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Battery Not Charging

Thanks. I’ll check the output at the alternator and make sure the ground is good at the regulator. Mine is mechanical too. I took my battery in to the auto parts store and they tested it. Showed the battery was perfect so at least know it’s not that. Some alternators I have seen have a ground tab on the back. Does the case have to be better grounded as well?
 
WRONG.....it is the rear rotor bearing, not armature bearing, and is totally isolated from the rotor's magnetic field by design. Any current that would be present would cause the bearing to fail due to shaft current flowing thru the bearing to ground. If you suspect a grounded rotating field windings, measure the resistance to ground thru either slip ring to the shaft using a high resistance megohmeter.....it should be infinite....no resistance.
PM me if you don't understand......
BOB RENTON
could be, I'm no expert. I was working at Hensley Battery in Denver. They got starters and alternators from junkyards in 55 gallon drums. I tore them down and washed them. One of the old guys in the assembly room told me about the bearing thing. I tried it and the bearing in my '66 was magnetic. It could have been defective, but it ran another 20,000 miles and never failed. I know grounding through bearings is bad juju.
 
could be, I'm no expert. I was working at Hensley Battery in Denver. They got starters and alternators from junkyards in 55 gallon drums. I tore them down and washed them. One of the old guys in the assembly room told me about the bearing thing. I tried it and the bearing in my '66 was magnetic. It could have been defective, but it ran another 20,000 miles and never failed. I know grounding through bearings is bad juju.
I'm the "pseudo" expert and shaft circulating currents are real (having been directly involved in rebuilding motor's from fractional hp to 10,000 hp)....it depends on bearing assembly's diameter, RPM of the shaft, the bearings isolation from the case and rotor's magnetic field windings intensify (proportional to rotor's field current).....in this case its only 5-6 amps max....but it still exists........Aaahhh..the re-builder's dream......55 gallon drums of junk (core) parts......did you inspect the shaft bearing area for "brinilling" or shaft degradation due to shaft circulating currents at the bearing interface ???.....likely not....bearings are cheap.....just install new bearings.....just my opinion of course....
BOB RENTON
 
I tore them down and put the parts in a big shaker with aluminum pellets and some chemical that had been banned, but they were still getting it in 55 gallon drums. Dichlorasomething. I was up to my elbows in that solvent all day long. Except for lunch that was sometimes burritos sold by a Mexican lady who came in with them. Best burrito ever. A little hot, but that never slowed me down.

They treated me well, but I quit the day my boss told me of his medical issue. He started like me tearing down and worked his way up. I was hoping to move up to the test and rebuild room, but when he said that chemical was in his body and he had 8 years to live, I was gone. He was 28.
 
I tore them down and put the parts in a big shaker with aluminum pellets and some chemical that had been banned, but they were still getting it in 55 gallon drums. Dichlorasomething. I was up to my elbows in that solvent all day long. Except for lunch that was sometimes burritos sold by a Mexican lady who came in with them. Best burrito ever. A little hot, but that never slowed me down.

They treated me well, but I quit the day my boss told me of his medical issue. He started like me tearing down and worked his way up. I was hoping to move up to the test and rebuild room, but when he said that chemical was in his body and he had 8 years to live, I was gone. He was 28.
HOW SAD....The "chemical" you referred to was either: 1,1,1 trichloroethylene (Perc), or a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB).....both are extremely carcinogenic chemicals and can enter the body thru diffusion or in the vapor state......HOW COULD YOU BELIEVE THAT THESE CHEMICALS COULD DO NO HARM? Except you got free burritos made by a little Mexician lady ......what a trade off....have you not heard of MSDS's.....Material Safety Data Sheets?....where all compounds used were identified as to their human involvement.....you must have been incredibly naive not to realize the consequences of your actions in later life.....sometimes years later......were the burritos worth it? More people should be aware of the various chemicals used in their job and work....including oils and other lubricants......just my opinion of course......
BOB RENTON
 
take your alternator to a part store and have them check it. You did say it was new.
NIX......and check it for what???? Open diodes, shorted diodes, stator windings impedance, full load, what RPM, rotor field resistance, rotor ground, bearings......most auto parts store tests are inconclusive.....they need to define tests and methods used....if you know what to ask for......
BOB RENTON
 
HOW SAD....The "chemical" you referred to was either: 1,1,1 trichloroethylene (Perc), or a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB).....both are extremely carcinogenic chemicals and can enter the body thru diffusion or in the vapor state......HOW COULD YOU BELIEVE THAT THESE CHEMICALS COULD DO NO HARM? Except you got free burritos made by a little Mexician lady ......what a trade off....have you not heard of MSDS's.....Material Safety Data Sheets?....where all compounds used were identified as to their human involvement.....you must have been incredibly naive not to realize the consequences of your actions in later life.....sometimes years later......were the burritos worth it? More people should be aware of the various chemicals used in their job and work....including oils and other lubricants......just my opinion of course......
BOB RENTON
Stickler for MSDS sheets that get introduced to my work area. Thanks making more aware of them Bob
 
NIX......and check it for what???? Open diodes, shorted diodes, stator windings impedance, full load, what RPM, rotor field resistance, rotor ground, bearings......most auto parts store tests are inconclusive.....they need to define tests and methods used....if you know what to ask for......
BOB RENTON
To see if its any good BOB
 
