off.
 
i think you mite have a bad armature....the wires will move when you spin it up and a bad spot in the insulation or weak solder joint will cause your problem
 
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