MTFCA Forum

Hi all,
Last night with the help of my buddy Bob (who knows way more than me) we finished rebuilding my non functioning generator. New bearings, cleaned up the wiring, had a great shop coat the armature with red insulating varnish, put it all together and it worked! I now have lights of all things! A week ago I went to a cruise night with no genny or lights and came home in the dark. People flashing lights at me. Even passed two cops. It was very unsettling driving in the dark. Anyway, all it well and we still have to adjust for proper amperage with the third brush. It's been such a great learning experience.
John

Excellent report!

I enjoy reading these sort of posts far more than most others

Thanks Scott. Same about yours!

Do you have stock lighting? You probably won't be able to get the generator to carry the full lighting load without showing some discharge. The best setting seems to be around 6 to 7 amps indicated on a good ammeter with the lights off, the battery charged, and the engine running about 1300 RPM. This will typically result in the ammeter showing about 0, or a small discharge of around 1 to 2 amps when the lights are on and the engine running at the same speed. Adding higher wattage headlight bulbs, an additional tail light, or any other increased load will require more power. A discharged battery will consume more current until it comes up to near full charge. Higher settings risk overcharging the battery if you drive much, and perhaps overloading the generator.

And the devil again here!
I never have to worry about dim lights nor negative ammeter with my alternator!!

But your alternator is emitting spew which preturbs the Polar Bears.

OK, so I have standard lights; and we (my buddy Bob) tested and got the amp gauge reading 0 or a little under 0 when the lights were on. Same on dim and high beam. When I turned lights off, we (my buddy Bob) got the amp gauge reading between 15 and 30 amps. That's way too much, right? So he kept adjusting the third brush and got it down, but I think it was over 15 amps on the gauge. We (Bob) will work on the correct timing, correct fuel mix, and correct valve adjustment until it is working properly. BTW, I put new kevlar bands on and still don't have the low band adjusted correctly. Still slipping. That will come in time.
Thanks for the help. It's great knowing that if I have a problem I can put the question on the forum and great people will offer suggestions. Bravo to you all in T land.
John

I have spent a lot of time since early June working on the "new" '23 TT. The '20 Roadster was sidelined for the past few months. Cleaned up nicely this morning and started right up on the first crank.
Almost got a free start, too. A good morning... [/size][/b][/b]

" ...amp gauge reading between 15 and 30 amps. That's way too much, right? So he kept adjusting the third brush and got it down, but I think it was over 15 amps on the gauge."

That's way too high. I wonder if your amp gauge is reading anywhere near accurately.

The regular Ford lighting system ought not draw more than 5 or 6 amps, and the ignition maybe add an additional 1.5 amps or so. If your generator is putting out 15+ amps at an engine speed of 1200-1800 RPM with the lights off, turning on the lights ought not bring the amp reading anywhere near 0. Do you have a good battery connected to the system? Are all the connections clean and tight? Are you using an in-dash ammeter, or some other ammeter? The generator needs to be connected to a system with a good battery in place and the cutout working properly. All connections throughout the system must be clean and tight. Measure amps, not volts. If you measure voltage, it should not exceed 8 to 9 volts. The regular in-dash ammeters are known to be inaccurate, often as not.

I would suggest you place another ammeter in line between the generator and the terminal block. Be sure it is connected securely so the generator does not try to charge nothing. Then read the other ammeter. This will give you an idea of the accuracy of the one on the dash.
Norm

Was the generator "null" point set prior to attempting to regulate the third brush ?

I drove it over to Idaho and hauled back a unit of 3/4" T&G plywood.

I improved and made radiator decoration.
I made my own "1916" script for the radiator because I don't like the available ones. I milled it out from 1 mm brass sheet, then hard-soldered brass rods ø3mm with M3 thread at the end to it, polished, and electroplated with gold.
I also soldered same brass rods to the back of the "Ford" script I already had, so there are now no ugly wires visible any more. The Ford script is now also electroplated with gold, so I do not have to polish it again and again.

