I put a meter on the battery and when I speed the engine up it says 6.29 is there a way I can bypass the regulator and see if the generator is putting out thanks

Timmy call your local parts store or rebuilder and ask if they can test a 6 volt generator.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

90% probability it is the regulator that gave up.

Buy a new one, they are $25 to $100.

The regulators worm out because they have breaking points that wear out, so you will sooner or later need a new one.
You can inspect the "breaker points" it you take off the cover.

The voltage is regulated by cutting out and in the field current continuously with the breaker points in the regulator.


If the generator does not work, check the brushes first, cheap and easy.




Generator output test:


1a. Remove the wire from the armature connection on the regulator which is the connection on the end plate and put an Ampere meter that can handle 40 Amps between the armature connection on the generator and the wire you removed.

1b. Or (easier, but may include wire errors), disconnect the ARM connection (lowest connector on the charge regulator) and put an at least 40 A ampere meter between the wire and the ARM terminal at the regulator.

The short-cut of the field connector means that there will be maximum charging (which is not healthy in the long run).

2. Short cut the field connection by connect a wire from the armature connection (back of the generator) to the field connection on the generator (the field connection is the lowest connection of two on the side, marked "F". You can instead short-cut the field connection (the middle connector) to the ARM connector (or the ARM wire) at the regulator.

3. Connect a voltmeter between ground and the ARM connection.

4. Start the engine with all electrical equipment off and increase the RPM slowly to 1500 RPM (do no not rev to much!)

5. The ampere meter should show at least 38 Amps. The Voltage should be over 6,6 volts.

1955 Mercury

Crude, but usually works. When I was in the tractor business, we used to test a generator by hooking it up to a battery. Good ones will spin on there own like and electric motor, which is pretty much all they are. Don't try it on an alternator though.

Don

6.29 volts on a "6 volt" battery indicates a bit over 3/4 charge. An ammeter will tell you if the generator is charging. Does the battery eventually go flat or what? A little more information might help.

The battery goes dead after a while and I took the generator off and cleaned the brushes and armature and it spinns slow on 6 volts.

I removed the pulley and key from the armature shaft should it just tap out of the front housing assembly? I have another armature to try. thanks.

I put the original generator back on after I cleaned the comutator and I took the field wire and jumped it to the armature wire and checked it to ground with a volt meter. I got 18 volts at high idle and I raised it slightly and got 28 volts. The regulator is rivoted together so I am going to drill them out and check the points.

Put a new set of brushes in the generator, under $10.00. I've done it dozens of times only once did it not fix the problem.

Thanks where do you get brushes for them.