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| | | | Joined: Jan 2019 Posts: 123 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2019 Posts: 123 | working on a 54 chevy pu with 235 engine. supposedly had been converted to 12 volts prior to my purchase. Have installed a new wiring harness for generator. Have it up and running and battery runs down. i have a suspicion the generator was not changed to 12 volt. Most of the bulbs were removed wheni purchased the truck. Changed all bulbs and they all seem to be as bright as they should be but they are coming off of the battery
Trying to decide if i want to stay iwth a 12 volt generator or switch to alternator.
i get all kinds of comments about changing.
1. one wire vs three wire.
2. ammeter will not work
3. you can add wiring to make the ammeter work
4. must change the bracket, no big deal there is one available or i can fabricate one.
5. wiring is easy vs wiring is very confusing
well i decided to come to the experts to see what your opinions are.
Any suggestions or help is appreciated.
Changed my Model A to one wire alternator and it was a piece of cake.
Thanks | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,751 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,751 | Is there a label on the generator? A 12V will have a red metal tag on it, while a 6V has a black painted tag. Unless you're running a lot of high current demand accessories like an electric cooling fan, an air conditioner, and/or a high output sound system, a generator will have no trouble keeping up with the demand of keeping the battery charged and the lights working well.
What is the voltage at the battery posts (not the cable connectors) with the engine at fast idle and the high beam headlights on? It should be 13.5 volts or higher, up to about 14.5, depending on the state of charge of the battery.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 Sir Searchalot | | Sir Searchalot Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 | working on a 54 chevy pu with 235 engine. supposedly had been converted to 12 volts prior to my purchase. Have installed a new wiring harness for generator. Have it up and running and battery runs down. i have a suspicion the generator was not changed to 12 volt. Most of the bulbs were removed wheni purchased the truck. Changed all bulbs and they all seem to be as bright as they should be but they are coming off of the battery
Trying to decide if i want to stay iwth a 12 volt generator or switch to alternator.
i get all kinds of comments about changing.
1. one wire vs three wire. Three
2. ammeter will not work. Yes it will
3. you can add wiring to make the ammeter work
4. must change the bracket, no big deal there is one available or i can fabricate one. Yes
5. wiring is easy vs wiring is very confusing. If you have installed the new harness, that question should be answered
well i decided to come to the experts to see what your opinions are.
Any suggestions or help is appreciated.
Changed my Model A to one wire alternator and it was a piece of cake.
Thanks If you are up to it, I recommend 12V conversion and 3 Wire Alternator. If you installed a whole new harness, you are up to it. The new harness is mostly usable. Is this a new "whole truck" harness with a generator flavor or just the a generator harness? If a whole truck harness, post the vendor and the part number of harness.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2019 Posts: 123 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2019 Posts: 123 | I'll have to check the generator for red or black tag. i don't remember seeing a tag.
The alternator i put on the Model A was a one wire. i now find out that it only provide the basic energy to keep the battery charged.
if i find the generator is not working i will probably go the alternator (three wire) route.
The harness i put on was a whole truck harness with generator flavor. It was purchased fro Bowtie Bits. The p/n is AD-535-WHG which is a Bowtie Bits p/n. On the bottom of the last page of instructions is "Chevy Duty, Inc" which i think is the manufacturer.
I appreciate both of you for helping. '
Thanks | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,751 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,751 | An alternator conversion seems to be a cop-out for people who lack the initiative or the skills to keep a DC generator functioning properly. If there's some reason you need more than 25-30 amps of constant current to keep the electrical demand met, by all means go for an "upgrade" but in the vast majority of situations, it's simply not necessary.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 Sir Searchalot | | Sir Searchalot Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 | I invite you to the 21st century. News flash: Many Many many folks want indoor plumbing. Not everybody wants a treadle sewing machine. They don't care to hand crank a truck motor and they sure don't care how to keep an old generator working and it's voltage regulator and the wiring and ammeter hooked up. Those who do care should let others get into the new millennium a little and have some reliability and some simple wiring for their trucks. Maybe some rubber tires and some A/C too. We don't care how that old crap works. Don't want to learn that skill, the new crap works better, is 12V..and is a WAY simpler system, way easier to wire up and WAY cheaper to buy. It's just an alternator with a built-in solid state transistorized voltage regulator and a diode rectifier. It takes only two wires, or even just one wire. No brushes, no contacts, no points, no air gaps, no adjustment. It's not a cop out, It is common sense.
If a person wants to maintain circa accuracy at all cost, then they are entitled to that as well.
Updating and conversion is a popular topic on Stovebolt and should not be badmouthed.
Last edited by bartamos; 07/25/2020 6:06 AM.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 | I have never found converting to an alternator daunting. How does a generator feed current to the battery---through the BAT terminal on the voltage regulator. A wire from the output post on the alternator to the BAT wire will guess what---feed current to the battery. Everything will work just like factory and the amp gauge won't know if it's a generator, alternator, or a gerbil on a treadmill.
Evan
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