Help with a charging problem

[ryan1929]

I had the Generator rebuilt and tested.
New optima 6 volt battery
new 30/30 amp meeter

Still not showing any charge still at zero and when I turn the lights on it goes -20 even at high revs...Hit the brakes and it goes -30

I even tried a new 6 volt alternator 30amp with no luck

When you have the lights on and hit the horn the horn has half the power it should...sounds sick

I have a new battery ground strap. I was told that when running a alternator my amp meeter should be stuck at 30 no matter what I have also changed the amp meeter but still have no luck.

Does anyone have any other ideas? I have more that enough tension on the belt. Also what is the correct angle for mounting the alternator does any one know? thanks

[sethkestenbaum]

Ryan,

I am also trouble shooting my whole charging system and by no means consider myself to more than a newbie. I had a similar problem. This being said, if you are convinced that the battery is good, the connections are good and the generator is good (and correctly polarized), then I would conclude that there might there be an issue with your cutout?

What type of cut out do you have? If "old school", have you polarized it? Have you tried swapping it out with another one?

Again, I am a newbie, so you might want to wait until you hear from some of the more experienced guys. I hope this helps.

Seth

[jimvette59]

What kind of cut out do you have. If it's a diode type make sure it is compatible with your ground system. Positive Ground or Negative Ground. Yes polarize the generator.

[ryan1929]

My cut out on the generator is good....I had it tested....I even swaped out the generator for a new 6 volt alternator and I still have the problem....I need to figure out what angle to set the alternator at. I took my car out for a spin to do some testing and it almost over heated. So im geussing because I dont have the alternator at the right angle that my water pump was not working right....It got very warm in only about 5 min drive and it was -20 outside. Hey Seth if I do find out the cause I will be sure to let you know...

[1931 flamingo]

Soooo, new optima. Why? Was system OK 3 months ago? What's changed? I believe the alt can only mount one way and should have no effect on the water pump or overheating. I have about 1' free play in my fan belt. Most alt's need to be rev'd up to excite them and show charge, if batt fully charged the amp won't show a charge, if you step on brake, turn signals, horn (while running) will show a slight discharge. In my case anyway.
Paul in CT

[Mike V. Florida]

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When you draw from the generator it shows neg, that's ok
Your complaint is that it will not show a charge. It will only charge if the battery needs it.

Try leaving the lights on for an hour or two and try it again. This way you will know that the battery is somewhat depleated and in need of a charge and should register to the + side.

Remember you have increased the ampmeter from 20-20 to 30-30 so reading an amp or two will not be as obvious with the new meter as it was with the old.

[sethkestenbaum]

Mike - Wouldn't the simple process of starting the car deplete the battery enough?

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by sethkestenbaum

Mike - Wouldn't the simple process of starting the car deplete the battery enough?

Those optima batteries one one hell of a battery, besides he did not say that it 1 or 100 revolutions to start it.

[roccaas]

Or relay the lights and horn Straight off the battery. Amps will read + almost all the time, and you dont have to rev for bright lights or loud horn.

[Kurt in NJ]

Do you have a voltmeter??

What is the voltage at each side of the cut out?---with engine not running, at idle, and 1000 rpm or so.

Then take each lead of the voltmeter, hook one to cutout mounting screws, the other to grounded batt terminal --use lowest scaleon meter, the measurement should be less than 0.5 volt, crank engine--check reading, then with 1000 rpm check again (this is to check wiring and grounds), do the same hooking the leads to the "batt" side of the cutout, and the batt terminal not grounded--should be less than 0.5 volt.

Was your generator tested with the same polarity as the car---i say this because many modern testers won't have a polarity option (+ ground was last used on 1967 MGB)

The Optima battery works well with the model A generator, so far mine has gone 14 years with just the generator charging it, keeps it's charge well, cranks the engine fast.

If the fan turns the water pump should work no matter how tight(or loose) the belt is, it just won't last long with a very tight belt ---I keep my belt quite loose, as the owner man says, just tight enough to not slip, 1.5-2 " movement.

[James G.]

Charging the Optima Battery!!!

Google the Optima site! There are specific instruction (different from wet cell batteries) for charging the gel cell battery!
I had the same experience.

One solution was to start the charge with the Optima in parallel with a fully charged wet cell battery. After the charging is well under way you can remove the wet cell and the Optima will continue to take the charge. Don't be too hasty to remove the wet cell.

Optima is a really great battery. I have a 6V Optima in each of my collector cars.

Jim G.

[ryan1929]

wow thanks everyone I have a lot to check now....im also going to try a 10amp fuse and see if it blows im using a 30amp fuse right now and never had one blow....I will keep you updated...

[1931 flamingo]

Why are we talking fuses now?? Did I miss something??
Paul in CT

[dumb person]

Think the fuse might be a test method

[fordman67]

I had a customer car a while ago.It has a 6v alternator and standard battery. It would excite after reving a bit and amp meter would go from discarge to neutral. Also the oil press and clock lights would brighten on excitment but batt voltage did not gain. The situation went that it would not start intermittently but seemed everything was ok. Removed alternator and tested it,makes 7-8 volts battery checks good. The whole thing came down to bad connection in terminal box after buffing all four ins and outs.After putting it back together it charged TO the battery.And all was well.

[Chris H]

After reading all the posts above, I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents worth. Having owning and maintaining MGB's for years, where the battery is located behind the passenger seats, I have discovered that when the battery is grounded to the frame (Positive or Negative ground) that the resistance of the frame, due to rust and corrosion, dirt, and paint, places enough resistance between the battery and the charging circuit to cause battery charge issues. What I have done on all of my old cars, including the Model A, is to run a heavy gage cable from the battery grounding point directly to the engine block. On the Model A, this was directly from the battery ground attachment point on the frame to one of the bolts that hold the starter in place. I use #2 gage wire for the cable. This has eliminated any starting issues that I had previously, and the battery has never required any charging between uses of the car.

The resistance created by rust, corrosion, and dirt can get quite high, particularly with a 6-volt system. Even if the generator is putting out the necessary 7-8 volts required for a good battery charge, the battery may only be "seeing" 6 volts or less, which is not enough to charge the battery.

The MGB's are notorious for having battery charge issues, but since adding the ground wire, I have had no issues. For example, I have one, which had not been started in more than a year, started right up without any battery charging prior to the start.

Adding a battery cut off switch also helps in eliminating any battery drain, which can occur through a bad or marginal generator cut out.

Just my comments for what ever they are worth.