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62 buick special - generator


Guest ChristyP

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Guest ChristyP

To start, my Special is my daily driver and I really appreciate getting to drive an older vehicle all the time. She is a great car. That said, my generator light just came on and I noticed on the way to work this morning that my headlights were getting dim and the blinkers wouldnt work. I know it's not the battery, because I just got a brand new one less than 2 months ago. So, is replacing the generator difficult? I'm not a mechanic, but I'm not afraid to get into the engine compartment and do some work. I can see that it's not going to be easy to get to it, but in your opinion, is this a part I could replace on my own or is it recommended to get a mechanic to do it?

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Not difficult to change out a generator. Remember to unhook the battery.

But if it were me I would get a manual that covers your charging system so that you can troubleshoot the issue. Throwing parts at it could work, but fixing what is wrong with it would make more sense. However it could be the generator, they are fairly easy to replace the brushes. Also could be the regulator. Or both or neither.

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The gen light on means no charge going into the battery to keep it charged up, and you're running on the charge that existed when recharging stopped---

Lights dim very bad sign (battery low); may not start to go home, but new batteries often "resurrect" enough to start after sitting awhile...

If starts (or you have to get a jump) turn off everything elec you can on way home; if battery gets low enough you'll lose ignition (no spark to plugs=engine stops, you're stranded).

If only transport can keep going by getting slow/trickle battery charger, (plugs into 110 outlet) and recharging overnight IF you don't have to use headlights a long time (ignition takes little juice) and IF only started to get to work and back). KEEP ELEC USE TO MINIMUM.

As already mentioned, could well be simple problem easily fixed (hung brush, loose connection, commutator need polishing, etc ) BUT unless someone there experienced can walk you thru some eyeball shade tree checks and/or guide replacements, you pretty much at mercy of mechanics...replacement parts can be immediately burned out if any precise procedure required by your unit not followed...yes, diagnosis/replacement CAN be relatively simple, done it often in my earlier years, if you know what you're doing, and very $$$$$ if you don't...

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You are getting good advice here. Changing a generator is not all that difficult. That being said, does not in any way say the generator is the problem. Best to have competent person diagnose the problem for you, and tell you what is needed to effect repair.

Once you know what is needed you can assess your ability to do the job. As is often said, doing the repair is not rocket science. Fortunately, 1962 vintage cars are not that complicated.

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Guest Bob Call

Before throwing new parts at the car hoping to get lucky and fix it the first time can be very expensive. Take the car to a shop that can trouble shoot and tell you the problem. An auto electric shop or a general auto repair shop that has the test equipment. In the past shops that sold batteries would check your electric system at no charge. Don't rule out the battery just because it was recently purchased, sometimes they go bad in a short period that's why they have a prorated warranty. If the generator or voltage regulator is replaced the electric system will have to be polarized. Before attempting to polarize the system be sure you understand how to do it. Your Buick is a negative ground system and it will have to be polarized negative.

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I second the suggestion to take it to a good auto electric shop. They can rebuild your generator, adjust the regulator or whatever it needs.

First you could check the fan belt. A fan belt that is slack, greasy, or worn thin can slip and cause poor charging. The belt should not be too tight, not as tight as you would adjust it for an alternator because a generator only has plain bearings, not roller bearings.

You should be able to press on the belt between the pulleys and press it down about 3/4" to make it completely tight.

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I second the suggestion to take it to a good auto electric shop.

When was the last time you saw one of these? It's been 50 years since generators were original equipment. How many shops are still around that even know what one is?

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Boy, Joe has hit the nail on the head. Modern mechanics dont even know what points are!

The old generators with mechanical regulators are pretty tough. On a generator about the only thing to go wrong is the brushes. If I remember crorrectly, the usual culpert for no charging was the regulator going bad.

I dont remember the details, but if you either shorted the field to ground or put power to it the generator would go to full tilt generating - however, you do have to have an ammeter to do this backyard test. Obviously, if the generator did make power, then the regulator was bad. If not, then it was the generator.

We didnt have those 'fancy" tools like a voltmeter!

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When was the last time you saw one of these? It's been 50 years since generators were original equipment. How many shops are still around that even know what one is?

