The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Best place to get generator rebuild kit from??

After finding out last week that the generator is the culprit in my dying battery problem (not the starter, regulator or the battery, which I've already seen to), I've checked around the local area and am not finding anyone who rebuilds generators, so I'm seriously considering doing it myself. Where can I find a GOOD parts supplier with the kit with all (or most) of the parts that are most likely to wear out. One of my buddies down at NAPA said this could be as simple as brushes, and that they have a place down in Cape Girardeau, MO that will rebuild them for around $120. I could also send it to Classicparts out in KC, but due to the fact that this is my daily driver, sending it somewhere out of town and probably being without it for a week or more, I'd feel better if I could just get the parts and either find someone that knows these generators, or tear into it myself (with the help of this forum and youtube). So, where can I get good quality parts for this job? Thanks in advance for any suggestions on this. Lee

PM sent to you Lee.
Ken

You could try Hal at Classic Preservation
http://www.classicpreservation.com
I bought a fuel pump kit for my 57 Olds from him and all was good.

Mark

showme,

If I were you you, I'd look into using an alternator. As I remember, you're already using a 12V system and the Delco alternators are very reasonable and reliable. You can probably get one with an internal voltage regulator for less than $75.00.

Check this info out at madelectrical.com . I have a 10 SI and it works great! Check your FLAPS, I'm sure they can get you set up.

Good luck,

Thanks, everybody. I'm going to get in touch with Ken, since I'm familiar with his site after looking some thing up. I'm not really interested in switching my system over to an alternator. I've had my share of problems with them, and the ever present knowledge that they will go out at the worst times and will need rebuilt/bought, too. This truck has made it 64 years with a generator, so I believe I'll stick with what it has.

Just an update- I bought a gen rebuild kit from Ken at Classic Generators down in Midlothian, TX. His site is pretty informative and looks professional, and he's a nice typer (Haven't talked to him on the phone yet). Got my kit last week, but after I opened up the generator, I found that one of the tension arms and a brush were no where to be found, and the spring that held them was busted and laying in the case. Unfortunately, I guess not many people need that arm, and when I talked to Ken, he said the new part supplier makes them too long, so he doesn't include them. I'm waiting for the arm now, then will get to rebuilding it. Although I haven't been driving at night so the lights don't drain the battery, my day driving has caused me to come out to a dead batt more than once, just from brake and signal lights and forgetting to not turn on the radio. So, after pulling the starter (twice!), exchanging the battery, pulling the generator once, so far, and troubleshooting the regulator, looks like I'm on my way to becoming a rebuilder of electrical motors. Sometimes I wonder if I should have waited till I was an old, worn out guy to learn this stuff!

One of the brush arms was missing? I cant imagine the generator would make any electricity. If you describe the generator and/or attach an image of the arm, I bet someone here has a spare.

Thanks, Paul, but Ken is sending me a couple of the originals as we speak. And, no, it's not generating any. It's been about a month since I started this chase. First, I thought it was the starter or my ammeter (key switch) to ballast resistor wire, which I replaced last spring. Then I went to the voltage regulator and battery. Finally pinpointed the genny, ordered the rebuild kit and when I got it out, the arm and brush were out the back of the case and down the road somewhere. Ken told me that he didn't usually include the arms due to the newer ones are fabbed a little off. When he found out mine was missing one, he mailed me two originals, which are on the way. I think I've pulled and replaced more parts more times on this troubleshoot than almost anything I've ever done! (Sometimes 2 or 3 times).

There is a simple test to see if the battery is being drained at night with the truck off. Disconnect the positive battery cable and connect a simple test light between the cable and battery post. If the test light lights up then there is a drain/short somewhere which is causing the battery to slowly die.

If your test light lights up you can expand the search by going to the fuse panel. Reconnect the battery cable to the battery and removing ALL of the fuses (make sure you mark them to get them back in the right place). Once they are removed clip your test light to a known barrery hot and start touching the fuse clips with the test probe point. If it lights up you found the circuit that is draining the battery.

Hope this helps,

Mike B

My "go to" place for oddball or obsolete electrical parts is Todd's Auto Parts in Nashville Tennessee. They have been in business since the early 1950's and they have an electrical rebuilding shop with a huge inventory of NOS parts. The Cumberland river flooded their shop a few years back, and I don't know if any of the inventory got damaged, but at one time they were the place to call in the southeastern USA for older electrical parts.
Jerry

Mike- thanks for that info, I can always use every trick that anyone can give me. That said, after I made sure the battery was good (brand new), it's gone dead a few times, but it takes almost 2 weeks each time, and I bring it inside and hook it up to the charger for the night to get it back to full charge. Hate to have to do that, since these type batteries aren't like deep cycle batts and don't like discharging to zero. The '51 is my daily driver (but I'm retired, so that's not as much as most people), so it does get used. Had to chuckle when you mentioned the fuses, since there are only 2 in the box.)

Thanks, too, for the good supplier info, Jerry. I can always use another source "just in case", but Ken seems to have what I need here, and he's been good to me so far.