Stickler for MSDS sheets that get introduced to my work area. Thanks making more aware of them Bob
Years ago when I was involved in management in industry, and the MSDS's were becoming prevalent, starting with Pennsylvania's Right to Know Laws (when I lived in Pa.), i became involved in obtaining, collecting, cataloging, compiling and making available ALL chemicals that workers could be exposed to, at their requests....any time, without exception (an MSDS LIBRARY so to speak).....now a FEDERAL REQUIREMENT......very important to know what you're exposed to.
BOB RENTON
 
Years ago when I was involved in management in industry, and the MSDS's were becoming prevalent, starting with Pennsylvania's Right to Know Laws (when I lived in Pa.), i became involved in obtaining, collecting, cataloging, compiling and making available ALL chemicals that workers could be exposed to, at their requests....any time, without exception (an MSDS LIBRARY so to speak).....now a FEDERAL REQUIREMENT......very important to know what you're exposed to.
BOB RENTON
Here to library in each dept and laminated sheets in each area using chemicals and such
 
To see if its any good BOB
Most won't know or how to test an alternator accurately....they're not like a light bulb....EITHER good or bad......they're interested in selling you a new one.....they operate on margins or sales dollars..... ASK to see their test criteria......
BOB RENTON
 
I quit the day I found out how dangerous it was. I was lucky he happened to tell me, and yes, I was naive to think my government might protect me from corporate greed. This was a few years before the Hazards Communication Standards (MSDS) so who knew? I was shocked that my boss didn't quit and get far away from those chemicals. Even though he no longer handled the parts himself, you could smell the chems in the air, spread by the shaker. The place smelled like machine shops of that era. I smell it now just thinking about it. My fingers would crack open and bleed from doing my job.
The burritos were $1.25 each in 1976, but they were big and obviously memorable. I wondered what the kitchen might have looked like, but still gobbled them down. Denver had the best Mexican restaurants
 
the rusty circle in the center of this photo is the rear armature bearing. It becomes magnetic when the alternator is being spun by the running motor and a field test is to touch some steel to it. Take care to not touch anything else.


View attachment 1710020
I was always told the same thing. If the alternator was working correctly, you could feel magnetism at the back of the shaft.
 
I quit the day I found out how dangerous it was. I was lucky he happened to tell me, and yes, I was naive to think my government might protect me from corporate greed. This was a few years before the Hazards Communication Standards (MSDS) so who knew? I was shocked that my boss didn't quit and get far away from those chemicals. Even though he no longer handled the parts himself, you could smell the chems in the air, spread by the shaker. The place smelled like machine shops of that era. I smell it now just thinking about it. My fingers would crack open and bleed from doing my job.
The burritos were $1.25 each in 1976, but they were big and obviously memorable. I wondered what the kitchen might have looked like, but still gobbled them down. Denver had the best Mexican restaurants
Glad you got out. I did body work in the 80’s and washed my hands in thinner. Had a girl friend who had a sauna and one day I sweat rainbow out and after the sauna I asked her dad about it ( doctor) he said you do body work and most likely isocyanids) from the paint and thinner and such. Next put my notice in. It was before the days of the white suits you where today
 
Most won't know or how to test an alternator accurately....they're not like a light bulb....EITHER good or bad......they're interested in selling you a new one.....they operate on margins or sales dollars..... ASK to see their test criteria......
BOB RENTON
When I worked in Automotives at Canadian Tire, our alternator bench test machine did a printout with all kinds of data. So did our battery load tester.
 
When I worked in Automotives at Canadian Tire, our alternator bench test machine did a printout with all kinds of data. So did our battery load tester.
Show us a typical test data sheet printout for a typical test performed.....do they test individual component or the alternator or just the overall result? Whose test machine was used?.....
BOB RENTON
 
Show us a typical test data sheet printout for a typical test performed.....do they test individual component or the alternator or just the overall result? Whose test machine was used?.....
BOB RENTON
It was about 30+ years ago but I would. I had one of my alternators bench-tested and it turned out to be good. Maybe not all auto shops had good machines but you do realize they made machines back then that did very solid, reliable bench testing of alternators and batteries? It wasn't like today where you have to plug a computer or code scanner into something and see what the computer says.
 
Bob, wouldn't an alternator have to be disassembled and de-soldered to test diodes?

Another thing one of those guys in the assembly room told me was: using an ohm meter, one could arrange the three wires on the Stator to attain double the power from an alternator.
 
Bob, wouldn't an alternator have to be disassembled and de-soldered to test diodes?

Another thing one of those guys in the assembly room told me was: using an ohm meter, one could arrange the three wires on the Stator to attain double the power from an alternator.
The alternator would need to be disseminated to test individual diodes.......some one is pulling your leg.....you cannot get double the power by rearranging the stator wires....ask them for a sketch of their connections......the alternator is a three phase full wave bridge rectifier circuit design......a loss of any phase results in ONE HALF the output.....not twice the output........the old "guys rule" is a myth...without proof....hearsay means nothing....
BOB RENTON
 
At the battery terminals I get a voltage reading of 13.3 when fully charged. When the car is running I get a reading of 12.8 volts. I turned off the car and got a reading of 12.8 volts at the field wire with the key turned on. I have a new alternator, new engine compartment wiring, new voltage regulator and new battery cables. Have not replaced the battery from the previous owner. Any ideas? 1969 Dodge Coronet, 383 engine. Thanks.
Clean all of your grounds including all body grounds.
 
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