Ain't that the truth! :( :eek:

One suggestion. Disconnect battery and remove the generator. Take jumper cables and hook the negative cable from the battery negative post to a good ground on the generator- one of the mounting points will do. Hook the positive cable to the battery positive post and touch the large terminal on the generator. The generator should "motor" on its own. If it does, it is in good condition. Keep a firm grip on the generator when doing this. As noted above, most of the time the regulator is the culprit.

Little story:

Years ago I had a 1963 Studebaker Champ 1/2 ton pickup which had a monster of a generator on it (original equipment). Even at an idle it would put out enough of a charge the the dash idiot light would stay out as long as no accessories were on. On one occasion the battery failed just outside its warranty period (naturally :(). I took it back to the vendor who confirmed it was shot. They gave me a new one. free of charge :). The shop foreman told me to bring the truck in and they would do a free charging system check, which I did about a week later. A mechanic hooked up a big piece of testing equipment, took a look at the dials and said:

"You've got a blown diode."

Me: "Beg pardon?"

The mechanic repeated himself.

Me: "There isn't a single diode on this truck."

The mechanic called the foreman over.

Foreman: "Is it charging ok?"

Me: "Yes."

Foreman: "You're good to go."

So much for my charging system check!

The mechanic said he had never worked on a generator equipped vehicle.

Terry

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I live in a small town of less than 20,000 population. There is an auto electric shop here that can rebuild generators and starters for most anything from the 30s up. There are still lots of tractors trucks and other machines that use generators and even magnetos. I know of 2 similar shops within 30 miles.

I'm not saying any mechanic can do this, far from it. But if you have a telephone and the yellow pages you can find out right quick if they can fix your car or not. It may actually be easier to find such a shop in a rural area, but I bet even in a city with 100 auto electric shops, at least one of them can help you.

You could also ask around among your old car friends, or mechanics, to find out who they recommend as doing good work reasonable. PS it does not pay to go for the cheapest price. Often you can get far better quality for just a few bucks more.

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There are a lot of things that can go wrong with a generator especially after 50 years. It could have a faulty armature, or faulty field coils. If those check out then a rebuild still demands the armature be turned and undercut, new bearings installed and new brushes too.

But if the generator was working a week ago it should be possible to rebuild it in an hour or so. It may not even need rebuilding, just new brushes or possibly a regulator adjustment. Hard to tell without seeing the car.

Generators have a life of 25000 miles or so but if they are oiled and maintained correctly some go much longer.

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Where will you get a replacement generator to put in the car?? I doubt very much that you can get a rebuilt generator over the counter for a '62 Buick special.

I'd check with your local auto parts suppliers, and ask them who in the area rebuilds starters and generators. Someone should know.. This is assuming that the generator is the culprit.

As mentioned above, check under the hood for obvious items like a missing, or extremely loose fan belt. Your water pump bearings could have gone bad, allowing the fan belt to be so loose that it won't turn the generator.

A broken wire, or a wire that fell off the battery post, if it wasn't put back on correctly when the new battery was installed, or a wire no longer attached to to the generator or regulator.

If the generator light 'just came on', and soon you notice dim lights, inop turnsignals, etc, then the battery is not very good, or has not been getting a good charge for some time.. A good battery in a '62 car should last for quite a few hours without a generator working.

I'd highly recommend finding an auto electric shop in your area, and let them diagnose the problem,

Greg Long

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delco 12 volt generators built from 1953 to 1963 or later, from chevies all the way up to cadillacs. christyp should have no problem in her part of texas, finding a auto electric shop that can test the charging system and rebuild either the generator or regulator. i used to own and drive a 62 buick special with a 215 V8. christp, you might have your fan belt tightness checked, a loosen belt will cause the generator to not charge well at all.

charles l. coker

1953 pontiac tech advisor

tech advisor coordinator

poci

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At the risk of incurring the wrath of other members here, I'll offer that on my 62 Olds F-85 with the same 215 engine, I gave up on the generator and converted to an alternator. The 61-62 cars came with generators, the 63s with alternators. I simply swapped the generator mounting brackets for an alternator bracket from a 1963 car and a late model CS130 alternator with internal regulator bolted right up. The generator pulley swaps onto the CS130, so there are no problems with belt alignment. Only three wires are needed, the large red cable from the BATT post on the alternator to the junction block on the fender, a small red sense wire to the same place, and the field wire to the brown GEN light wire. It took about an hour to install and wire. This alternator has been working great for the last four years with zero maintenance required.

