57 Hawk Generator Puzzlement

[starlightchamp]

My son and I have been restoring a Silver Hawk. I cleaned the generator
commutator and checked the wiring. With engine running the ampmeter showed no
charging. I then momentarily flashed the field and Battery , and the ampmeter
went almost all the way to to full charge. Measured 13.6 volts output. GOOD---But___ when
I restart there is again no output. Changed the Voltage regulator thinking it was
leaking off the residual charge.
Still same problem. Any ideas ? besides get the generator rebuilt?
....Dick

[Chucks Stude]

Did you reflash the new voltage regulator?

[N8N]

are you measuring the voltage at the stud on the generator, or at the battery? If at the battery, what do you read at the generator?

nate

[StudeRich]

Delco Remy 12 volt systems get polarized by touching the Batt. Terminal of the Regulator to the Terminal marked Armature or "Gen" you did it as a Autolite, that will not work.

[starlightchamp]

Voltage measured at battery , Delco reflash instructions followed, and reflashed after new VR.
We are drowning in rain and since the car is 35 miles over Santa Ynez mountain pass, with likely landslides,
I'll wait until monsoon ends and then recheck/repost based on your suggestions
THanks
...Dick

[Chucks Stude]

Mine was acting wierd, so I got the mirror out, and looked in the back of the generator, and saw that one of the brushes was not making good contact, and that had gotten the brush holder hot, and messed it up. A local alternator shop found a scrapped generator with that brush and holder , and I was able to fix it. Noticed that SI has generator rebuild kits that replace the whole assy. as well as bearings.

[N8N]

If voltage at gen stud is high when you rev engine but at battery is still low the problem is somewhere in the regulator. Or you could try full fielding it to eliminate probs in the gen. If voltage is low when you full field the gen then the gen is the issue and it's probably time to pull it apart and check brushes (and bushings, while you're at it.)

good luck

nate