The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Help Please. Bench Testing a 6V Generator?

I put the generator in a vise, hook up a volt meter to the "A" marked bolt connection on the generator (I'm guessin thats the Generator connection to the voltage regulator on the truck) and the other volt meter lead to Ground on the generator, and spin the generator with a drill.

Anybody done this before? If you have what voltage did your meter read?

Tia and Adios, Kip

Ok then, How do I bench test a generator?

Tia and Adios, Kip

when the local shop has done it for me they put it on a test fixture that drives it with an electric motor and has a couple meters attached ... not sure exactly what's required, but maybe you have an auto electric place around that could check it if ya ask real nice?

Bill

The most basic test is to ground the field and apply a good healthy 6v supply to the armature. If it turns like a motor then it is in working condition. I also turned mine with an electric motor and belt. With the field grounded and no load applied it produced 20 v. You don't want to hold it there very long.

Thanks Guys!

Adios, Kip

Ok Truckernix, I'm going to hook up my 6 Volt battery charger as the source for "the basic" test you described above and see what happends.

Tia and Adios, Kip

Ok I did the "basic test" and both generators I have turned good.

BUT spinning the armature with a drill as per the 2nd test you mentioned is only giving me about .25 Volts out (yes the meter is on the right scale) on both of the generators. Is the drill spinning the armature fast enough (3Amp Approx. 1200 RPM drill)?
What am I doing wrong???

Thanks Truckernix!


Adios, Kip

Kip,
did you ground the field when you did the spin test? That is really the only way it will produce anything.

Not sure if this applies here but if you turn the generator into a motor might it need repolarized to be a generator again, at least efficiently? If not, it might help anyway.....

Go back after it again sometime today. Will post later. Looks like a busy weekend.

Thanks Guys!

Kip

Ok, One of the generators gives me about 9 Volts out, the other about 1 Volt out. Doin the 2nd test Truckernix explained. I know Not to spin it too long.

Am I getting there?

Tia and Adios, Kip

I would think that a generator that will motor should produce a lot more than 9 volts when spun up, with the field connect to ground. Are these Chevy generators? Ford uses a different setup.

Yep they are Delcos.
One has the brushes build into the end cover and is really long.
The other is real short and has the brushes built into the generator housing.
They both have the little metal Delco tag.

I've been grounding the field connection. I'll try one more time.

Should I apply some sort of voltage somewhere to induce (excite) some sort of field first?


Thanks Truckernix!


Adios, Kip

Hey Truckernix, I got soccer all weekend but will try tackling the generator again in between.

Last night I did try and get better than 8/9 Volts out of the generator but no. And yes I've done Exactly what you told me With Good connections to everything. Also I searched the net till 2AM things like: "spinning AC Delco-Remy 6 Volt generators with a drill output voltage", HA! I found kind of a result a few times. But they were basically Asking the question about how it's done And what the output voltage on the meter should be, No answers though just long explainations on other tests and the motoring one. So I'm still going with your approx. 20.

And Truckernics Thank You VERY Much for helping me with this! I always knew you were a cool cookie.


Adios, Kip

Kip,
when I was playing with my generator, I decided to hook it up to a load. I hooked it up to a six volt headlight. With the grounded field and driving it with an electric motor, the headlight went brilliant white and went off like a flash bulb!

Ok I went to an Auto Electric Shop this morning with the Voltage Regulator and Generator off the truck. The guy there said he could only check them on the truck. I explained the two test I have done with the results. He told me it sounds like the Generator is good and that I am not spinning it fast enough with a drill to get 20 Volts out of it. But if it's "motoring" And I'm getting 8-9 Volts out of it with a 1200 RPM drill applied directly to the armature shaft that the generator is good.

I don't know I still need to check the Voltage Regulator. Maybe I'll put everything Back on the truck and test it from there Or try and find another guy who can test the Regulator off the truck.

On top of all this I have regular life to deal with just like everybody else.


Adios, Kip