Not charging

[vping]

So I've put some of my projects on hold and had the opportunity to work on a '65 for some extra change. Started with an engine build and now I'm finishing his restoration. Anyway....

I converted to Negative ground as per specs.
Coil wires swapped - Check and I added a Pertonix
Fuel pump - Wound up putting in a Facet as his was pos. and kinda old.
Battery cables swapped - Check.
Polarized the Genny - Check
Tach - Cut and reversed white wire loop. Swapped green wire and resistor wire - Check

Starts and runs great (re-set up carbs and gave it a tune up

So I take it out on about a 30 mile round trip, get back to the driveway and it's dead. I charge the battery, start it up and let it run. She dead again.

Problems so far - Tach is not working and Owner states it was. Shame on me for not documenting it before I started the job. Part of finishing up the restoration, was to put all the gauges back in the dash and finish the wiring. Everything works which is a good thing. Three wires not connected. A brown which is not hot, a white which is not hot and a yellow (OD wire). Both of these brown and white wires are up behind the tach.

Where do I begin? Could it be the regulator? Is my belt too tight on the Genny?

 

[vping]

Oh and I have never noticed the red ignition light in the tach light up before or after I got it.

 

[PAUL161]

Vince, a couple things to check. 1-Make sure the voltage regulator is working properly. 2-Make sure there's no polarity problem, something you might have missed, which is easy to do. If you have a volt amp meter, temporarily place it on the generator hot wire and see if it's putting out. There has to be a logical explanation why the battery is going dead and usually that's caused by a fault in the charging system. PJ

 

[bob67bgt]

On any MG with a generator and seperate voltage regulator install a battery kill switch. If one of the sets of contacts in the voltage regulator stick shut when you turn the key off the red light will come on (*Key OFF*!) and begin to melt the wiring harness. I think Brown is hot all the time and wonder why yours is not. The white and yellow are just for the o/d and extra. Now for the memory part...I think you unplug the generator wires- make a jumper wire and connect two terminals together. Start the engine (idle) and connect a volt meter from the new connector on one end and the other lead to ground. You should be able to watch the voltage increase as you rev the engine. I would just do enough to confirm that its working or dead. If working move on to the regulator as the problem and if not then start at the generator. Maybe both are ill! Just be sure to have easy access to remove a battery cable if you have not installed that kill switch in the car! I am guessing that you confirmed good wires between the gen and regulator...Bob

 

[vping]

Double checked my work and all is good. The Genny seems to be new (not a quick paint job) it's new and knowing the expense the guy put into the car, it had better be.

The brown wire under the dash might be dead ended somewhere. The harness is one thing I would like to replace as it was not when restored (why not with the expense the guy put into the car you ask) that is why I am finishing up the restoration.

The car did not have these issues before I got it but I did suspect the regulator.

Now for the testing. I read about disconnecting the wires from the genny as you described Bob but I want to clarify. Take both lead off of the Gen and put both wires together. Aren't these now just connecting to the car and not the genny? I thought if I put my meter across the two leads on the back of the gen, and read it's output, I'd determine if it was OK. But if what you are saying it take the wires of the genny and put them together. Now I have one leg of my meter attached to ground and the other goes to the two leads (now touching) that I am holding in my other hand? Sound right? Set my meter to volts? and read the output while giving her some gas? Good?

I'll be honest, electrical is one of my weak points for some reason and there is really not much I cannot do. I just gotta snap out of it I guess.

I was also just informed that my tach might not work with the pertronix I put in. What can I do about it and what do I tell the owner of the car now that I convinced him it's such a good upgrade?

Cheers
Vince

 

[bob67bgt]

Vince, I have a jumper lead that connects the 2 wires on the generator. All you are testing is the generator. The car is completely disconnected at this point. My jumper wire has a bare spot in the middle that the one end of the volt meter attaches and the other end of the meter to ground. Just run it long enough to see that the generator is putting out power. Not recommended seeing what it will put out over 2ooo revs. All this is for is to be sure its working. Once the system is up and going with everything hooked back up you can test the output. Bob

 

[vping]

That is where I got confused. Am I connecting wire to wire or am I conecting the generator terminals to themselves? Originally I thought I was connecting the wires together and test them to ground. Now I am reading it as connecting the Genny terminals together and then testing to ground.

Sorry for being a complete rookie on this but I don't want to fry anything which is why I am a bit gunshy when it comes to electrical.

Once I work that out, do I test the output by just putting my meter on both terminals of the gen and seeing what it outs out?

 

[bob67bgt]

Vince, As I mentioned I am going from memory on this one. I dug out my Lucas charging system card and all it does is confuse me. I will send a scan to you tonight after my computer assistant arrives home from work. I do not have a generator car handy or I would just go out and try it. Unless someone else can confirm my thoughts then wait till I send you the scan. PM your email . Bob