Hello guys, I've got a 55 ford fairlane that I'm converting from 6volt to 12volt. I read a post on this site how to do this to refresh my memory. I've got the 12volt conversion done but the problem is my generator and voltage regulator is getting very hot. The conversion is very simple to do but I guess I have messed something up. The wire I ran from the ignition side of my starter sol to the positive side of the coil, I can take that off and the problem goes away. I have a ballest resistor on the car so one wire goes to one side and my original switch wire goes to the other and the regulator wired up the sameway as the 6volt one did. Any of you guys that has done this conversion I would like for you to help me out and let me know what I did. Like I said its not a hard conversion to do but I some how am making it hard to do. Thanks for any help.
In case you don't get some help on the main board... .. you may not know about the Social Groups listed under Community at the top part of the page. They have a group for your age of Ford, and you should get some replies there. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=332
Are you aware that the 12V systems Ford used are neg. ground? Are you using a 12V gen and regulator and starter sol. ?
F&J thanks for that, I didnt know about the other boards. John Evans, Yes I knew that I was going to Neg ground and I have a 12volt regulator on the car. My generato is still 6volt though. I plan on getting it changed to 12volt. I figured it wouldnt matter for know about the 6volt generator because I was only planning on driving the car close to home to make sure everything was going to work right. Would the 6volt generator make the system get hot like that. If it would then i'll teke it off and have it change in the next day or so. The way its getting hot is just like I do have the ground wrong on the car but I dont. Everything is doing great except this problem with my generator and regulator. Thanks
There was a very good Electrical rebuild shop near here; I was trying to get info on 6-12 generators and he just gave a funny look and said "A generator is a generator". I think he was saying a 6 generator can do 12v. I almost think the amps get cut in half? Not sure on the Ohms Law stuff
gm 1 wire alternator made my 55 mainline work great for about 28 dollars ... your gonna kill all you bulbs sooner or later
In theory you could use a six volt generator that produces twice as many amps: Volts = Current * Resistance But if the generator is not designed to output the proper voltage and current, you certainly can heat up the generator and regulator. As suggested, a GM one wire is an inexpensive and easy solution. Alternatively (no pun intended), you can check out Powermaster and install a modern one wire alternator that looks like a cl***ic generator. -Stefan
I thought about getting a one wire alternator but I was wanting to try and leave the generator on there. I was told a generator wouldnt care about voltage thats why I left it alone. But if that will fix the problem I dont care tohave it changed also. My voltage regulator did click at first when I put it on but when you gave the car gas it quit. I did polverise the regulator to, I thought that might be it. I've never had a gen. or reg. get this hot before, thats why I took the ignition wire off the starter sol. and the coil. I'm really stuck here.
Most cl***ic car voltage regulators are electro-mechanical. They are designed to work within a specific tolerance range. Because you have a 12V regulator, it switches on and off based on a fixed resistance in order to maintain a fixed 12 volts. Too much current and it will immediately get hot and switch off. Frequently, there is an adjustment screw that allows you to tune the outgoing voltage, but it is within a limited range, making it impossible to compensate for nearly double the current anticipated. Again, in theory you could use a transformer to trade current for voltage, but in practice, a modern alternator is easier. It is quite possible you will fry either or both the generator or voltage regulator if you continue to test run the car as is. It may even be wise to replace the regulator again when you swap the generator or you may find yourself re-replacing a number of parts again shortly.
Transformers don't work on DC. The voltage of a generator is rpm dependent. Most can not charge at idle. The generator regulator has an over-current relay, if this welds closed, you can draw more current than both the gen or the wiring is designed to carry; this will cause them to heat. Under standard driving there should not be enough current draw to constantly over-draw the generator. If you don't have them I would suggest installing both an amp and volt gauge. If the regulator sticks, as rpm goes up you can deliver very high voltage, which will give high current; it will also burn out your' lights and coil. If the regulator stopped clicking, the contacts probably welded closed, causing an overcharge. You can rev the engine with a vom attached to the output. if it goes over 14V the regulator is out of adjustment. If it reaches 20-30v it's just bad.
Yup, that's why I said in theory. Practically speaking you need change in flux, which only comes with AC. I didn't realize that the over-current circuit could fuse closed. Yikes!
Yeah, a generator is a generator, except that I am pretty sure the difference in a 6 and 12 volt is in the windings of the field coils. I remember helping a pretty sharp old fellow change an old Ford car over, I think a 39 model when I was just a kid. We had about everything changed and I started to pull the generator, he stopped me and said just pull the through bolts, just leave the rest of it belted up. Since it was right up on top that was easy enough to do, and he said the armature was the same, handed the housing from a 12 volt generator and it bolted right up. I have always remembered that. If it didn't matter, they would not have made two different versions.
just get a 12V generator from the guys that are in love with the one wire alternators. Humor them and tell them that generators are junk. Maybe they will give it to you. 56-64 V8, 6 cyl it doesn't matter since you already have the mounting hardware. polish the commutator with 400 grit sand paper or some Scotchbrite from the grocery store and install new brushes. less than 20 bucks on Ebay. After it's installed and wired, MOMENTARILY touch a jumper wire between the armature and the battery terminals on the voltage regulator to get a spark. This is the procedure for polarizing an externally grounded generator. Other types (GM) are done differently.
I took my generator to have it checked and gone through today. I should get it back tomorrow evening. I have checked my wiring job and everything checks out good. I'm changing the regulator out also just because it was clicking bad and it might have got messed up in the process of something being wrong. They both got real hot on me. I'll get it back together and post what happens. Thanks to all of you for the info you gave me.
[ . After it's installed and wired, MOMENTARILY touch a jumper wire between the armature and the battery terminals on the voltage regulator to get a spark. This is the procedure for polarizing an externally grounded generator. Other types (GM) are done differently.[/QUOTE] WRONG !! That is the way GM systems are done. Ford you disconnect the field wire at the regulator and touch it to the bat terminal. OP : Do a search here as there are several threads that go into the correct way to poerlize the different systems
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