Generator fixed, for now!!

[Scott Forman]

Tom,

Had the same thing happen to me a few months ago. Gen quit putting
out AC, found to be bad brush. Brushes replaced. Gen ran for
approximately 6 hours before quitting again. Determined that slip
ring and other parts too worn to be reliable, would just keep eating
brushes. Initially decided to purchase entire new brushless head
unit for a few grand. Mechanic spent some time looking at old unit
and determined that slip rings could be pressed out and replaced.
With that in mind, decision made to replace all the replacable parts
inside the generator (rings, bearings, brushes) and put it back on.
Cost of doing all this was half what the new head unit would have
cost, and it is basically a brand new generator now. Even though it
is "previous generation" technology, it should be reliable for
another 20 years just like the original was. There are lots and lots
of old brush-style generators used in marine applications every day.

Scott Forman
86 PT38
Memphis

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "thomas_sorrentino"
wrote:
>
> While at Maxton last weekend my generator just quit. It was raining
to
> hard to take a look at it and John was kind enough to let me plug
into
> his 30 buddy plug.
> The generator motor would start and stay running as long as the
start
> switch was held in or the fuel solenoid held in.
> It was producing no AC voltage on the gages and the fan wasn't
running.
> I found that on one of the brushes the little wire had broken off.
Now
> this had happened before not that long ago (less than a year). So I
> took a closer look at the (slip rings?) part the brushes rub on.
The
> most forward ring, the one that the brush was broke on, is not a
nice
> round shape (looking at it from the end). It has a 1/8" deep grove
worn
> but only over approx. 1/3 of the circle. So now I think I know why
I'm
> going thru brushes. How big of a job is it to replace those rings?
Are
> they even replacable, or should I just buy brushes by the case?
>
> Tom Sorrentino
> 1987 PT38
> Bedford Hills, NY
> 12.5 KW Yanmar/Kohler
>