Project update and discharge

Russell Reay

Russell Reay

Well-known member
For everyone who has answered all my newbie questions, a big 'thank you'!. Project A started right up after a year of sitting. Ran two radiators full of water to clear out the rust , and poured in some low-tox anti freeze so it's ready to go at a moment's notice. (not going very far in this condition). I have a new Nu-rex 6 v alternator, but the ammeter reads discharge at normal operating rpm. Is this just a case of the ammeter wired backward? And yes the battery is positive grounded.
 

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Russell Reay said:
For everyone who has answered all my newbie questions, a big 'thank you'!. Project A started right up after a year of sitting. Ran two radiators full of water to clear out the rust , and poured in some low-tox anti freeze so it's ready to go at a moment's notice. (not going very far in this condition). I have a new Nu-rex 6 v alternator, but the ammeter reads discharge at normal operating rpm. Is this just a case of the ammeter wired backward? And yes the battery is positive grounded.
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Yes, it sounds like it. Reverse the wires on the backside of the Ammeter and retry.
 
Measure the voltage. You should have about 7 to 7.2 volts when charging. If that is the case then do as Brent suggested. Measure the voltage at a fast idle, say 1,000 rpm.

Another test is to turn on the head lamps with the engine off and see if the ammeter is reading discharge. If it is reading charge then the ammeter is wired backwards.
 
nkaminar said:
Measure the voltage. You should have about 7 to 7.2 volts when charging. If that is the case then do as Brent suggested. Measure the voltage at a fast idle, say 1,000 rpm.

Another test is to turn on the head lamps with the engine off and see if the ammeter is reading discharge. If it is reading charge then the ammeter is wired backwards.
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The headlights, switch, and wiring harness are in a box out back. The alt is connected with one wire to the terminal box and ammeter, but I will need to check yellow vs yellow-black wires.
 
Russell Reay said:
For everyone who has answered all my newbie questions, a big 'thank you'!. Project A started right up after a year of sitting. Ran two radiators full of water to clear out the rust , and poured in some low-tox anti freeze so it's ready to go at a moment's notice. (not going very far in this condition). I have a new Nu-rex 6 v alternator, but the ammeter reads discharge at normal operating rpm. Is this just a case of the ammeter wired backward? And yes the battery is positive grounded.
Click to expand...

Had the same problem and alternator had to be grounded to make it work it’s mojo again easy process the guy at Nu Rex talked me through, took a minute
 
UPS Driver said:
Had the same problem and alternator had to be grounded to make it work it’s mojo again easy process the guy at Nu Rex talked me through, took a minute
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Can you tell me what size of wire and where you grounded the alternator? I'm chasing my tail trying to figure out why my Model T won't charge. I've been through 2 generators and an alternator and nothing. I'm thinking that is my issue.
 
CatMan1 said:
Can you tell me what size of wire and where you grounded the alternator? I'm chasing my tail trying to figure out why my Model T won't charge. I've been through 2 generators and an alternator and nothing. I'm thinking that is my issue.
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Remove rubber plug on top of alternator and while engine running take a long screwdriver and touch the post closest to the fender to the case of the alternator just a split second was all it took. Your mileage may vary as they say
 
CatMan1 said:
Can you tell me what size of wire and where you grounded the alternator? I'm chasing my tail trying to figure out why my Model T won't charge. I've been through 2 generators and an alternator and nothing. I'm thinking that is my issue.
Click to expand...

Make sure you have it hooked up as a positive ground if that’s what you still have. My neighbor had a farmall tractor that drove him crazy but he didn’t know it was a positive ground system
 
UPS Driver said:
Remove rubber plug on top of alternator and while engine running take a long screwdriver and touch the post closest to the fender to the case of the alternator just a split second was all it took. Your mileage may vary as they say
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Thanks. It's a long story, but currently the alternator is back at the builders. He said it's charging fine on the test stand at 300RPM, so it must be my car. Thinking of running a ground wire from one of the alternator/engine bolts down to the frame or all the way back to the battery. Been fighting this since June........
 
CatMan1 said:
Thanks. It's a long story, but currently the alternator is back at the builders. He said it's charging fine on the test stand at 300RPM, so it must be my car. Thinking of running a ground wire from one of the alternator/engine bolts down to the frame or all the way back to the battery. Been fighting this since June........
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I personally didn’t switch to an alternator, never knew anything about a 6 volt alternator lol . My father, grandfather, uncles, and myself have fixed up a number of antique tractors (Case, Farmall, Ford, John Deere etc) the thing we always did if the generator and 6 volt worked okay we left well enough alone (if it ain’t broke don’t fix it) in my neck of the woods I can get a 12 volt one wire low rpm excite alternator built for 50.00 which is cheaper than redoing the generator and buying a regulator that isn’t very good honestly if I had to mess with the wiring on my 29 Tudor that’s what I’d do but for now this works . Just my 2 cents and worth exactly what you paid for it
 
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