Hey, you guys are good.
Malcolm, you're using all the same words Brian (the local guru) was using,
and I promptly filtered out.
He actually has a bench mounted test jig he built so the alt isn't in the
car. I'm not exactly sure how he's got the IGN connection wired as I wasn't
there when he tested it.
But to throw some more info at you, the whole reason I pulled the alt and
battery for testing in the first place (besides the < 11 volt reading on the
dash) was the little red IGN light in the tach would come on while idling and
go back out when rpms went above 2000 or so. The headlights would also
brighten above that 2000 rpm mark so I think the alt worked, although
marginally, at that point. When he opened the case, he found the brushes
were non-existent, ie the srpings were actually making the armature contacts.
Since the new bearings and brushes, he says that once it gets going by
bootstrapping it, it's a real powerhouse and I'm sure he would have checked
the regulators.
I'm almost wondering if it's just his test setup and that if I drop it back
into the '6 that it'll be fully functional. He's used to testing/rebuilding
Lucas units, do they have this same bootstrap requirement?
Malcolm Walker wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Jun 1999, Rob Christopher wrote:
>
> > Our local electrical guru here in Ottawa rebuilt my alt, new brushes,
> > new bearings, checked diodes, cleaned and shined some bolts for solid
> > connections. But now he says it won't start generating until he shorts
> > something with a screwdriver. Forgive my vagueness. He says it pumps
> > out lots of juice once it gets going, but won't start up by itself
> > without this kick in the pants shorting he has to do. Any hints as to
> > what we can do here? Just toss it?
>
> That little bit of 'kick in the pants' is actually called a bootstrap.
> (Guess why we call starting our computers 'booting')
>
> First, check to see if your red ignition light is installed, and if it
> works. On the TR4 the bootstrap voltage comes via the ignition key, thru
> the red light, to the generator (GM alternator in my case). When you turn
> the key to "run", with the engine off, the red light glows- this is
> actually supplying voltage to the field windings in the alternator-
> without this voltage, your alternator is nothing but a bunch of copper
> wires being flung around inside another bunch of copper wires.
>
> If the light is burned out you won't get "enough" to bootstrap the
> alternator. ...Does it start to charge if you rev the motor? Does it
> stop charging when RPMs drop?
>
> ...you may want to check out the voltage regluator too; my GM alt. has got
> an integral one so I have no idea how to check yours.
>
> -Malcolm
> * There is a FAQ for this list! Its new home is:
> http://www.islandnet.com/~walker05/triumph/trfaq.htm
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Rob Christopher | | | | robc@cisco.com
Hardware Engineer | .|||. .|||. | (613) 274-4075
Cisco Systems | ..:|||||||:...:|||||||:.. |
Ottawa, Ontario |---------------------------| http://www.cisco.com
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