What makes a generator vs an alternator less reliable? The alternator just creates a more steady voltage with higher amps. Thats about the only thing that I can see. They can both die. I have never had a car born with a generator but the cars I have had ( 60s muscle cars) have had their fair share of dieing alterators. Lots of them in the close to 40 years of building and driving them have died. The 1929 Whippet with the 1952 Desoto hemi will have a 1957 Imperial generator charging the battery. I wouldn't have it any other way.
usually what makes a generator less reliable, is like was mentioned, the regulator. It's hard to find a good original, and even harder to find a good new replacement. Also these days not many younger people understand that you have to put oil in the bearings in a generator, that's what the little flapper thing is for. If you don't, the bearings will go out.
I don't see why a Pertronix hidden under the cap is a problem? It just eliminates the maintanance. Now a generator vs alternator is equal in maintanance but looks are what kill the decission in my eyes. I will side with pertronix and generator every day of the week. Carry a set of points in your car just in case the pertonix goes out which should not ever happen. I have a box of dead alternators , maybe 20 or so. Bearings, diodes, brushes all wear and die.
Going with the newest tech on an old car, turns it into a street rod. Nothing wrong with that. This is not what the traditional rodder is after, though. Why on earth would anyone "want" to have a flathead Ford roadster with a 3 speed with no first gear syncro? I'd bet those people are not "just a poser", because you could easily hide a 5 speed..sort of...and it would make the car more modern-traffic friendly. You either get this whole thing as a lifestyle, or not. I don't get golf, but millions do.
There will never be a right answer. My 1939 Ford with SBC has a generator and I like the way it looks. Don't exactly like the way it charges. But it came that way and it works. Just a basic "stock" 39 Ford coupe with the basic "stock" electrical loads. My other junk runs alternators because they actually look right on the SBC's under the hoods. Fancy lghts, AC, modern heaters, stereo, all love higher amps and an alternator is like a young French whore---it really puts out! Just today, here on the HAMB, I saw several Fords with great lookin flathead engines all dolled up. Each with a modern GM alternator. Kinda a turn off. Like a good lookin gal with large hooters and a hairy chest. Fun to look at and play with. But a bit of a turn off! Don't ask why my car analogies are always about wimmin. Bad upbringin I guess!
While there are many exceptions, what looks right to us is frequently based on what we are accustomed to seeing or expecting to see. That's not a criticism, just an observation.
Had to chuckle over this one. I started doing this stuff in Southern California in the mid '50's where we built hotrods in High School shop class. And, I've been building cars ever since. Now in 2012 I'm told that I don't understand the "traditional" thing.
Nope, you are not understanding what I mean. If you did the Flathead with LaSalle in the 50s, but now you want a modern rod, that's fine. This board is not about doing modern things. It's about celebrating the past ways. On a traditional board, we should be allowed to be "stuck in the past", and not have to defend the old ways, or old systems.
I am running Generator in my 62 Impala and a HEI some say you cant do it but what do I know.KIt works for me
I was part of the hotrod world that did things "the past ways". So, I think I know the philosophy and the tradition. One thing that definitely isn't traditional is someone deciding what's acceptable on someone else's car. As I've already mentioned, I have great respect for those who choose to keep a car original and I understand those who build cars in honor of the hotrods of the '50's and '60's. But, I don't understand a definition of "traditional" that makes some modern components just fine, but other modern components bad. If you really want to build hotrods like we had in the day, that's great. But, remember that would require no components and no processes that came along later, not just alternators. I do appreciate someone on the thread defining "street rod". I've been under the impression that they were pretty much the same as hotrods, but with modern conveniences and lots of billet. I had no idea that it was the presense of an alternator that defined them.
Come on Max, you are twisting things around a bit. I agree with this 100%: " But, I don't understand a definition of "traditional" that makes some modern components just fine, but other modern components bad." I used a poor choice of words when I used the "don't get it". What I was trying to get across, is how some of us feel about how the car "feels", not only the look of the pieces. If a person does not understand what we are thinking as we feel a top shift click into gear, or hear the straight cut first gear whine when you spin a tire...that's what I meant about not getting it. Having just an alternator does not make a street rod, but I've never seen a person stop right there as far as changing a few more things
Do your own thing man. but sorry your argument is flawed as far as the mission statement of this message board is concerned. If we were all to abide by your sentiment we would be driving around in gen Vll powered boydsters. Or better yet hopped up prius's. "The HAMB is dedicated to spreading the gospel of traditional hot rods and kustoms to hoodlums world wide. Thats right TRADITIONAL. And we arent talking Beach Boys and poodle skirts here fellas. If you are into a-side 50s pop, lawn chairs, ruler contests, and all things that make hot rodding warm and cozy then you might want to find another message board. If you arent sure what we mean by traditional, then you might think twice as well." Ryan.
Sorry,Let me clarify.I don't think there is anything wrong with a hidden electronic ignition. The point I was trying to make was that there is also nothing wrong with points ether if you know a tiny bit about how they work. Also sorry once again for getting all off topic with points, but seriously I just don't understnd how someone can spend 100,000 hrs. building a car then be all "f@&* there's no way I can spend 20 min. Once a year to clean and gap some f* ing points, that's crazy!" I'm not trying to be a dick but I just don't see the reason for all the "modern reliability" stuff dudes put on there cars when the old stuff is totally capable if they just gave it a little love and the chance to prove it's self.
