| 39Fordfan | -- 08-22-2014 @ 7:43 PM |
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Hi there, I've got a '39 Deluxe with a Charging system issue. I replaced the battery last year, the Voltage Regulator, and now the Generator. I bought the VR and Gen at Little Dearborn and have never had any issues with the quality of the stuff I've gotten from them. Unfortunately , the car STILL doesn't charge properly. It will run great as long as you don't use the lights and keep it at highway speed. If you wind up waiting at a traffic signal you can see the dash needle start to dip and the engine starts to run rough. If you turn the lights on, the needle on the dash meter drops way below "N" and the engine runs really bad soon after. I'm not going to assume that the Gen and VR are perfect. But if there is nothing wrong with them, what do you think is going on here?
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| cliftford | -- 08-22-2014 @ 8:04 PM |
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Here are some posibilities : belt slipping, belt is sometimes hard to adjust, Gen or reg not grounded, gen not polarized, bad electrical connection, or the charging rate is set too low. This message was edited by cliftford on 8-22-14 @ 8:07 PM
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| 39Fordfan | -- 08-22-2014 @ 8:39 PM |
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@ Cliftford. Thank-you for your reply. I put a small 2x4 block and used it to backstop a wonderbar as a pried the Gen up to tighten the belt. It seems to have done the trick as the Gen seems to be turning properly. Though I'm not sure how much a belt should deflect on these? I sanded both the Gen and VR to bare metal at their contacts and used dielectric grease to ground them both. I'm thinking they are well grounded, but I'll look again. I polarized the VR according to the instructions that came with it, both when I first installed it last week and when I installed the Gen today. I'm not sure where the bad electrical connection would be? Still waiting on the proper instructions for checking and changing the charging rate, though I was told that the new VR should have been set up correctly. Thanks!
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| 39Fordfan | -- 08-22-2014 @ 8:50 PM |
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A couple of other possibilities: The system has a slow leak in it somewhere, which discharges the battery slowly when not in use. It seems unrelated. I've had this problem since I got it back from the restorer. The Charging system worked fine for the first years during this period of this leak. Is it possible this battery I got last year is already shot? I left the ignition on one night by accident and the car has run well since then. It hasn't been tuned up since then, though I did replace the coil and condenser. Maybe this caused a short in the charging system somewhere?
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| cliftford | -- 08-23-2014 @ 7:09 AM |
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From what you described, I doubt that the battery is at fault. Find a copy of a Motor's or Chilton's manual from this era and follow the trouble shooting procedure. Or find a knowlegable person to help you. . All of this diagnosing on line, without having the car in front of you, is at best educated guesswork. One other thought, check all wires in the system for continuity,[no internal breaks] Let us know how you come out.
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| supereal | -- 08-23-2014 @ 11:26 AM |
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Check the system voltage by placing a voltmeter between the BATT terminal of the regulator and ground. With the engine running at a high idle speed, you should see a reading of 7 to 7.5 volts. If not, connect the voltmeter between the positive (ground) battery post, and the frame of he generator. If the reading is more than .1 volt, clean and tighten the ground straps between the engine and the battery. and clean and tighten the generator mount. Be sure that the battery cables are correct for 6 volts, and that the cable ends are clean and tight. If the output is still low, put a jumper between the generator ARM and FIELD posts to see if the output increases. If so, the regulator is at fault. To check for parasitic system drain, remove the negative battery cable and place a 6 volt bulb or voltmeter between the cable and the battery post. If the bulb shows any light, or the voltmeter shows any reading, you will have to isolate the "leak" by disconnecting system connections until the bulb goes out or the meter goes to zero. Don't attempt to adjust the regulator. This must be done with an appropriate tester. Only the cutout points remain closed when the engine is running, The other two actually vibrate. Substituting charging system components isn't always a good practice, as even new parts may be defective.
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| TomO | -- 08-24-2014 @ 8:58 AM |
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In addition to Supereals excellant advice, clean off the dielectric grease you used. Dielectric grease is an insulator and will prevent your voltage regulator from working properly. I like to clean the paint off of a small area where the regulator mounting tab is and tin it to keep it from rusting, to give a good ground to the regulator. If you have the mounting cushions on your regulator, make sure that you have a ground strap between a mounting screw and the base of the regulator. Tom
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