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Joe, I certainly think that your conversion, done with factory mounts and pulleys is an acceptable modification for any driver car. Just might be a minor issue if you are having the car judged at a very technically-judged show.

I really like that 215 V-8 engine, too bad it had such a short production run. If I remember, they could be turbo-charged with a side-draft carb, or naturally aspirated with a small 4bbl carburetor?? I can't remember, did they have a 'low horsepower' version with a 2bbl carb??

The rust problem with the uni-body design, and no internal rustproofing in the spot-welded 'frame/body/floorpan' has put many of these really neat cars in the scrap yard and crusher. I saw one at the labor day auction in Auburn Indiana maybe 15 years ago, another guy and I were on opposite sides of the car, both looking at the underside. The other guy pulled on what looked like a big piece of asphalt undercoating that was hanging off the underside of the floorpan.. it came off in his hand, and was a 6" long piece of the sheetmetal 'frame' that had rusted free from the floor pan.

Really too bad about these little Skylarks and baby-Oldsmobiles. A rust free one with a stick and a convertible top would be a keeper for my collection. I had a chance to buy one from Arizona 10-12 years ago, but didn't have any 'extra' money at the time.

GLong.

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Rusty. 25000 miles on a generator? I have seen them outlast an engine! And even then they only need brushes. My '18 buick is running with all its original guts as are my 2 '38 Buicks.

I have seen them go up in smoke, but then it is usually because of a short someplace else.

i have to say, my experience is mostly with DELCO equipment.

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OK I changed my mind. Generators are like the lost secrets of the Pyramids, it would be impossible to find anyone in the whole world who knows how to fix one. You may be able to get a watch maker to whittle one out of steel and copper by hand but that is about it.

So do not waste your time picking up the phone,looking in the Yellow Pages, asking your old car owning friends, or local mechanics. Generators have gone to join the DODO birds.

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Joe, I certainly think that your conversion, done with factory mounts and pulleys is an acceptable modification for any driver car. Just might be a minor issue if you are having the car judged at a very technically-judged show.

Agreed, but from the original post in this thread:

To start, my Special is my daily driver

I'll suggest that for a daily driver (which might have an aftermarket stereo, halogen headlights, or an add-on air conditioner), the added output, reliability, and easy availability of a newer alternator might be a benefit. My F-85 wagon is not stock and I don't care about a concourse restoration, so I went for reliability.

I really like that 215 V-8 engine, too bad it had such a short production run.

Not as short as you think. While GM only produced them for the 1961-63 model years, Rover built these motors for nearly four decades. Ironically, GM built more of them (about 750,000) in three years than Rover did in four decades. Also ironically, the British actually fixed some of the production problems with the aluminum block that caused GM to drop the engine. The Rover motors are externally identical to the GM motors and are pretty much a bolt-in swap. Parts like intake and exhaust manifolds swap, as do transmissions. The latest 4.6 liter Rover motors have cross bolted mains for more HP capability. I've got a Rover 4.6 short block ready to go into my 62 Olds, though I plan to adapt the unique Olds heads and valve covers so it looks "correct" (another reason why I don't care about being "concourse correct" with that alternator ;)).

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Hi Joe, thanks for the info !! I did not know that the 215 had another life in the Rover. Did the Rover use a carburetor'd version?

I have a Turbocharger and side-draft carburetor setup around here somewhere.. but it's been 25 or more years since I've seen it, it's possible

that I gave it away to some of my friends who were using the lightweight engine in dune-buggies back then.

I completely agree with your assessment regarding using an alternator for a daily driver, and the likelihood of the added accessories on the car.

I'm guessing, but I think those early 60's generators were only 25-30 amp output? and most of the alternators were around 40-50 amp?