Here after soldering, before polishing the back side.
All decoration scripts are mounted to the front with two black Nylon washers (1 mm each) between script and radiator fins, so they don't reduce air flow and scratch on the radiator. This also looks more elegant, they seem to "fly". On back side there is another Nylon washer, a thin brass washer, and finally a thumb nut.

I poured the caps for my 1925 that has been off the road for way too long last week. The block was poured, crank ground, cylinders bored, and valve seats were done months ago. I modified Gene's mold so I can pour vertically. Still waiting on the rods. Got the NOS replacement pan radius rod mount but have yet to install, thank you Bob.
Well now, this should bring it back to the top for a while.

Drawing some plans

I took my Runabout out of the barn for an early drive this morning. The ammeter went to discharge when I turned on the lights. My generator is dead. I made some checks with a voltmeter to confirm. The engine ran rough because cylinder 4 was dead too. Backing into the barn, I blew two fuses. There is definitly an electrical gremlin somewhere.

I had planed to help George Schmidt (a.k.a. Unprr) work on his Coupe today. Plans changed.

Hungry barn rats, well, not so hungry now.

I’ve been busy putting my runabout together. Rebuilt transmission, Kingston L2 carb, starter, generator, rear axle, new Warford transmission, Rocky Mountain brakes, recharged the magnets, added extra oiling capabilities. Lots more small stuff to go, but managed to cross off much of the to-do list.

Just getting ready to load up this a.m. from a successful 42nd Annual Can-Am Tour held in Bellingham, WA. After a "Covid Hold" between us and Canada, border crossing restrictions allowed us to finally get together - great tour with beautiful farm country & Washington coastal views !

Cab is prepared and painted. Glass installed.
Rear lantern bracket made and installed.
The bed is next. Original irons will be repurposed this week.
The '23 TT is coming along./size][/b]

Just completed a 17 mile drive from Eagan, MN through Burnsville, almost to Savage (my fellow Twin Citians will know this area). Finally getting the hang of driving it and had a very positive driving experience. Over 60 miles total since I brought it home last month.

Rod, good for you. I enjoy reading about experiences like this.

Not trying to outdo Rod by any means...but yesterday myself and 5 other cars, 13 people, partook in a great tour of 105 total miles from my house. Visited a great historical home in Galion OH, arranged by club member Rick Horning. After that great comraderie with everyone then headed back home. Great day.

Wired the dash on the '12 Project with a push-pull switch for lights.

Nifty Bakelite type junction terminal is old time part, likely from the 'teens.

Lacing wire to the left headlamps by running them along the frame rail. On the right side used a 5 wire timer loom for that headlamp.

I pulled the engine out of my 26 roadster in July of 2021. Today, I finally finished installing the rebuilt engine, rebuilt steering column, new radiator and new wiring. It fired right up, but I have oil leaking out around the petcocks on the oil pan. I will address that when I change the oil.

Scott C. wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 18, 2022 9:51 pm

I pulled the engine out of my 26 roadster in July of 2021. Today, I finally finished installing the rebuilt engine, rebuilt steering column, new radiator and new wiring. It fired right up, but I have oil leaking out around the petcocks on the oil pan. I will address that when I change the oil.

When you pull those pet cocks look for evidence that the magnet screw ends are making contact. New longer screws and/or worn threads allowing the petcock ends to go in a bit too far can be an issue. Of course you would expect some noise if there is contact. I have seen a petcock unscrew itself from contacts.

Finished sandblasting the sheet metal and prime painting the wood on the body platform. I used a sanding sealer followed by a grain filler on the oak trim then painted the wood with a wood primer. A lot of work but it came out good.

Time for a new speedometer for my '26 Coupe!!
I have been driving with a bike speedo in a wooden case for 20 years (photo), but found the trip miles hard to see.
So this month's project has been to make a better one.
I found a Cateye Velo 7 which has large clear numbers. It can be programmed to the nearest cm of tyre circumference, and it also allows you to input a total mileage figure, so you don't have to go back to zero when the battery is replaced.
The core is wood, the outer casing is part of a tin can, and I cut the front from thin steel. All laquered.
I kept my old mounting - a triangular plate which clamps behind the steering column bracket - so no holes in the dash.
I kept my old sensor - a reed switch in a brass tube on the left front hub with a 2-core screened cable which I connected into the new base.
The 2 screws on the front allow the front and case to be pulled off, and then the instrument can be slid upwards to change the battery.

