I am relatively new to this community. A couple of months ago, I secured a 1955 Chevy 3100 1st Series (see below) and rejoined Stovebolt. I had originally registered seven+ years ago, during a restomod of a similar '55 1st Series, but I am mostly someone who enjoys driving it and rarely turns a wrench (beyond basic maintenance). Last week, I noticed that the battery was struggling, and on Friday it died. So, I replaced the battery with a new one but checked the charge. The resting level drops quickly, and I am almost certain now that the alternator is the problem. So, I have attached an image of the alternator (see below). Does anyone know how I can get this repaired or replaced? I live in Santa Monica, CA. I am now actively searching for someone but have no expertise in this area and do not want to experiment/tinker with it. I need someone who can rebuild or sell me a replacement. Any/All feedback and suggestions are welcome. Thank you.
That is a generator, not an alternator. It is a 12 volt part according to the red label. 6 volt generators have black labels.
These guys are near Santa Monica and advertise the kind of services you are looking for. I'm not recommending them, just saying they are nearby and should fit your needs.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
Yes, you have a generator. You also have a regulator. Before replacing or rebuilding your generator, you shold do some some testing. See Jerry's post in this thread: Testing charging system
Make sure you don't have a parasitic drain running down your battery when the engine is turned off.
Charge the battery up to full 12.86v -13.0 v and don't start or drive the truck. Check the voltage the next morning 12+ hours and see what the voltage is. If it's dropping significantly when not running, you'll have to run tests to find the draw. If the battery stays at full charge for a few days of just sitting there, then look at your generator and voltage regulator.
I recently found parasitic draws on two vehicles. One had the horn circuit drawing down the battery even thoght the horns were not connected. ( the problem was the wiring inside the steering column). The other was a bad alternator discharging the battery when the engine was turned off.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
HERE's Jerry's comprehensive Tech Tip for the charging system. The service manual is also a good resource and includes info on how to adjust the voltage regulator, although that shouldn't be messed with until other troubleshooting steps are taken. If a regulator has set idle for a long time, and the battery isn't getting charged, running a business card thru the contacts will clean them up and may get it working again. Just don't tweak anything in the process.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
