In a message dated 5/18/99 6:48:59 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
justincook@yahoo.com writes:
<< Assuming the brushes are bad, is it worth it (quick and easy) to
replace them. Or do you just buy a new generator?
All opinions appreciated...
JC >>
In the old days...
This was SOP. Disassemble the Generator, clean the commutator (copper end of
the amature where the brushes run) with fine emery paper, scrape down the
lines between the copper sections to make sure they are not shorted out
between each other (just at the surface), and install new brushes.
Brushes used to be very cheap and this was a cheap rebuild. Check the
bearing at the same time and replace if necessary.
We had an electromagnetic device commonly called a "growler" to check the
armatures. You would place the armature on the machine, in a v shaped notch
on top, turn the "growler" on, the amature would be drawn to the machine by
an electromagnet, and then while twisting the amature, we'd hold an old
hacksaw blade against the side of the amature windings. If the amature was
bad, the hacksaw blade would vibrate.
To check the bearings, take them out, clean them, stick a finger in where the
shaft goes and touch the outside race against a turning wire wheel. The
bearing should spin up quickly and freely with no noise to speak of. A
whining or grinding sound means a bad bearing.
NOTE..none of the above is OSHA appoved, so do it carfully, or buy a rebuilt
generator.
Those of us in the we cheap crowd are used to things like no finger prints...
Robert Houston
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