Now that the Coupelet is home, I got it out in the sunshine to do a little garage cleanup, As an update, yes, this is the same Coupelet I got in May of 2017(see meet Clara my birthday present, May 2017 thread). The body is now on a correct 1918 chassis with an August '18 engine. She runs and is drivable. Still a long to go but is slowly getting there. George

Saturday was a perfect day to go for a ride, so 2 of us from the Dairyland Tin Lizzies went to the Steam and Gas show in Calumetville.
We stopped at a Amish bakery, a goat farm, and an old stone arch bridge along the way.

At auctions and swap meets over the years I've bought a few dozen bulbs that fit magneto headlamp sockets. Not all were intended to be used for magneto lights, but most will serve to varying degrees. One requirement, with the lights connected in series, is that both bulbs be similar in resistance. If they're not, one will be bright and the other dim. In some cases, one will be very bright (and my burn out quickly) while the other provides a ground but doesn't light up. One of the bulbs in my car burned out yesterday, so today I tested bulbs looking for a replacement.






The ideal combination is two of the same bulb.

I decided to make a mag bulb tester that will work from a battery so I won't have to run the car for testing. None of the local parts stores had the proper sockets, of course, so I have to wait for a pair to come from the internet sometime next week.

From reading you might think that mag bulbs are likely to last only a few hours or a few days. But the one I have to replace was in the car for at least two years. I don't usually shut off the headlights. When the car is running they're on. So this pair got over 4000 miles of use before one of them went.

You may see magneto bulbs offered by one of the parts dealers. Pass. They're 24 volt bulbs, too dim for actual use. Display only.

We went on the Rocky Mountain Model T Club fall tour this week. We spent three days driving the back roads of Northwest Montana.

Steve, I'd think 2 bulbs in a series circuit would give the same brightness unless they were different wattage bulbs or made for different voltages. For instance, with a 6 volt bulb and a 12 volt bulb of the same wattage in a 12 volt series circuit, I'd think the 6 volt bulb would be very dim and the 12 volt bulb would be close to normal brightness. Your battery test rig may shed some light.

I finished installing the head gasket and freeze plugs on the 26 Touring. I had to take off the coil box which is on the head. so rather than taking off all the wires, I removed the timer with the wires attached. While the timer was off, I cleaned it out and put in a little lube (Anderson Timer). It runs smoother now than before. Idles smoothly and also at speed.
Then we took it on a tour about 50 miles round tour on a rather hot day. It made it all the way and ran cooler than before I did the work. Coming home is about 10 miles uphill some of which is 6% grade. Ran perfectly all the way.
That tour was about 2 weeks ago. Yesterday, I cleaned up and oiled up the car to get it ready for the monthly visit to the local museum. I checked the coolant level since before the 50 mile tour. It is right up to the normal level about halfway up the top tank. So the leaks are fixed and it is running better than ever.
Norm

We arrived early for the 45th annual Texas T Party. Starts tomorrow-Saturday but 90 Model Ts have arrived for a ‘hub tour’ from Halletsville, TX.

Drug it out of its tent for a long hauling. East bound and down. Loaded up and trucking. Out of Washington. South Dakota here we come. Hopefully have time to start the real work on it. It's been two months since retirement and nary a spare moment for anything other than prep for the move.

I love September with a Model T. It begins with Old Car Festival where this year I “renewed my vows” … …and ends with the Model T Birthday Party at the Piquette Plant. The birthday party is a great opportunity to share the Model T with others.
To see more pics from the Model T Birthday Party click the link below.
https://www.freep.com/picture-gallery/n ... 116834001/

Yesterday my Model T buddy, Tom, came over and we did an in car magneto recharge. And it worked! My car now has a working magneto.

Not "Ts" but a nice lineup the day before the Old Car Festival at Piquette.