Take care,

GLong

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Yes, GM sold the rights and tooling for the motor to Rover in 1966. The original Rover motors were nearly identical to the Buick versions, except for twin SU carbs instead of the Rochester and a Lucas distributor instead of Delco. Later versions grew in displacement and got EFI. These engines are the small block Chevy of the UK, and performance parts abound.

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OK I changed my mind. Generators are like the lost secrets of the Pyramids, it would be impossible to find anyone in the whole world who knows how to fix one. You may be able to get a watch maker to whittle one out of steel and copper by hand but that is about it.

So do not waste your time picking up the phone,looking in the Yellow Pages, asking your old car owning friends, or local mechanics. Generators have gone to join the DODO birds.

LOL! Way to go, Joe.

Ben

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Guest Bob Call

If there are no automotive electric shops listed in your local yellow pages, check for an older auto repair shop. In my city there are several that have been here for over 60 years and they can test electric systems and rebuild generators and starters. Some older independent parts stores may have a new old stock or rebuilt GM Delco generator on the shelf. From 55 thru 62 there were 2 or 3 basic Delco's used by GM divisions. The differences were the output amps. And, I seem to remember there two case lengths therefore two lengths of mounting brackets. Cars with A/C generally had a higher amp generator than non-A/C. I think by 62 the max was 55 amp, but, most were 35 or 45 amp. Different cars and apps had different pulleys. GM started transisitioning to alternators in 62 and by the 63 model year all GM cars had alternators.

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Guest ChristyP

First, you all have very good information all of which I need to take into consideration, especially considering my belts have been squealing for a few weeks. I thought it was just due to the cold, but possibly they are loose. And if I read this right, the belts being too loose might cause the generator not to work optimally! Also, I am positive the battery is good, still.

so, here's what happened because I didn't read your posts first: I ordered a part from crappy-butt O'Reilley's that they assured me was the same generator. Picked it up yesterday and this morning took the generator from the Buick out of the car. of course comparing them side by side they aren't exactly the same and the wiring harness connection spots arent in the same area, which will not work in the Buick because the harness won't reach. so i returned it.

now I have a buick that is dismantled and no replacement generator. I'll go through the posts again because I think someone posted a way to check the generator for power and function once removed from the car...that is what I need to do now. and then rebuild the darn thing myself. Anyone recommend a specific place to buy the new brushes that I'll need?

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Guest Bob Call

Christy

Even though the parts stores no longer stock new or rebuilt generators they do stock the brushes and bushings (bearings) for most generators, Delco's in particular.

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Christy:

First, try getting the gen to "motor" as mentioned above; you can do that out of the car with additional wiring; if it doesn't "motor":

Since you've got the gen off, shine a good light down into the open slits at the back of the gen (I'm assuming yours has slits in the gen housing anout 1/2" wide, and not the earlier type that had a light metal band, held together with a stovebolt screw, covering holes about 1" wide)...but, whichever:

Look straight in; you should see the round coppery colored Commutator that's the back end of the armature (the revolving part inside)...it should be a fairly bright coppery color with horizontal lines along the axis (centerline) of the armature...the darker/dirtier it is, the less it can generate, and if quite discolored may prevent generating...if so, Google "cleaning generator armatures" or "cleaning generator commutators"...you can do that off the car but if on vehicle BE CAREFUL you don't lose pieces of cleaning piece inside...

The "brushes" are not actual brushes, but little squares/rectangles of graphity material that gradually marks/discolors the commutator as they "ride" on the commutator, held against it by spring holders of innumerable types...they wear out by wearing down until not enough material is left to be pressed against the commutator to generate juice (or metal parts ride on commutator, scoring it)...there should be at least 1/4" "brush" left, if you can see them (new ones are only 3/4 to 1" or so long)...

If commutator looks good try to shine the light to see the inside of the housing at the front end of the commutator; what you're looking for is a thin silvery line around the inside of the housing; if it's there it's called "slung solder" (slung from holding the armature wire windings to the commutator) and you need armature rewound, at least.

