Generator fixed, for now!!

[thomas_sorrentino]

Scott,

Were they able to do that without pulling the gen. out of the coach?

Tom Sorrentino
1987 PT38
Bedford Hills, NY

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Scott Forman" <sforman@...>
wrote:
>
> 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
> >
>