Generator still not charging

Anyway I put the generator back on the tractor and start it up, and get no charge. I am hooking up my multimeter to the generator and get nothing and my ammeter is also showing nothing. I've taken this one apart and installed 3 brand new brushes, checked the wiring, cleaned the field coils and commutator. I've check continuity inside at as many places as I can think of. I tried to set polarity by momentarily arching the BAT and ARM terminals on the voltage regulator with screwdriver.

If the generator will motor, why will it not charge???? Any more ideas?? What else is left that I have not done or thought of?
Thanks,
Scott

Bettcha yer new voltage regulator is NOT CORRECT for yer genny. Bettcha yer voltage regulator is for "Type-B" genny circuit and you need the "Type-A" voltage regulator. The 8N-10505-C is type-A regulator. Type-B circuit is more common regulator but is WRONG for 3-wire 3rd-brush 8N genny..... ...Dell

Thanks,
Scott

Start tractor up. use a gator clip jumper wire and connect from armature to the battery connection on the VR

What does your ammeter on the tractor show. If it shows charge, adjust the 3rd brush up and see if you get more charge.

Now.. if this is an A circuit genny, you can ground the field tab and get a moment of super hi charge.. check that

If this works.. but doesn't with the vr.. I'd say you got the wrong vr.. or a bad one.

I've never had one of the 3rd brush units that also had the posts on the case in my hands to play with..

Soundguy

I"m confused - if you disconnect all wires from the generator, how is adjusting the third brush going to give you an increase in charge on the ammeter?
I can jump the arm and battery connections on the vr and get a spark but I didn"t have the tractor running when I did that.
Respectfully,
Scott

Soundguy

"Start tractor up. use a gator clip jumper wire and connect from armature to the battery connection on the VR" There is a arm and battery connection ON THE VR it sounded like you meant to jump those two. No where did you say from the generator to the voltage regulator..See how I"d think that now? I knew you would..LOL thanks for the advice.

Hmm... For future reference.. if punctuation marks are gonna bother you ..... perhaps you may want to skip my messages.

Soundguy

Are you sure that generator has the three posts? Arm. Fld and Grd? Is one small post insulated from the generator housing?

Zane

Maybe I should ask the question this way: If the generator will motor on the bench, does that test in itself confirm that the generator is good? Does it indicate that my problem is somewhere else either in the wiring or the voltage regulator?
Thanks,
Scott

Still nobody has told me how a three brush generator can be used with a voltage regulator???? I'm sure it must be original but it doesn't make sence to be since the three brush generators do not normally use a voltage regulator.

Zane

You have a "A" type Generator but/and your regulator must also be "A" type. (That is the regulator field must provide a ground). The "B" type Regulator provides voltage.

Try to Motor on bench including the Regulator's field & Ground circuit. Do NOT connect the battery to the BATT or Armature terminal of the Regulator. Connect as you did, direct to the Generator Armature Terminal. (When you motor the Gen it will be "polarized", so get it right)

BTW if the regulator is a "B" type you will damage it if you ground the regulator Field Terminal. The "B" type regulator field terminal is Armature voltage

Hope this Helps,

My 6v, positive ground Chevy (undesirable) 1 wire, alternator has served me very well for over 20 years. (I keep my tractor out of the rain)

But I'm trying to test the output of the genny right at the genny, and nothing is coming out. Shouldn't it put out charge at the ARM terminal? If you touch one of your multimeter leads to GROUND, and the other to the ARM termmal AT the generator, should you not get +?amps charge?

I will try this one more time.... You have a class B regulator! IF you had the "right" regulator, which is class A, NO DAMAGE would happen when you cross wired the field & Ground.(it would just full field the GEn, MAX OutPut)

It is only on a Class B Regulator that you MUST
be careful with grounds...

3-wire N-Ford genny theory 101. The genny output is regulated by a "vibrating" grounding contact INSIDE the squarecan voltage regulator to the FIELD genny barrel terminal. Longer the grounding contact, more charge output (ARM), the faster the vibs, less time to charge. (lower amps)

You want to check yer genny output? FULL-FIELD it by externally grounding the genny's 2-barrel terminals together with a jumper. Remember, one of the barrel termininals is GROUND already, the FIELD terminal is the insulated barrel terminal.

NOW WATCH YER AMP-METER for FULL CHARGE (about 11-amps) Yer genny backplate BATT terminal should read about 7-1/2 volts at the same time. Iff'n you don't gitt them readings, re-check yer wiring..... ...Dell

...but from your description quoted above I think you may be trying to measure current by connecting the meter in parallel.

Remember, an ammeter goes in series, a voltmeter in parallel.

Also remember, your ammeter on the dashboard can tell you if your generator/voltage regulator are working properly. It is all the meter you need to know the system is working properly; but it helps to have an external meter when one is trying to find a problem.

If the ammeter shows a ten-amp or so charge when the motor first fires, and if this drops to near zero after several minutes running, in all odds the system is working properly.

You can test your voltage regulator further by turning on your lights. You should see the meter jump back up to an approximate ten amp charge. Turn off the lights, and the meter should go back to near zero after a few seconds or so.

Keep us posted!