Re: 51 generator rebuild

Posted by Ross On 2015/8/5 20:44:32

This might turn into a little rant.....

I drive a 54 Clipper at least 3-4 days a week. It goes to the store, to the airport to pick up friends, takes me out to dinner and drives me home in the dark. It drives on the back country roads of Maryland and around the Baltimore and DC beltways. It starts easily, and if it passed into the hands of someone else, they could service it according the service manual and even according to ancient NAPA parts books. On cold mornings I do not turn the key with fear in my heart.

This is only because the electrical system has had normal maintenance. The new battery cables and starter solenoid did wonders for it at a total cost of $78.

I watch this forum extensively and wonder at the complex approach many take in the hopes of adding reliability. Complexity is a furious and implacable enemy of reliability, especially when an item is seldom used, as most of these cars are. It is far cheaper for you, and easier on the next owner if the car is merely brought to a standard condition.

In this particular case, I have less trouble with generators than I do with "factory" rebuilt alternators.

Final rant: When my heat pump on the house started to go downhill, I had it serviced. I did not go to the panel and rewire it from 220 to 440 volts in hopes of satisfactory performance.