If commutator needs cleaning, brushes look OK, no slung solder put it back on with clean commutator (or clean on car), BUT EVERY PLACE OF CONTACT MUST be bright clean (with file, emery, whatever) incl the gen mountings/bolts, the gen adjusting bolt/surface, every wire and connecting mount on gen and VR (many troubles are just old/subtly veneered/corroded contact surfaces, as set aout above) with good fan belt adjusted as above...and pray a little...

Good fan belt: belts get old; they "glaze" (get shiny/slick/hardened surfaces where runs in pulleys, often more on sides than bottom) they get lifeless and stiff..SQUEALING is slipping belt--old/glazed/stiff/ causing slipping, unless it's water pump going out, trying to seize, about to shear off at pulley, sending rotating fan into radiator...oh, sorry, maybe it's just power steering pump about to go out, leaving you gong down the road, 50mph, with practically no steering......belt should look/feel flexible with dark rubbery color, difficult to pull through grasping hand...

NOTE: do not grasp belt while on running engine...oh, and do try to get someone to walk you thru this...with sympathy, Bud

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Take a pair of jumper cables, hook the negative to the body of the generator, I usually use one of the generator mounting 'ears'. Make sure the jumper cable clamp is making good contact on the generator.

Make sure the generator pulley can turn freely, and is not draging on the workbench, ground or wherever you are performing this test.

Then, take the positive cable clamp, and touch the copper piece on the jaw of the clamp [the electrical connection] to the larger of the two electrical connections on the generator. The generator should turn slowly like a motor. If not touch the cable clamp to the other connection. One of the two should make the generator turn as a motor.

If the generator does motor, follow the directions stated in the previous post to check the brushes. The brushes are rectangular pieces of carbon, with a braided copper wire molded into the carbon. There is a spring, usually made of wire, that pushes on the end of the carbon brush, exerting some force to keep the carbon block against the copper commutator on the rotating armature. Check to see if each of the brushes does in fact have a little bit of spring pressure being exerted on the brush. If the brush has worn down a lot, then the spring will be pushing against the guide that the brush rides inside, instead of pushing on the brush itself.. This is noticable when you cannot see any of the carbon brush sticking out of the top of the guide, but rather, recessed deep down into the guide.

Since you mentioned that the fan belt has been squealing for weeks, it is quite possible that it is the culprit: the belt was slipping so much that it could not spin the generator well enough to generate electricity to charge the battery..

I would buy a new fan belt, if it has been squealing for weeks, it is likely to be bad, worn, glazed and cracked. They don't cost much, just put a new on on.

While the fan belt is off, grab the fan blade, and lift up and down on the waterpump shaft, it is what the fan is bolted to. If the tip of the fan blades move more that about 1/8"-1/4", then it is likely that your water pump bearings are bad. and when they allowed the fan belt to loose tension, then the fanbelt started slipping on the generator pulley.

If the fan spins freely with a flick of your finger, and doesn't have a lot of free play, put the generator back on, with a new fan belt, set the tension on the belt so that you cannot turn the generator pulley by hand, the belt should be tight enough that from the generator to the waterpump [fan] pulley, usually about 16", a firm push down or firm pull on the belt in the center of the 16" of fan belt only results in a deflection of about 1/2" to 1", any more and I'll bet you can turn the generator pulley and the belt will slip.

Let us know what works out for you. Did you ask the auto parts store who in your area rebuilds generators and starters?? I would NOT recommend trying to remove the end cap of the generator in order to change the brushes, it takes a lot of finesse and often two sets of hands and some specially bent pieces of wire to pull and hold the brushes brushes against their springs while you reassemble the end of the generator.

I'd suggest finding that elusive rebuild shop to change the brushes and lube the bearings, inspect for bad fields or armature, and clean or turn the commutator.

You could also take your starter into the autoparts store, and have them LOOK at your starter, and get a replacement that will physically fit and work.

Good Luck, and let us know what happens and how it works out.

GLong

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Christy

Even though the parts stores no longer stock new or rebuilt generators they do stock the brushes and bushings (bearings) for most generators, Delco's in particular.

Have you actually tried to buy these parts from an auto parts store recently? Most don't even stock these parts for a late model alternator, let alone a 50 year old generator. I tried to get brushes and bearings and a regulator for a Delco 12SI alternator, which must have been used on tens of millions of GM cars and trucks built in the 1980s. No one had these parts in stock. I could get a complete, rebuilt alternator, or I could order the parts, but they were not kept in stock.