That's especially true in the light of the sort of craftsmanship we see here. Those old regulators are simple electromechanical devices: their reliability depends largely on how well they are made. We could probably fill a room with guys on the HAMB who have the skills to make a voltage regulator that'll be as trouble-free as the solid-state thingy riding on the back of an alternator. That won't make any sense for a mass-producer, but we're not mass-producers, are we?
im jumping back into this thread again, its funny to hear certain posts here saying traditional etc, however saying its ok to run a five speed and why use a 3 speed, traditionally there wasnt a five speed, 3 was pretty well it, to me its silly to say" traditional as long as u cant see it, but if u see it ur a street rodder" come on, how anal do u wanna be seriously, im running an electronic igition in my twin point mallory (looks traditional), but if i put on a hei msd dizzy or something like that makes me a street rodder, even though the rest of my car is as u say traditional, since when did the hamb become so small minded????? doesnt make sense?? theres far too much emphasis on tradition and not enough about building a decent driver, thats safe, works and runs well, and the enjoyment of what we are achieving here if your using newer parts that are proven to work and you like em then use em i say, being a sheep isnt always right
I'm very pleased that this post has had some honest discussion and so far has not deteriorated into name calling. For me it's about looks. I don't care how you charge your battery. To me, my hotrod is a piece of art. I don't install a single part and I mean a single part without asking myself will this look right. Do we run flatheads, early Olds and Cadillacs because they are more efficient? I don't think so. What's so odd about the same guy deciding that a generator just looks cool even though it's not state of the art? My local friends laugh at me when I refuse to bolt on an electric fan or an alternator. It's cheap and easy but it's not me. Yeah I bought a rebuilt alternator for my 56 at first. had it mounted and all. I felt so guilty. I wanted a generator but was having a hard time finding the brackets and a core. I feel so much better now that I kept looking and found one and restored it. Nobody will know the pride that I feel for my restored generator but I do. It just fits the picture that I am painting. An alternator is like seeing a 49 Ford in a WWII movie. It bugs the shit out of me. I'm not trying to convert anyone but if you are young and on the fence don't let the "it will break every other week" crowd scare you. As far as the regulator thing, I searched Ebay until I found an NORS Atlas unit in the box at a reasonable price. Yeah it has that great Atlas logo from the 60s when it was made. Here again, looks is as important as function.
My 51 O/T vehicle has a 6 volt system because it works.My 47 O/T vehicle has 12 volts and a GM alternator because the generator armature burned up and was an expensive replacement.I had a greasy GM alternator and 12 volt battery in stock.The "traditional" part was hand fabricating an alternator bracket . On an older vehicle with an exposed engine a generator does look nicer...
OK, so school me. I worked behind an auto parts counter in the mid 70's, before I moved to John Deere. We sold just about as many alternators every week as we did generators. I'm hoping they do better now than they did then. Second, my 47 has been converted to 12V neg. ground from 6V pos. ground. The P/O has installed halogen headlights, and I'm going to install electric wipers, because when it rains here, it really rains! That's about all I intend to add to the electrical system, aside from a new Painless loom. Do I need to worry about whether my gen will keep up with the needs? How do I know that my generator is being taxed too heavily? I'm not too worried about traditional, I sold plenty of alternators to hot rodders that wanted better charging systems, and we had this discussion almost every time. Their argument was that the alternators would put out better at low RPM's compared to the generators. I have to agree with the comment that hot rodders will gravitate to the newest, best working component for their car. Ever consider how quick the flathead died away when the OHV's started to show up?
Mike, a generator system will operate your car just fine. Once your power draw starts to creep up above 25 amps or so, an alternator starts to make more sense. Most traditional rods don't draw much power to push of over the edge into alternator territory.
If the battery has enough juice to start the car every time, then the generator is doing it's job. pretty simple test
All a generator or an alternator does is replenish the juice that comes from the storage battery. On that odd occasion when you would be idling in traffic with the head lights on and the wipers on high The battery could go down some but as soon as you pick up speed the generator will catch up and you can watch that in the ammeter. It is not an instantaneous thing. It's not catastrophic for the ammeter to show a discharge for short periods of time under a heavy load. Personally I think you will be fine. It's interesting to me for you to say that rebuild sales seemed about equal. You'd think it would be more one sided if it was such a problem.
Mike, Most of us are old enough to remember when at least one out of 10 cars passing by was a VW beetle. Up to mid 1973, all of those were generators. I have only had 2 daily drivers since spring of 2003, both generator equipped. Both points ignition. The first one had a spare tire, the present one does not On that Ford you have, if it were mine, and if I used it as a true daily, I might have used either an early alternator or a generator, which ever was handy...assuming it's a chevy motor? What I mean is, that I doubt an early alternator would look silly on a early looking sbc in that type of build.....if it was a mid 60s-type build, it might have had that.
Well said! This used to be the view shared by virtually every old school traditional hotrodder. Now, expressing this view gets one invited to find another message board.
The Jalopy Journal
