Gentlemen, I've owned my car for 20+ years and never had generator problems that a new cut out couldn't fix. Then it stops ginning - ammeter doesn't regiater a charge. So I get a new cut out. Still won't charge. So I get the generator rebuilt by a good shop but not T experts
(Car is negative ground. 8 volt battery) Generator shop tells me to polarize, so I jump wire across the cut out terminals. Nice spark. Then I start car. No charge. I turn on lights. Ammeter shows discharge so I figure it's working.
The Green bible says test cut out by jumping it with a pair of pliers while car is running. (paragraph 1068) Ammeter should either register a charge if problem is cut out - or no charge if problem is generator. When I do this, Ammeter not only doesn't show a charge it shows massive discharge. Green bible silent on this outcome.
Any ideas what I've done here?
I would say; take it back to the shop since the generator doesn't work but they probably already messed it up. Few shops can deal with the T generator. I hope you didn't pay more than $5 for that privilege.
Forgot to mention: Sounds like there's dead short in the generator. Take the band off and check for wiring touching the housing. Also check the third brush holder and see if there's an insulator under it.
Very true, definitely start at the generator or get a ,,, ok I wont say it LOL
Don,
I concur with Ken.
A few years back< I had a "non-genning generator", and being a frugal "T" owner, not wanting to pay postage to send it away to one of the "T" generator specialists, I took it to a fairly local (30 miles one way), well regarded generator re-builder.
He said he fixed it.
Put it on the car, no genning.
Took it back.
He "checked it OK on the bench"
I picked it up and put it on the car again - still no go.
Long story short...2 more trips back and forth and no success.
Bit the bullet and had it repaired thru the mail.
Take away lesson: don't waste your time with the "modern" generator people...it cost me more in gas going back and forth (without success), than the postage to send the generator away.
Dave
Don,
Sounds like the terminal post on your generator is shorted to ground. The insulator that goes around the terminal usually gets cobbled up over the years. Since your rebuilder is not a "model T" shop, they would have had no idea that new insulators are available and probably just re-used the old one, (or left it out!).
Gentlemen, thank you very much. I'll take your thoughts to my repair guy, failing which I'll send it to a "T" guy. Appreciate the help.