Adjusting the Third Brush?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Adjusting the Third Brush?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul O'Neil on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 04:31 pm:

I thought I would start the day with an easy project, adjusting the third brush. In my recent first run of the newly overhauled motor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9OxEQlbxU8&feature=youtu.be

the ammeter was pegged on 20 amps at a fast idle setting. The gen needs adjusting! I have the special tool, an S shaped stamped steel wrench and thought it should be an easy matter of pulling off the dust cover and loosening the thing up and sliding it from its extreme position to the middle someplace. I'm not looking for a final adjustment here, only to get the charge rate down so I can move on to other matters.

OK, the dust cover can off and this is what I see:



I couldn't see anything to adjust! Even with a powerful flashlight & my coke bottle glasses, I just couldn't see anything for the special wrench to glom on to. I checked the Ford bible, the club electrical book & the owner's handbook and found nothing showing the area.

Has anyone got a good clear picture of this third brush as it sits in the car? I know this has got to be dead simple, but I sure can't see where to go with this one.

Vintage Paul, headscrathin agin . . .


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Dufault on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 05:06 pm:

Years ago I brought a generator to an well regarded generator repair shop in my area. Yes, the shop was perhaps expert in "modern" generators, but frankly, knew diddly about T generators. Brought it back 3 X because it would not work properly. Finally, brought it to a T only person...brush holder was installed improperly!

How is yours"

Does this link help you?
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/289747.html?1337284313


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Dufault on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 05:09 pm:

I should have added, in the link I posted, open it, and look at the picture posted

By Eugene Adams on Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 03:51 pm:

Does yours look like that?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andy Loso St Joseph, MN on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 06:48 pm:

Is that wire hooked up to the brush in the lower opening? The third brush adjustment nut should be under the solid piece between the two openings.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Vaughn on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 07:33 pm:

Paul, Look towards the area the red arrow is pointing and you should see a nut holding the brush to the brush plate. If you had a photo pointing that direction I could show you which nut to loosen. The brush at the top of your first photo is the 3rd brush. The nut is accessed through the lower hole in the generator where the red arrow is pointing.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 07:46 pm:

Looks like the brush plate wasn't oriented correctly. The third brush nut should be visible in that window.

Does this help? (Ignore the Fuse.)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul O'Neil on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 09:38 pm:

Thanks guys, that last picture Ken posted is what I expected to find but didn't. Thanks to the photo in the earlier thread I was able to get my head down below the fender next to the radiator and JUST see it. The third brush was set all the way over and the nut was right under the center portion of the metal case.

The S shaped wrench worked for a part of a turn and an ignition wrench helped another part of a turn. I was able to move the brush into a center position but it was time consuming and it did not tighten very well. I'm going to look for a box end or L shaped ignition wrench for the final adjustment in the near future.

Vintage Paul


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave DeYoung on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 12:44 am:

Paul:

I use a 5/16 combination wrench with a 12 pt. box end. Once you get the nut loose enough to move the brush holder, slide the brush holder all the way toward the frame. Start the engine, set to a fast idle and slowly move the brush holder toward the engine until you have a reading of 10 amps on the meter. Lightly tighten the brush holder nut and recheck the amp reading. If you turn on the headlights, the ammeter should read 0.

Do not over-tighten the brush holder nut. You will damage the insulator on the brush plate causing the third brush to ground itself out.

Happy travels.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul O'Neil on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 12:51 am:

Thanks Dave, that 12 point was just what I have in mind. I will have to order one of those to do this job. I have the nut snug but not tight right now.

Vintage Paul


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 12:55 pm:

The brush plate is 90 degrees off. It will work but as you discovered, will also be hard to adjust. I would be concerned that the field coil leads may come in contact with the armature though.

The nut should be just snug--No need to wrench down tight. You could break the insulator on the underside of the brush plate. Compress the lock washer and give it about another 1/8-1/4 turn.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 01:43 pm:

5/16 gear wrenches are common items, as they're used for sidemount terminal batteries. Would that work?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul O'Neil on Thursday, May 30, 2013 - 01:40 pm:

My friend Dan who retired from Edison a few years ago looked at the pic at the top of this thread and called me up on the phone. He spotted some things he did not like and called me on the phone to warn me of trouble ahead with this generator. I was reluctant to pull the thing off as it had just been gone through by a reliable supplier but finally agreed to do so as that side of the motor was going to be pulled apart to solve the oil leak detailed on another thread.

Dan came over Tuesday after we closed the shop here for the day and we had at the Model T. The generator came apart and we found much that was not up to snuff. It had bad bearings, bad wiring, bad brushes and problems with the armature. The whole thing was soaked in oil.

Sure it worked and was even putting out 20 amps, but it was headed for failure in the not too distant future. After a talk with Dave at Chaffin's (he had nothing ready to go in stock) we called Lang's and they are sending out a "refurbished" unit. Dave said Ron the Coil Man did the best generators but that he was so busy he couldn't do a rebuild any time soon.

Right now I'm only sorry that I didn't pull the starter apart and give it an inspection before it was installed.

Vintage Paul


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Thursday, May 30, 2013 - 11:41 pm:

The starter is quite rugged and trouble free, especially compared to the generator. Your starter will be fine.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul O'Neil on Saturday, June 01, 2013 - 03:31 pm:

That is certainly good news. It was apart at Larry's shop and had a new seal installed that is supposed to be an improvement on the original setup. So far, it has worked fine even if it does seems slow, but that may just be my perception of it now that it is running on 6v rather than 12v. The motor is new and tight.

Vintage Paul


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By keith g barrier on Sunday, June 02, 2013 - 06:23 am:

Paul, if you are using the fun projects voltage regulator, go by the instructions that come with it. Follow the instructions to the letter and all will work well. You cannot go by the ford service manual to set the regulator. Don't know what you are using but thought I'd throw that in. KB


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