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If you were trying to get alternator parts for the CS-130 series of alternators, they were not made to be repaired by the service technician. Could not even rebuild them when they were new. They were an exchange item.

As I said in the post directly above, I was looking for parts to rebuild a 12SI, NOT a CS130. And you can get parts to rebuild a CS130, but not at an auto parts store.

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Guest Bob Call

Rock Auto has the brushes, brush springs and bushings in stock.

I have changed brushes in dozens of Delco's, it's a simple job.

Start by removing the screws that hold the end caps to the case. Note the location of the screws through the case so that they don't touch the field coils. Most generators have locator pins so the caps and case fit together only one way. Remove the rear end cap. Take out the screws that attach the brush wire to the holder and slide out the brush. Clean the end cap and brush holders of dirt and dust with compressed air or spray carb or brake cleaner. If using the spray cleaner be sure the bearing is lubed before reassembly. If the commutator is not bright and shiny then remove the armature with the pulley and front end cap assembly from the case. Rest the armature on a shop rag on your work bench or an open vise covered by a shop rag or other material to protect the armature. Be sure it is secure so it won't be accidentally dropped and damaged. Take a strip of emery cloth and polish the commutator like you were shining the toe of your shoes. Don't over do it, just enough to get it clean and shiny so it will make good contact with the brushes. Use compressed air to blow any dirt and dust from around the field coils in the case.

Reassemble the armature into the case. Put the new brushes in the holders and attach the brush wires with the screws taken out of the old brush. While holding the brushes and holders back replace the back cover to the case. Release the brush holders and the springs should press the brushes onto the commutator. Note that the contact face of the brushes is concave. Be sure that the concave surface is making full contact with the commutator. Replace and tighten the long screws that hold the end caps to the case.

As someone stated above, when you pull the armature from the case, inspect the inside of the case and if you see a silver line around the inside of the case, the armature needs to be rewound.

Edited by Bob Call (see edit history)
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Rock Auto has the brushes, brush springs and bushings in stock.

I have changed brushes in dozens of Delco's, it's a simple job.

Start by removing the screws that hold the end caps to the case. Note the location of the screws through the case so that they don't touch the field coils. Most generators have locator pins so the caps and case fit together only one way. Remove the rear end cap. Take out the screws that attach the brush wire to the holder and slide out the brush. Clean the end cap and brush holders of dirt and dust with compressed air or spray carb or brake cleaner. If using the spray cleaner be sure the bearing is lubed before reassembly. If the commutator is not bright and shiny then remove the armature with the pulley and front end cap assembly from the case. Rest the armature on a shop rag on your work bench or an open vise covered by a shop rag or other material to protect the armature. Be sure it is secure so it won't be accidentally dropped and damaged. Take a strip of emery cloth and polish the commutator like you were shining the toe of your shoes. Don't over do it, just enough to get it clean and shiny so it will make good contact with the brushes. Use compressed air to blow any dirt and dust from around the field coils in the case.

Reassemble the armature into the case. Put the new brushes in the holders and attach the brush wires with the screws taken out of the old brush. While holding the brushes and holders back replace the back cover to the case. Release the brush holders and the springs should press the brushes onto the commutator. Note that the contact face of the brushes is concave. Be sure that the concave surface is making full contact with the commutator. Replace and tighten the long screws that hold the end caps to the case.

As someone stated above, when you pull the armature from the case, inspect the inside of the case and if you see a silver line around the inside of the case, the armature needs to be rewound.

Very good description of the job to replace a set of generator brushes, and I agree Bob, that it is an easy job, but the Original Poster is not very experienced with working on cars. [My impression from his posts] I think taking the brush end-cap off a generator is way beyond his skill level. This brush replacement job is also best to have an extra set of hands to help hold parts/brushes etc in place while reassembling. Having a set of 'brush holders' is certainly not in everyone's tool box or on their workbench.

