6v gen adjustment

tigermoth

Hello, my '35 Tplane center brush is adjusted to the lowest voltage position. It still puts out 13.8v any suggestions? Thank you. Regards, tom

Geoff

What current is it putting out?  Are you still on 6 volts?  

tigermoth

Geoff, I did not measure amps...just the voltage across the battery posts when running at idle with lights on and off. Fully charged, new battery. Regards, tom

Geoff

If you have 13.8 volts your bulbs would blow.   And at idle the generator would not be  charging, so  that voltage reading seems erroneous unless you have a 12 volt battery.   You need to check the  amperage reading by lifting the  wire off the  A terminal and inserting an ammeter between it and the lead.  

tigermoth

Geoff, the voltage reading is correct..and you are correct..if I leave the lights on more than a moment or two I will be replacing bulbs...but they will be BRIGHT...haha. Regards, tom

ken1962

Hi tom, may I suggest you confirm that you are using the correct size pulley - a larger pulley would run the generator slower - also confirm if you have a regulator or cutout? I'm thinking you may have a faulty component -or it's not the correct matching item to the generator - many cutouts were replaced with regulators when radios were added later by owners - I'd suggest the cheaper option is to pay a trip to an auto electrician if you cannot get a member to loan you a part to swap out and act as a control - my strong feeling it's the regulator - how old is your current item? They don't age well - extreme heat - cold - dust etc all come into play - they aren't really set and forget item like electrical objects these days - love to know what the final outcome is. Cheers ken

Trevor J

Hi Tom.

I had a similar problem recently on my 37 Nash.  I cured it with a new regulator.  If fitting a new regulator don't forget to polarize it before starting the car.

Trevor NZ

tigermoth

I thought the three brush generators only had voltage cutouts as the third brush regulated the voltage. Obviously I will have to brush up on my circuitry knowledge. Thank you. Regards, tom

35 Terraplane

Hello Everyone,
I see in the Mech. Procedure Manual that the charging rate for the 35 Terraplane Special with the single wire generator and cutout relay setup is 17 Amps cold & 13 Amps hot while all the other models with the two wire generators and the voltage regulator setup is 22 Amps cold & 17 Amps hot.  All models list the generators as being third brush type. 
The question I have is should the generators of either type have the third brush set to the above output amps at the RPM equal to say 30 MPH so you know your charging the battery at that speed?
Tom, I know this doesn't directly help with the issue your having but I was thinking if you did check the output Amps it may help move toward an answer.
Tom

Geoff

Tom, there is only one way you can get 13.8 volt reading, and that is if your new battery is a 12 volt one.  Or there could be another answer, you have the engine running with the  negative cable disconnected from the battery. If this was the scenario, there is nothing to  regulate the voltage of the generator and it will go way up.

Geoff 

tigermoth

Definitely a 6 volt battery..reads 6v with engine off..new battery..cables connected. I have been a licensed mechanic for 40 years now..only worked on old stuff since I was a kid..tractors then. I have had the '35 for a dozen years..overhauled engine, transmission, rearend, etc. none of which makes me an expert..but I know a 6vfrom a 12v battery

tigermoth

I will recheck all my connections external to the generator. Regards, tom

Per

Tom,

     Try putting your third brush at a middle setting.

Per

Park_W

Pull it apart and check closely for a bare spot in the insulation on the brush wiring, allowing any of the wires to contact the generator housing.

Geoff

More questions. Does your car have a cut-out or voltage regulator?   Is the Field terminal on the generator grounded through a metal cap over it?  is ti a Terraplane special? or De-luxe?