Alternator Brushes (1 Viewer)

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Mar 27, 2003
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Ok-so I've been driving off my Optima alone with no alternator charge for a week now, (charging up at night). Had sporatic and week alternator operation since I got the cruiser in August. &nbsp:Decided I would replace the brushes and see if that helped, (already has new volt reg). I got everything apart just fine, got the new brushes soldered in just fine, and everything else back together except putting the front part of the chassis with the pulley to the back part with elec. hookups. The old brushes were smaller than the .35" haynes recommended, BUT how am I supposed to get the shaft back in with the new brushes sticking out so far? Can't keep a small screwdriver in there long enough to do it, do I need to seperate the shaft, fan and front part of chassis so I can insert shaft at an angle? Or is there some trick that I am missing? Thanks guys :bow:, sorry for so many questions, but I am desperatly trying to take care of the pesky little problems before the lift comes. :G
Bailey Q
 
It's been a while, Bailey, but if I recall correctly there is a paperclip wire-sized hole in the housing that you can use to stick in a (!) paperclip to hold in the brush for reassembly.
 
Thanks for the tip dave, I wish I had read the forum before I went outside this morning, but I went ahead and rushed outside right after I got up to get this sucker back together. I just reassembled the opposite way that I took it apart. I put the coil on the pulley side, and then put the rear part with the brushes on last so that I had room to fidget and get the brushes on. Only took me about 10 min to get it all back together and on the car. Whats really odd is that my alt. tested fine until last weekend, when it just quit charging at all unless I was going uphill. New brushes and its like a brand new alternator, those of you old SORers might remember Idave's, Ton's, and mine 40 plus post topic on our respective electrical problems, well now all mine are all gone!
Moral of the story-replace brushes and the volt. reg. (combined total of ~$30 from Napa) before you ditch your alternator or do anything else :slap:
Bailey-who finally doesn't have to charge his battery every night.
 
Bailey, Dave, I remember that 40+ post. Congratulations Bailey, solving the alternator problem (and I agree with your conclusion).

Ton
 
Hey, Ton,
Good to see you here. Where ya been?
IDave
 
I think now I'm gonna switch to a solid state reg. per the article in Tech. Maybe that will fix my hyperactive Ammeter needle :dunno:.
Good to see you around again Ton. Hows it goin in Holland?
 
Hey, Bailey,
How much is your alternator vascillating? If it has only been a few days since you replaced your brushes you might wait a month or two before getting a solid state regulator. Once the brushes wear in, the wild swings should calm down a lot.
 
I'll wait, but that needle does a lot of swinging, it just seems very irregular, I'm used to newer cars with Voltmeters that never ever move. I realize it may supposed to be this way, but when my blinkers are on its swingin back and forth like none other, and when ever I turn stuff on or engine rpm is changing, or even driving over rough ground. It has however stopped swinging as badly as it used to. My brushes got so short the alternator quit working all together, cept when I would drive uphill. :dunno: I'll wait it out a month and see how it goes. The oscillating amperage isn't going to hurt anything other than the battery right? I killed a red top in 5 months on the old brushes and old volt. reg. But this yellow top still has nearly 2 years of warranty.
 
My ammeter bounced around quite a bit after I replaced the brushes, too. That is because you have a square ended brush rubbing the curve of a cylinder. It still bounces a little with the turn signals, but only just noticable. I think that's normal.
 
Bailey, Dave, I see you both already made it to 'Ih8mud juniors'!
Didn't have much time lately for my cruiser and the forum, due to another restoration project: our barn. But that's nearly finished now. I did took some time to pull the roof rack and hard top for the first time. Driving without the top is nice! My wife also liked it and that is good for funding cruiser-restoration ...
Bailey, my ammeter bounces a little too with the turn signal or whenever switching on/off a power consumer; even with an electronic regulator. Like Dave said, that's normal. You refer to voltmeters in newer cars that never ever move. I am pretty sure, if you put in your cruisers ammeter in such a car, it would also bounce. That's because (a) voltage is more stable and (b) those voltmeters are dampened (a cruisers ammeter hardly).
Most starting-batteries are damaged by deeply discharging them several times. I guess that's what happened with your red top. I don't think the oscillating amperage will hurt the battery.

Ton
 

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