Alternator finally producing.
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:27 am
Just want to share what I have went through with the alternator on a Z. I had little output when I started so by the book checks I found the rotor failed at .6 OHMs and I got 2.8m OHMs with the stator to ground so I called Rick's and sent everything to them and bought a regulator. Put everything together with new brushes bearings and seals but I still couldn't get enough volts. Tore the alt down to find odd skid marks on the new slip rings. Got my dial indicator out and got .033 wobble with the plate, that looked terrible, how can the brushes have contact with that plate acting like a roller coaster I thought. Got another rotor from Rick's, interesting they acted like that .010 isn't a lot. Put things together with a test ride and up come the volts.
All good for a hundred miles or so then I see the volt gauge acting lazy, I think all must be well, battery must be charged. Then at a idle I hit the horn and get no beep. I know now that means the Volts are low in the system as the battery check shown 12.1 volts when I got home, still started ok.
Went back into where I figured the problem might be, the brushes\slip rings. The slip rings looked like, when I used my 40 power eye piece, a Nascar track. Little smears all around so I got the slip rings shinny and clean.
Then I checked the Volts that comes to the regulator by way of the black wire. Black wires gets power when the key is turned to run. Those black wires have a lot to do, lights, ignition and yes charging. Found with the black wires there was two volts less than at the battery. I have got to believe that the regulator uses the volts it sees with the black wire to well regulate.
I rigged up a relay with battery voltage close by and ran a wire from the new relay to the regulator with battery voltage now for the regulator to see.Went for a test ride with my Fluke meter in the glove box so I could watch close. It seems to be charging properly now, time will tell but the numbers are strong. When I pull the tank I will hook up the Dyna ignition to the new relay to give the black wires even more of a break and improve ignition. I think I got it!
All good for a hundred miles or so then I see the volt gauge acting lazy, I think all must be well, battery must be charged. Then at a idle I hit the horn and get no beep. I know now that means the Volts are low in the system as the battery check shown 12.1 volts when I got home, still started ok.
Went back into where I figured the problem might be, the brushes\slip rings. The slip rings looked like, when I used my 40 power eye piece, a Nascar track. Little smears all around so I got the slip rings shinny and clean.
Then I checked the Volts that comes to the regulator by way of the black wire. Black wires gets power when the key is turned to run. Those black wires have a lot to do, lights, ignition and yes charging. Found with the black wires there was two volts less than at the battery. I have got to believe that the regulator uses the volts it sees with the black wire to well regulate.
I rigged up a relay with battery voltage close by and ran a wire from the new relay to the regulator with battery voltage now for the regulator to see.Went for a test ride with my Fluke meter in the glove box so I could watch close. It seems to be charging properly now, time will tell but the numbers are strong. When I pull the tank I will hook up the Dyna ignition to the new relay to give the black wires even more of a break and improve ignition. I think I got it!