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Hey All I am having trouble getting the generator to charge on my 54 with original 235, gen. is converted to 12v. I could push the batt. contacts on the regulator together and they would stay closed and the ammeter would show a charge.This worked on the way to a car show last week that was a 2 hour drive, but, not on the way home.Took the gen apart ,brushes are fine , cleaned up the end of the armature with emery paper. Put it back together and back on the truck and no change. Any thoughts on where I should look next. Thanks Murray ps I did take the gen to the old fellow in town that fixes them he didn't have time to take it apart /but did test it and it is putting out a charge although he did mumble something about low output generator

When you check at the battery terminals with voltmeter, it should read more than 12v that means your generator/regualtor is working fine. Did you check how many amps you generator is pushing. Atleast 30 AMPS you need I believe.

I asked this question before and never got an answer, is there such a thing called 12V or 6V generator. I had the same problem but I switched to Alternator because I may put AC later

Ganesh

Be careful about pushing that cutout relay closed - - - - -the points can stick, and discharge the battery through the generator. That ruins both the generator and the regulator, and sometimes smokes the wiring, too. The other two sets of points, the Current regulator and Voltage regulator, are held closed by springs. Take a piece of clean card stock, like a business card, or a file card, and rub it between the spring-closed points. DO NOT file or sand any of the the points in the regulator, it makes them stick if you do. It's surprising how much dirt a little bit of rubbing will dislodge, and how much it affects the operation of the regulator.
Jerry

Edit: Yes, generators come in 6V and 12V versions. The quick way to tell, if the Delco-Remy label is still on the generator- - - -6V tag is black, 12V is red. It will also have 6 or 12 volt on the tag.
Jerry

Oh crap I should have done what Organbuilder did and disconnected the battery before cleaning the regulator points. I accidentaly pushed the batt. points together when it was not running and now the starter won't turn the engine over.Tried boosting it and still nothing. Did I just fry something by having those points touch?

Not unless they stuck, and stayed that way long enough to discharge the battery all the way. Once the points snap closed, the current flow backwards through the relay keeps them stuck together while the battery discharges. Better check to see if anything works- - - -lights, heater fan, etc. Unless you manually pulled the points apart, the battery has probably fully discharged and will have to have a slow, complete recharge, not a boost. You're going to need to recharge the battery with a long, slow charge- - - -at least overnight, maybe for a day or three, at 5 to 10 amps, maximum. Buy a hydrometer at a local parts store, and check the specific gravity. It should read 1.265 to 1.300 on all cells when the battery reaches full charge. Discharged, the gravity will be 1.100 or less, almost the same as pure water (1.000) Specific gravity rises slowly during charging, and eventually tops out around 1.265-1.300 as the cells reach full charge.

Now, about the generator and regulator- - - - -there's at least an even chance the generator is OK if you're running a 6 volt system, slim to none if it's a 12 volt. Look for cooked wiring around the brushes, or an obviously "burned" smell to the generator. If not, repolarize it, then check the cutout relay points (With the battery wire disconnected this time!) If the points aren't barbecued, clean them as well as possible, reconnect the battery wire, and hope for the best. About one in five 6-volt regulators survive a points-stuck discharge. Again, the chances of survival are slim to none on the 12 volt units. Good luck!
Jerry

The battery tests charged with my hydrometer,the regulator points look fine. I would have to think the batt. points were only closed for less than a minute. I pulled the starter off and used the booster cables to see if it would spin and nothing happens when I short across the solinoid so I'm thinking that the solinoid is the problem now.

Do you get any sort of a "click" or other response as you try the solenoid? Try connecting the jumper to the lower terminal of the solenoid, the big one that goes right into the starter. If nothing happens there, the starter is the problem, not the solenoid. The "pull-in" winding that starts the solenoid operating grounds itself through the starter brushes, so worn or dirty brushes will prevent the solenoid from doing its job. Sometimes a good lick with a hammer on the starter housing near the brushes will get a couple more operations out of a starter with bad brushes, but it's not a permanent fix, just a "get me home" emergency procedure.
Jerry

You were right it does seem to be the starter Thanks Murray