Electrical: 6volt positive ground 1 wire alternator won't even try to charge.

[DougHolverson]

I rebuilt a 1-wire 6volt positive ground Delco 10si alternator over the winter. I got it on the '51 Land Cruiser. The thing doesn't even try to charge. Even after revving it way up and exciting it. Where do I start troubleshooting? BTW, I have successfully rebuilt alternators in the past.

[enjenjo]

Are you sure it's a one wire. Most Delco 10si alternators need three wires. A battery wire, a small white wire labeled Stator, and a small red wire to the indicator light. The one wire was originally made for Marine use and uses a different internal voltage regulator than the three wire type. If you have not revved up the engine to about 1200 rpm it may not start charging even if it has the correct voltage regulator.

[64studeavanti]

you used one of the kits to convert a 12v neg grnd 10si to 6v pos grnd?

[DougHolverson]

Yes, I installed a kit.

[StudeRich]

Aren't 10 SI Delco clones from China Dirt Cheap, so no need to rebuild one ?

[DEEPNHOCK]

SWAG...
Some of those single wire alternators need a load at idle. Some people put a small light bulb in an out of the way place.
When the key is turned on, the light goes on, and when the engine is started, the light puts a draw on the alternator to turn it on.

[r1lark]

Yes, I installed a kit.

What did the provider of the kit have to offer as to solutions?

[altair]

I removed a generator to clean and paint it and when I reinstalled it, it would not charge, I had insolated the ground with paint, scraped off the excess paint and it worked fine. Some models of cars wire a ground wire directly to the voltage regulator for continuity, I wired mine this way.

[fh4ever]

I rebuilt a 1-wire 6volt positive ground Delco 10si alternator over the winter. I got it on the '51 Land Cruiser. The thing doesn't even try to charge. Even after revving it way up and exciting it. Where do I start troubleshooting? BTW, I have successfully rebuilt alternators in the past.

when you say "rev it up and exciting it"....did you briefly jump power to one of the smaller connectors? (I dont recall which connector gets the jumper) I had to to do this to mine twice...first when installing it for the first time, and the second time was when the car sat for almost 3 months. It can lose its stored "excited energy" over time and needs that jump to get it going.

I used the 10SI internal 6 volt negative ground regulator and had no issues....did not buy a kit....just the regulator and a wide pulley.

[DougHolverson]

The problem was that my new wire to the solenoid was bypassing the ammeter. The thing was probably charging all along.