Im running a 60' ford generator on my small block 283, and my question is how many RPM can a generator handle? I occasionally run my car up 6200 rpm, and im just curios how it affects my generator. I used the 60 ford cause it has roller bearings.
My friend used to explode generators on his '55 Chevy in the late 60's, Delco's couldn't take much above 7500. Windings would go. Corvette large diameter pulleys helped somewhat. They would last longer, but then charging output was lower. Finally went to a alternator, end of problems. I have not had any experience with a high revving Ford generator,but the forces would be the same. Unless Ford had some type of restraint on the windings at the commutator end. That is where the failure would occur, windings would separate at the commutator. One fix we used to do when we built DC motors for slot cars was to coat the armature windings with epoxy,and then sand down smooth. Possibly a few turns of twine or fishing line under the epoxy to reinforce the windings also. Some guys used string when winding motors for additional strength IIRC. Possibly this would be a solution, but a alternator would be at least in my opinion a better way to go.
I remember when the alternators first came out to replace generators.The racers said that it would wind higher than a generator without causing problems.I have never done it but that leads me to think that yes,you can spin them too fast.
You can also throw the segments out of the commutator and take out the brushes and pretty much destroy the whole generator. Don't ask me how I know. Larry T
I've had the experience of losing generators (a 292 chevy, -bored .060 283, with solids, etc.) ANYTIME the thing would rev over about 5 grand. Not to be nasty, but the bearings won't matter, it'll sling the guts out of the armature. You know the solution, new bracket and new alternator. cooger
Shouldnt be too hard if you know a decent machinest to cut some new pulley's up, all the ones in question are pretty flat anyway, but like he said, low rpms, might cause some charging problems
Generators can "throw solder" when overspun, and it shorts them out. Larger diameter pulleys slow the generator speed down. Butch/56sedandelivery.
FLASH...YEA the contact brushe's are the problem, they get very hot at very HIGH r.p.m. man come in from the dark side and buy an alternater. GEEZ! i'am not asking you to buy a HONDA! HA!...POP.
If any one besides your mom is driving the car ditch the generator now and save trouble on the road,been there and done that.Real recent w/ a 60 corvette.
Anouther Q, if you put in a magneto, will that make it so you can underdrive your generator and still produce enough electricity for accesories because your motor doesnt need it for the points? Ofcourse you'd have your inherent magneto problems then, like low spark at idle
One of the characteristics of the generator is the no charge at idle, it's not spinning fast enough. Above idle, say 1000 engine rpm (very approximate) it starts to charge. So if you do the larger gen pulley to slow it down now it will take higher engine rpm to get up enough to start to charge. You don't need to make a lot of amps for any hot rod. I'd bet that 10 amps will run lights and ignition. Ignition is only like a 3 amp draw. So a mag will only save you that. The main thing you want the gen to do is put back what you take out when you start the engine. It does that in the first few minutes of running. I used to run Delco's with stock armatures to 6500 engine rpm and never had a failure. But I would be afraid 50 years later that with the Ford or a Delco you would not have a factory armature after all these years. Aftermarket rewinds were generally not up to the standards of the factory ones.
Apparently, the engineers at Ford thought so. When the high-performance 289 came out in the spring of '63, one of the differences between them and the low-performance models was a larger generator pulley on the hi-po to slow the generator down.
well, i got it charging again, and took off down the highway. Well, i got to my destination, and turned it off. Tried starting it again, and batter was too low to turn over the motor. Thats when i noticed the scorch marks on the generator. Turns out it shorted out, and lit on fire. Time for an Alternator
actually thats wrong. if your generator is working properly you can start the car let it idle, and completely UNHOOK the battery, and the car will run off the generator. try it if you think im lying.
Your Gen caught fire? You aren't using one of my old ones from the Merc are you? I don't think the shop ghost likes generators. That another dead one to add to the pile.
Isn't someone selling alternators built in a generator outer case? Get the looks and the performance.
Johhny Bondo says"actually thats wrong. if your generator is working properly you can start the car let it idle, and completely UNHOOK the battery, and the car will run off the generator. try it if you think im lying." Not exactly.....A generator does not produce enough voltage to charge a battery at idle,but enough to fire the ignition.Otherwords the generator voltage must be higher than battery voltage for charging to occur.That's what the relay is for in the voltage regulator,to disconnect the generator from the circuit so it won't discharge the battery at idle.
The pulley ratios get the generator spinning about 2-1/2 times the crankshaft speed? I heard guys say that a hi reving SBC can straighten out the cooling fins on the generator.
it will also turn the gen on when the charge is needed. doesnt have to be much just enough to keep it from going under voltage.
I don't know at what RPM an alternator will come apart, but the motor in my '55 pickup has a 6500 RPM rev limiter that has been used many times, and the alternator still works fine. K
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