MTFCA Forum

The generator has been gone through. It motors when voltage is applied, but dose not charge. Third brush is set to neutral I’m thinking it needs to be flashed? Do I need to raise the third brush to flash it? Please walk me through the flashing process. All help and guidance will be greatly appreciated.

In installed ready to run. Jump the output terminal to the hot output wire. Briefly. Not thru the rare voltage regulator. Do it running. Normally, thru the motoring/rebuilding process they generate immediately & dont need a flash.
I have done this & lost the output down the road & re polarized. That ended up being an undetected other inner problem.

The null point is set with the 3rd brush up with the tendency to motor clockwise (I believe) then drop the 3rd brush and set the charge rate.

Having built plenty of generators, I can attest to the fact that not all generators behave exactly as the Electrical Book would have you believe and setting null can sometimes be troublesome if you don't have a run in stand.

Read this and you'll likely be fine: https://modeltfordfix.com/adjusting-the ... patterson/

I just fixed a non working generator.
I asked Moorehead for some tips. He pointed me to a current thread by Jim Eubanks.

With help from Jim's thread and being lucky enough to own the Electrical Manual, I got the generator up and going.
First, I removed the regulator, then I lifted the 3rd brush so that it made zero contact on the armature. I then barely loosened the 4 screws on the back end of the gen housing, this allowed the ring that the #1 & 2 brushes connect to which will allow them to both be adjusted at the same time. Using a finger, they both simply rotate within the gen.
Next, I connected jumpers to a good 6v battery. On the generator- the neg jumper cable was grounded to the gen, Positive cable was connected to the pos post where the regulator or cut-out normally connect. Once connected, the armature began to motor.
The Electrical Manual instructs - if the unit motors clockwise, then adjust the ring/brushes so that the gen motors in the counter clockwise direction, then slowly go back to a point where the armature does not turn- you just found neutral- which is what you are looking for. Tighten the 4 screws when neutral is found. Next, release the 3rd brush and allow it to make contact. Then, re-connect the regulator, adjust the 3rd brush according to the Electrical Manual specs.
I was seriously advised by several guys "Do not attempt to motor the generator with the 3rd brush on the armature or with the regulator or cut-out connected because serious damage can occur".
I use a regulator and adjusted the 3rd brush so that the ammeter points to zero at 20mph, in high gear, with the headlights on high beam. The regulator handles it from there.
Jim Eubanks generator thread https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24020

Bill, part of the warning advice you received is simply not true. One of the last steps in my rebuilds is to monitor the current draw of a new generator when complete and "motored". The current (low) draw is a health indicator of a generator whose brushes are properly bedded and whose armature is able to spin without binding, meaning the pole shoes are square and seated, and bearings are properly adjusted/shimmed. If someone is damaging generators doing this test, then it isn't much of a rebuild and you wouldn't want it in your car (or more specifically, I would not want it in mine).

Scott- I was simply passing on a warning that was given to me by a knowledgeable and well-known and respected person who posts on this forum often.