I get the impression that the OP doesn't understand the need to look under the hood when the fan belt had been squealing for a few weeks. I think it is likely that the problem is just a loose fan belt.. it wouldn't squeal if there wasn't drag from the generator causing the belt to slip. Of course it could be the waterpump or fan causing the squealing as well.

I guess we have to wait to see what the 'fix' was.

GLong

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Guest ChristyP

You're right GLong! I'm not very experienced working on cars, but I'm capable and not afraid to try any project. My husband will tell you that he didn't lift a finger to help me remove the generator from the car until I got the final bolt out and had to get his help moving some wires out of the way to pull it out (because of the angle and weight of it I had to use both hands holding it). Anyway, I do have an extra set of hands (my husband) to help me with anything I need him for so I'll be tackling that project as soon as I can get some time away from work, school and taking care of my kid to get the parts.

"...the OP doesn't understand the need to look under the hood when the fan belt had been squealing for a few weeks." was insulting. I'm not afraid to admit that I don't have all the information, which is why I asked here, to people who DO have a lot of information, specifically on vehicles like mine... I want to learn and if you don't wish to help, that's totally fine, but I don't need insults, they don't help at all.

Also, I have the belts, and as soon as I get the generator checked and possibly rebuilt, I'll get them on also.

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Christy: I apologize, now that I re-read my post it certainly was NOT meant to sound like it does to me now.

I was trying to point out to Bob that I thought a brush swap would be a bit too much of a job for you. To put that comment in perspective, I usually do NOT look forward to removing an end cap from a generator or starter because I often find it needing even more than two sets of hands to reassemble. Those %%##$% brushes can be a real pain.

In the interest of you not performing a task that is NOT needed: Did you try motoring the generator yet?? if it motors, it should work as a generator, and the problem with your charging system is then NOT in the generator.

This thread has had several posts suggesting the motoring test, and several about a DIY brush change/internal inspection.

The motoring test should be done first, because it answers the question about whether the brushes need replacing or the generator rebuilt.

I've 'turned wrenches' much of my life, and have seen many a car/truck come into the shop with a new battery, a new starter, a new generator, and the customer says that it can't be fixed !! Only to find a corroded wire, or bad grounds etc.. I've seen many a car with $300 or more worth of new parts, when the actual repair was $50 or less for diagnosis time and a repair of a wire or dirty connection.

What I would hope you are able to avoid putting a lot of extra time and effort into doing un-needed tasks, when a bit more back and forth with the members on the forum and this thread can, most likely help you find the actual problem, not just start rebuilding, installing new parts etc etc.

Sorry again, I really did not intend to insult you. Only to help you get your Buick on the road again,

GLong.

Edited by GLong (see edit history)
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Guest ChristyP

Thank you. I absolutely do appreciate all the advice and tips you, and everyone else also, have given, although a few things have me nervous, I'm going to dive back into it this weekend (2 jobs, plus college and family have my time very limited). I'll test out each component and go from there and I'll followup and let you all know where I'm at with it. Thank you again!

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Guest ChristyP

I came home from work to find that my husband had contacted a local company and gotten the generator rebuilt! So Tonight I reinstalled it. I was nervous that I didnt connect the wiring harness right, but i did! After much finessing, I got the tension correct and the guy who worked on it said that based on the way it wore on the backside, that the belts were too tight. I am happy to report the car is running just perfectly now! (the clock cable is still cut but I might never get the dash off to fix that and I'm still missing a mounting bracket for the speaker so that the radio works but it;s running and I only have a 7 mile commute, so I can deal with silence.) :-)

Thank EVERYONE for all your help, information, advice and tips. I used every bit of it and my husband was tired of hearing me say, the guys on the forum said to look for this, and be careful of that, and be sure to do this...

post-105966-143143053945_thumb.jpg

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"I came home from work to find that my husband had contacted a local company and gotten the generator rebuilt! "

Gee why didn't I think of that! Ha ha just kidding, congratulations on getting your car going again. I bet you feel like McGyver on a good day.

"I usually do NOT look forward to removing an end cap from a generator or starter because I often find it needing even more than two sets of hands to reassemble. Those %%##$% brushes can be a real pain. "

Try installing the brushes after you put the gen together OR tie them back with a piece of string and cut the string when you are done.

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