Hey everyone. 

The ol' Edsel needed fuel and I decided what better time than the present to go get some. I headed out just after dark with my lights on and my newly installed oil pressure gauge. So as I got fuel I could kill three birds with one stone; get gas, check oil pressure and check the charging system. First off, it's a 1959 Edsel with a 292 V8, 2 speed Mile-O-Matic transmission and a generator charing system. The voltage regulator is new and is aftermarket. I noticed that the charging system seems to be grossly undercharging the system with the lights on. During day drives at cruising speed I'm usually hitting 13.8 to 14.2 volts and 12.6 volts at idle while in drive. During this night drive the system struggled to barely keep it at 12.1 volts when cruising and dropped down to 10.8 volts at idle in drive. At stop lights I'm idling at about 600 rpm (10.8 volts) and cruising at about 1200 rpm (12.1 volts) Is there something I can adjust to get the charging system back up to par?

And on the oil pressure side of things... I noticed that when the engine is cold I get about 45 pounds idling in park at about 1000 rpm. Once warm and driving I was noting the engine was hovering at about 20 - 25 pounds at idle (600 rpm idling in drive) and bumped up to about 40 pounds at cruising speed (1200 rpm) Any thoughts on how severe an issue that is? Its an old worn out engine that probably never been rebuilt. So, I know I'm not going to get great oil pressure, I just want to make sure I'm not killing the engine on my joy rides.

Thanks everyone

EDIT: I should also mention, the generator light does not come on, so the system is producing power...

40psi hot is good ,low idel 15to 20 in my exp is fine. . oil presur has always bin a issue,that is why red lights cam along. most electric gauges ar not accurate. with the generator  they do not charge at low rpm,reason for alternators. just have fun and put some miles on edsel. Onley thing to moniter could be  battery cond,and age

I'm no expert, but I believe there were 30, 35, and 40 AMP generators installed in FoMoCo products of this vintage and each had a matching voltage regulator. And if your regulator has a removable cover, it can be adjusted if you have a volt/amp meter.


"FREE SAMPLE"

As mentioned, a generator setup will not keep up like an alternator. You might want to check the battery with a volt meter a while after night driving,,just to make sure it's not getting run down. If it's normally maintaining very close to 12 Volts I wouldn't be concerned. Just don't let the battery get to far down if the car is sitting for extended periods.  Due the the myraid of accessorys on modern cars, generators became impracticle due to their inability to maintain a substantial charge under load in night driving & at idle.. As for your oil pressure concerns, as noted before, it's likely fine for regular driving.   


Paul

I don't think you have a problem unless the battery is being drained. Generators have no low idle output so back in the day when we stopped at a light etc. the lights would actually dim. As long as your showing 12v at idle it is maintaining the charge and supporting all the lights. When you are driving the gauge should go up to normal. That's why we couldn't park with the engine idling and the radio on for long periods in those days. The oil pressure sounds about normal too. It sounds to me like you have a pretty normal running old Ford there. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Part of my miss spent youth was working in the the automotive section of a Sears Roebuck from 1956 to 67. I was a pretty good "tire buster" in my day. As time permitted I worked the battery line and the old guy there taught me a lot. If a regulator was not riveted it could be adjusted. Sears did not like us doing it as they wanted to sell regulators too but we did it anyway. First you needed a good generator. GM's were easy to check by putting an voltmeter on the battery and grounding the field and rev up the engine a little and see the voltage; usually went to at least 18. FoMoCo's needed to take off one of the wires, I think it was the field and touch it to the armature, and then rev up. Don't quote me on this one as I'm 70 and it's 2014 not 1967 and I have 1/2-zimers. Anyway after you know the generator is good you can adjust the regulated voltage by raising or lowering the tension on the springs in the reg. As I remember more tension the higher it goes. Both idle and run could be adjusted especialy after you first saw what the voltage was at idle during the generator check. We would file and polish the contact points also. 

The key thing was to put the cover back on after the adjustment and rev the engine to see what you did. He taught me to not screw it back on as further adjustment was always needed. Just set it on and hold it with one hand and rev the engine for the check. When satisfied screw back on the cover. All done with just a voltage meter.

One other thing for you A/C guys, last weekend I met and talked with a gentleman that had a 1964 Fairlane Sport Coupe at a little Sunday show I go to. It had a 260 V8 with A/C and a 40 amp generator from the factory and he said he has never had a problem with charging, low battery, or anything electrical and he had it for years. This gives me hope when I install A/C on my 56 I may not need anything extra ...Good Luck

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

Thank you, I will go through my manual and read through these procedures and check the regulator itself for adjustment points. It is aftermarket, so I hope I have some leeway.