Battery sparks also when disconnected (6V).  Stuck regulator? Shorted armature?  I assumed the gen. had failed (likely overdue for brushes), but didn’t notice the light didn’t go off when I parked.
Suggestions?

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Stuck regulator

I would also say stuck regulator. The cut out relay in the regulator, you may get by with cleaning the contact points but I would get a new regulator. 

On its way.  I worry whether being energized over night may have damaged the generator/points/etc. (?).

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Well, I’m definitely screwed. I installed a new regulator, and the gen. light is now off, but the generator is putting out zero juice.  Obviously, leaving the stuck regulator on overnight fried it!  I have a spare generator that failed, and I had planned to rebuild it (never got around to it), but when I removed it’s end plate, I see now that the bearing had worn a fairly deep grove in the race, and the bearing spring plate was broken. I COULD try swapping parts and maybe come up with a single functioning 6V T-Bird generator (I’d like to keep things looking as original a possible), but I wonder if it isn’t finally time to ‘bite-the-bullet’ and install a 6V alternator kit (?).  Car is a ‘driver’, and that might be the simplest fix to get me back on the road, since no guarantee either generator is salvageable, and NOS replacements are likely unobtainable.
Any advice would be appreciated.

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

P.S.   Especially interested in reviews/details from anyone who has installed the look-a-like Powermaster 6V alternator. Supposedly a ‘bolt-in’ conversion, though I suspect the GEN idiot light won’t function. Looks like a bit of black paint & an ID plate would fool most (?).

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Daniel - I can't help with information on a 6V alternator conversion as I have no experience with that. If the cutout relay contacts were stuck in your old regulator, that would have applied full 6V to the armature. If the battery was good and fully charged, a fair amount of heat would build up within the armature possibly damaging it. Depending on how much time you are able to put into this, there are numerous tests that can be done, one of which is to perform a gen output test and go from there.    I'm curious about the gen light now being "off" but does it go on when the engine is not running with the ignition switch on? Sounds like you have another "parts donor" generator that needs attention also. One unfortunate thing is that parts are quite scarce for these 6V generators.  Good luck....

64F100 57FAIRLANE500

I cannot vouch for that particular generator, but I've used a couple of Powermaster starters and was more than satisfied with both.  (Two Different vehicles).

I’ve never used the powermaster alternators, but I’m on another site where they come up. They seem to work fine for the guys that buy them. Just the usual bitcxxing from the guys that don’t complaining about the price. 6 volts for flatheads most often, so they must be fine.

Call the tech line and ask about the gen light. I’ll bet it works too if wired properly.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA