Generator getting very hot

[Stewart A.]

I have finally got my 1960 on the road. After my first run in it I noticed the generator was very very very hot. It was that hot I could not really touch it. Are they normally that hot. Oh and it's making a bearing like sound ? after it warms up. I did put oil in the front and rear of the unit. before I drove it so it's not dry. HMMMMMMMM Should I just take it to the oldest Auto elec I can find in Australia.

[Richard T.]

Re: Generator getting very hot

Stew,
Based on your earlier question regarding your smoking wiper motor I suspect that you have a short in the main harness or a major component. If your not inclined to replace the main harness yet I would spend some time with a schematic and an ohm meter and check out the circuits before doing any real damage to your car such as a fire. The old harnesses get pretty crispy over time not to mention what our old friend bubba might have done. At a minimum pull the generator and take it to a good local auto electric rebuilder for a check up before proceeding. Good luck Rich

[Kenneth T.]

Re: Generator getting very hot

I agree with the earllier post, something is drawing too much current from your alternator (battery or bad regulator). What is your amp gauge reading?

[Roy B.]

Re: Generator getting very hot

You may be putting to much tenion on the belt

[Jack H.]

Re: Generator getting very hot

(1) Did you properly polarize the generator before starting/driving the car? If not, the generator could be coming up 'inverted' in which case it'll SMOKE itself, your voltage regulator & the car's wiring system if you continue to operate it!!!

(2) Getting a skilled electrical tech to take a look-see is an EXCELLENT idea. Just because you're down under does NOT mean there's no local expertise... GM's Holden Division has been building/shipping cars with similar components/design for MANY years.

(3) Putting oil in the front/rear bearing tubes ONLY has an impact on original generators. Virtually NOBODY rebuilds these generators today using the technically obsolete, factory original bearings they were originally built/shipped with. EVERYONE I know uses modern sealed bearings that are for life and all pouring oil down the tubes does is 'catch' and hold oil above the bearing race in the tube (there's no hole in the race of a sealed bearing for oil to penetrate)....

[Stewart A.]

Re: Generator getting very hot

Thanks guys for all the info. I have found a bad wire it must of been heating the unit. The bearing noise is still there. So I yanked it and gave it to the oldest Auto elec guy In town and he laughed when I brought it in. I think it brought back memories. He was extemely confident in fixig it and quickly pionted out several things that was wrong with the generator. I have a problem with the tacho, it reads when i spin it by hand but when connected it reads for a while then stops. I'm wondering if it's a square cable end fitting in a round hole could the female drive be stripped ?

[Jack H.]

Re: Generator getting very hot

I figured your local auto electric guys would understand this 'foreign' stuff! Good.

On the tach, the high probability lies with one of two things:

(1) The cable has run dry resulting in extra stress and the first 'sacrificial' part to go is typically the square drive end(s) of the cable. Visually ID their integrity. AND, while you have the opportunity, pull the center cable flush the cable sheath with brake cleaner to get dried up 'crud' out and lay in a fresh coat of lubrication.

(2) The tach drive unit that bolts to the generator uses a fiber board drive gear which is intentionally weaker than the steel spline shaft of the generator (sacrificial component). If the gear's teeth are badly worn, that could be the source of your problem(s).

Remove the tach drive from the generator, flip it over and visually inspect. Some continue to have old stock of the original drive gear, but the catalog house offer a metal gear today as a replacement...