> After some thinking,
> could it be that the sensor is wrong for my
> application? I say this because I ordered the sensor
> for a 69 Spitfire (Which is what the motor is out of)
> rather than a 66 Herald. Could this be the root of my
> problem?
Eduard, I'm away from my parts catalogues at the moment, but I believe this
is very possible. Triumph used a number of different temperature sensors
that are physically interchangeable but electrically different.
> It had me disconnect the two terminals
> on the generator, jump them together with a length of
> wire, place a voltmeter between this length of wire
> and the Generator "yolk" ground. (Does this mean the
> case of the generator? Thats where I tested it too)
> My Voltmeter read 6.4V where the book said it should
> read about 15V. It suggested that the Armature is
> suspect. My question is: did I perform the test
> correct
Yes, assuming the belt was tight and the engine was running at a fast idle.
> and what would it take to get this repaired?
Easiest is to just buy a rebuilt generator on an exchange basis. Should be
available from almost any LBC vendor. If there is an "auto electric" shop
near you, it might be worth going to them directly as they likely will
charge less than you would pay otherwise.
Also consider that a defective or mis-adjusted regulator may lead to a
defective armature. One of the regulator (control box) duties is to ensure
that the generator does not put out too much current, as otherwise it will
overheat (and damage the armature). Even new regulators are sometimes not
adjusted correctly, as Tony Rhodes recently reported. So, after installing
your new generator, the next step is to check the maximum output as
controlled by the regulator and adjust appropriately.
Learning to rewind armatures is a useful skill, but not a trivial one. I've
done small motors successfully, but never attempted a generator (although
the operation would be identical). It is a lot of time consuming work, even
after you're pretty good at it. For your first few attempts, odds are very
good that you will make a mistake and have to rip it all off and start over
with new wire ... It also requires some special materials, which are not
readily available today. I tried using PVC "electrical" tape as a
substitute for "fish paper" last time I did a heater motor, and the result
was a short to ground when I was nearly done with it. It's still laying in
the corner somewhere <g>
BTW, the 3-bobbin regulator used on the Spit is a better unit, IMO, than the
2-bobbin used on the Herald. I believe the connections are similar enough
to allow direct substitution, but the mounting is different.
Randall
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