On Mon, 20 Jul 1998, Kinderlehrer's wrote:
> Actually, it would dim if I got the revs up high enough, which led me to
> believe it was more than a loose wire. The ammeter seemed to stay pretty
> much neutral the whole time, not charging and discharging only with turn
> signals.
That sounds like brushes to me. Check them first.
If it is the brushes, check the comm (on the generator) for pitting. If
it looks nasty, take the chance to upgrade to an alternator (if you need
it) or get a generator with a big fat warranty ;-)
> Assuming it is the generator, should I throw in some new brushes or convert
> to an alternator? Can I convert with a straight bolt on without having to
> fabricate any new parts? I remember some posts on the subject referring to
> a machine shop.
If converting to a GM alternator, you need to bypass the regulator (it's
built into the GM unit), grind a knob off the alternator casing, and swap
the pulleys.
ISTR that the gen. pulley is too big for an alternator (mine is, anyway)-
and it seems that bolt-on pulleys are not easy things to find. A machine
shop can whip one up for you, but at what cost?
Anyone know of a GM car that uses a 1/2" belt instead of a 3/8 one?
The bigger pulley causes the alternator to spin slower than it should-
which means you have to 'blip' the throttle to get the light to go out.
And the light will sometimes pop back on if the revs drop low enough. (In
my case it may have been because I was using a puny battery)
-Malcolm
|