A little more help Nate. I replaced the voltage regulator with on from Autozone for a 1959 Pickup. At the same time, I removed the generator and took it to a shop. They did a little refurbishing. He checked it on his bench and said it worked good. After reinstalling the generator, I had the same condition...ampmeter just centered (no charge). I then polarized the generator per insturctions with the jumper. Restarted engine and same condition. When the truck is running, the meter shows discharge when I turn on the lights and stays there...no movement even when reving the motor. My next plan is to get my meter out and go through the checks as outlined in the manual. I have gone through the wiring and have found nothing amiss. Any suggestions? Thanks Penniwinkle
Yeah Zig, I got a 1959 12V regulator as per Nate (listen to the master, grasshopper). It all doesn't matter now, b/c I'm starting the engine by running a jumper to the coil off the battery. Regulator won't be hooked up. Heck, nothing but the coil and starter will be hooked up. Just gotta hear it run, ya know? Reason I'm so itchy to get it running NOW is b/c I'm taking the kids to Cape Cod on Wednesday and on the way back on Sunday, I'm dropping one of the boys off at scout camp in RI. He'll be gone for a whole week and I'm just NOT going to start the truck without ALL of them there to see it. If I don't get it running this weekend, it'll be two and a half weeks more until I have them all together at once. Yes, Ziggy it's no lie. I'm taking your lead and painting the truck with rattle cans. Hoping the color matches so I can spot paint where I need to do a little body work. The truck is painted flat now anyway. I love this project. Gonna rat rod it eventually (don't worry Nate). Leave it real cheezy looking on the outside save for that spanking and beautiful CHEVY grill. But under the hood...a whole 'nother story. I'll have the boys put a nice dual carby manifold and some nice chrome on it in the future. what I love about this project is that it can evolve as the boys become better with their hands and learn more. It'll feel REAL good to watch them skin their knuckles as they try to loosen the bolt that dad torqued down years before . Also, by leaving the body cheezy and not replacing every little thing (like those thousand or so parts that make up the windows), it'll give them something to do except get in trouble in a few years. So, get it running and driving and teach them HOW for now. Later watch as they ask me for help and encourage them that they already know how to do it. They're already asking about what project we will be doing next. I tell them the next project is MY toy. Likely a '66 Mustang fastback serious hotrod GT350 clone. It's so nice to dream. Ahh...old trucks as babysitters for teen-age boys. I know it worked for me. Andy
What's wrong with rat-rodding? OK guys, enough old guy bashing! You young sprouts think that you invented rat-rodding? NOT!! We called it modifying in the 50's and 60's. Chopping and channeling ain't new, boys and girls! The only difference is that you youngin's buy high dollar kits to do the same thing we did in the '60's for nothing! You want to rat-rod? PM us old timers, we'll show you some stuff! Isky cams rule, baby!!
What's up with this site? Let's see if I can type fast enough for this site to remember I was logged in! I put a bunch down that's gone now, so let me just cut to the chase. Andy, you're the best thing that could happen to your kids. The reason I'm here on this site is because my dad humored me. I brought home a 50 Chevy PU, he helped me remember what "father~son" is all about. Your kids need you. You can teach them SO much more. And in that same positive light that you bring to us. As far as the "rattle-rattle". Tape off 12" paths across your panels. (Whatever you are painting. Then, after the paint IS DRY, tape over what you've painted and paint the rest. If you overlap the edges a bit, you'll get the effect of small panels that were put together to make up your truck. After I'm all done, I hope my buddy here will clear coat it for me a couple/three times. If he can't, then here I come MACO! All my best and prayers to you Andy. When it all works out for you, invite me for a Bar-B-Que. I bet I'll be there!
Bill, I did not polarize the generator before starting. Per Nate, he said do not polarize it unless it doesn't charge. Thanks Penniwinkl;e
I have been successful fixing my charging system. I could not get it to charge with a repaired generator and a 1959 voltage regulator. I disconnected the FLD wire from the regulator and touched it to ground with the truck running and revved some....the ampmeter showed it charging. Per the instructions with the regulator, this test indicated the regulator is bad. I was about the call it a day but decided to swap the regulator with my original one (one I thought was bad). Started the truck and its charging fine. My conclusion is that the generator was my original problem (bad bushing and the electric shop said it wobbled - the brushes may loose contact). I must have gotten a bad 1959 regulator from Autozone or this regulator and my generator might not have worked together. My generator has a 6volt case but has been upgraded to 12volt (according to the electric shop). Anyone have any thoughts as to why the 1959 regulator did not work? Thanks Penniwinkle
I would like to add here the reason that my truck was not charging. You all are going to give me a hard time but I still have to share. I had refurbished my my gauges some time ago with the stick on decals from CP. It seems that the edge of the decal was interfering with the ammeter needle. Those needles are very sensitive so it did not take much interference for it to be stuck. I trimmed the decal back and it works fine. Duh. Gater
Wow ~ how did I miss all these posts ? . Andy , if the ammeter needle moves to one side when running and then you stop the engine and pull out the light switch and the needle moves to the _other_ side , it's charging fine, you have the ammetrer wires reversed , very common . I am not clear from reading your missives what's exactly going wrong . You can always connect a voltimiter to the ' BATT ' terminal of the voltage regulator to see if it's charging and maybe there's a wiring problem elsewhere , common in oldies . It takes longer than 30 seconds to damage regulator points , this is why I don't polarize unless it's not charging . Remember : polarizing is touching the jumper wire for like 1/10th of a second , I see guys basically arc welding and then get mad when it's ruined.... Yes , there's loads of cheap , good used 12 volt generators out there but once again , never , _EVER_ send in your old one (core) untill the job is finished to YOUR satisfaction ! . Rat Rods ? if you dig 'em , cool . me , they remind me of when I was young and dirt poor , no thanx . vagrancy may be " in " but I'll never accept it as fashion .
That's Rich ...telling a bunch of kids what an old fat guy thinks When my son was 12 or so he went through that phase (we live in the (Ghetto) . came home with his pants kness ripped out so I tossed 'em and got new ones ~ told him if they got ripped he'd go to school sans pants.... he knew I wasn't kidding . Then there were the $175.00 basketball shoes (he doesn't play) he begged weeks for and his mom bought when I was off working , I came home to see the tounges out and the laces dragging , I told him next time I saw that they'd be cut up and tossed in the trash..... I work far too hard (as does his mom) for him to be going around looking like a bum . Now he's 28 and LO ! doesn't think looking poor is quite as cool as he did before . Imagine that
All us parents go through the "dumb phase" about the time our kids hit puberty. The lucky ones (me included) come out of it about the time the kids get out of high school. Some have to put up with it a lot longer. I don't know how my Dad survived it. I'm the oldest of nine kids. When I was coming out of it my youngest sister was a newborn. May be why I only had one kid.
