Technical A Kid's First Project: 1957 Fairlane 500 Town Victoria.

Last night I did a couple things, i fixed my water pump bypass with some flux and solder instead of replacing the entire part (it was 15 bucks for the part, but about 25 to ship it, and i don't have anything else to buy with it at the moment to justify the shipping, I found out my coolant ratio is no where close to 50/50, (i have more water than coolant) and I can pick up stations from really, really, far away. I picked up a station from Toronto, named stardust, it was on 740 am that played romantic slow dance music, a 40s/50s country station from Tennessee in the upper band, but I couldn't find it again after i moved the dial, and a slightly more upbeat spanish station on about 1100 that I couldn't tell where it was from.

I have been reading the posts, I just don't have very many things to add is all, I figured it'd be better to listen and learn as i know about nothing about things like this.
i do have a couple questions though, how many times can a generator be turned and undercut? is there any way to add material to the commutator (such as a reverse sleeving process?).

off topic but did i mention that the beetles head gasket is blown and its still hogging the garage? i need that diff leak fixed before i could drive it to school, and with less than a month left, I don't think its happening, oh well. there's a summer of shows, cruising (and work, haha) ahead nonetheless!

i also experimented with some pictures, i'll post them when i can.

 

Smart ass answer, until it can't. Your commutator looks pretty thin so maybe once more. If the copper on the comm gets to thin it can run hot or you will lose brush tension as the brush wears, larger comm and newer longer brushes equals more spring tension. No way to add material, a new commentator would be installed when the armature is rewound. Most armatures are now made in China, not a lot of American based rewinders left anymore.

 

how many miles would you say are left? maybe i could try to score a N.O.S. armature sometime in the future.
as promised earlier,
here's my patch job,
and heres the pictures.

 

Generator Armature for 1956-64 Ford Trucks and Cars | Dennis Carpenter Ford Restorations (dennis-carpenter.com)
Link for replacement armature.
Yours should last for a while.

 

the good news, its like new inside.
the bad news, its rotten everywhere else, apparently the voltage regulator blew its fuses.


i got my generator to run like a motor for a little bit, it even worked (no generator light) then the light came back. i would fix the voltage regulator but its too thin to even try to on the back, luckily theres a NOS one on ebay for 50 bucks, free shipping.

 

first off for parts you need a hazard switch for a 1960s ford truck, one of those 4 way bullet connectors, and a bullet connector crimp box. (look for these, youre mounting it somewhere like your glove box, etc.

now for wiring, youre intercepting the wire for the brake lights under the dash, some testing can determine which is which, then you run a wire with a male crimp on either end to continue the brake light circuit without issue.

then you run another male to male wire, starting at the 4 way plug, to the empty plug for the marker lights on the fender/firewall/wherever your light junction is located.

i wrote this up on a different site earlier, going to share it here, hopefully sometime in the future i can score a hazard switch for less than ebay prices (theres no way actual value is 300 dollars), in my opinion.

 

Good news, i can reliably get it to run like a motor. i need to rewrap the harness and route it, im going to wire brush the area behind the voltage regulator on the core support.

since this harness is so low to the ground, its getting plastic loom for extra safety.

 

its dead silent when turning it by hand or with the belt, but reaally loud when running it like a motor.

 

now I really cant wait for my voltage regulator to get here, my generator is making 18.9 volts at idle before the regulator.

i didnt run it hooked up for long, as i dont know if its supposed to run with no limiter like that, but thats a very good sign, isnt it?

 

I'd say a healthy 12 volt system should run 13-14 volts with a high 13 to low to mid 14 (13.8-14.6), definitely under 15 volt. 6 Volt should acquaint to around the same in the 7-8 volt range, if I am correct. Feel free to correct me if not.

 

the generator is dumb, it just makes voltage.

the voltage regulator makes sure said generator doesnt fry everything.

 

Yes, with the regulator I'd say you should be in that range. I can't say what it would be running without. My apologies for not clarifying.

 

thank you for clarifying, hopefully a condenser and a wire brush on the connectors to clean them up, a tad bit of dielectric grease, some plastic loom, and tape it up.

 

I don't know around Columbus, but here around Dayton. We have Dayton Quality Starter. If you have trouble finding parts whether for the generators/alternators, starters, etc. They might be able to help you. They also do custom building if you're looking for higher outputs, etc.
Dayton, Ohio - Dayton Quality Starter, Home (dqstarter.com)

 

ive noticed that piece on the bumper was loose a long time ago, the threads were nearly destroyed, a new 5/8 fine thread bolt and a lock washer locked it down. the chrome on the bumper is broken in a lot of places, but thats alright.

i used a long flathead screw, 4 nuts lock washer and cone washer to lock the license plate down, and made sure it wont move.

 

i took her for a little cruise today, she drives amazingly.

 

i went for a little cruise down to my favorite picture spot.

 

I drove my car only a couple of times down the block while sorting out the clutch linkage, no plates of course. It was a tad stressful to say the least. Something I used to do with zero qualms many moons ago.

 

so, ive been having a problem with it randomly vaporlocking, and i dont understand how to fix it, maybe some heat wrapped tape?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Design-Engin...6152755&sprefix=fuel+line+heat,aps,129&sr=8-4

 

Gotta admit............one of the 'few' more-doors I would be proud to own !
Keep at it.
6sally6

 

went ahead and ordered it. hopefully it fixes my problem.

 

fairlane 500 sedans make good use of that big empty quarter on coupes, pop the door handles from the inside and the rear doors fly open automatically.

 

You sure it’s vapor lock?

 

fuel line gets ridiculously hot, so almost certain. unless my expensive fuel pump with only a dozen hours on it is failing.

 

I’m just wondering with “new” fuel and float settings based off “old fuel” , that maybe a phenolic spacer under the carburetor is needed?
I never had an issue of vapor lock with stock routed fuel lines and stock routed exhaust.

 

thats the thing, my exhaust dumps right before the trans crossmember. i also have a phenolic spacer, seems to be the original.

 

got that installed... only for it to vaporlock again... the bowl completely drains. i dont understand what could be wrong with it

 

MY 2 cents worth if the bowl drains then the car dies is either a blockage or the pump is going out. are there any filters that got clogged by something from the tank?

 

i checked earlier, no clog (sucking on fuel line is a bad idea!) i think this fancy brand new pump is failing... i will do some more diagnostics, but the time between start and done is decreasing. i used to get several hours idling. now i only get about 15 minutes absolute maximum.

if it is failing i might as well do what ive wanted for a while. i thought it would be cool to have a pump with a sediment bowl on the bottom, along with the vacuum pump still on the fuel pump, and there just so happens to be a NOS one on ebay for 50 bucks. it will definitely need rebuilt, but its better than rebuilding a chinesium one.