The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 6v Battery and charging

If your old Cables are not corroded within the insulation covering, not frayed or having broken wires in them, they should be just fine...just make sure the ends are clean and free of Oxide layers...and that the Cables are the right Gauge for 6 Volt. ( Sometimes one can find lighter Gauge 12 Volt Cables someone had naively put on to an old 6 Volt system, so...)

You can clean and 'Tin' the non-Battery Post end of the Cables, also, if you want.

Might be a good idea to pull the Starter and the Generator.

Carefully dis-assemble them, inspect, clean, check their Commutators ( and reduce the height of the Mica if need be, and or have them Turned if need be as well ) and check their Brushes...make sure the Brushes move freely in the Brush holders and replace the Brushes if they are too worn down and not long enough to really have good Spring tension to work well any more.

Lube their Bearings well. If they have little Oil Cups on the ends, make sure those are clear and will flow alright.

Make sure the Springs which press down on the Brushes are still good, and still 'springy'.

This is all simple and forthright stuff, and fun and satisfying to do...helps you know your Vehicle, and to make it truely yours!

You can borrow a Reamer from a Mechanic probably, if you need to correct any deformation, or get past old Oxide layers, in the "Eye" of the Battery-ends of the old Cables.

You want to have nice bright clean Lead in there...no old Oxide layers.

Generator may need to be "Polarized" also, for your charging system to work right.


And, possibly, your Voltage Regulator may need to be adjusted, once you are sure the Generator is working well.