Generator fixed, for now!!

[thomas_sorrentino]

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

[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
>

[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
> >
>

[Scott Forman]

No, it was pulled

Scott

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "thomas_sorrentino"
wrote:
>
> 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
> > >
> >
>