The Craftmans Shop > New from Old

Re-building a Lucas ACR18 Alternator

(1/4) > >>

awemawson:
I recently replaced the alternator on my 1979 Ford 4600 tractor that I use for hedge cutting. I don't  think it's ever charged while I've owned which is since 2014 - I just top it up using a mains charger. Well in a fit of enthusiasm having finished this years hedging I decided to 'sort it'

Originally this tractor had an alternator with a separate regulator, and had been re-wired for the Lucas ACR18 and the lack of charging was due not only to a faulty alternator but also problems with this re-wiring and also a genuine fault in the fuse box. One of the 'Lucar' 1/4" spade lugs had completely corroded off and the live wire was floating about  :bugeye: Fault finding wasn't really aided by the Ford 4600 wiring diagram which shows a single fuse whereas there actually are twelve  :lol:

Anyway once the wiring and fuse issues were sorted I decided for expediency to fit a new alternator however as the same unit fits both my Ford tractors I'm going to re-furbish the dead one as a shelf spare.

The bearings sound and feel like gravel, and no doubt the various electrical bits are either  blown or not in the best of condition, but so long as the rotating field coil and static 3 phase stater were both continuous and not shorting to ground it could be brought back to life (hopefully!)

So this morning I removed it's end cap and made some basic measurements to convince myself it was worth buying the bits to re-build it. Happily both coils 'seem' fine so I have ordered:

New Bearings,
New Commutator,
New Brushes,
New Internal Regulator,

Fortunately all this is available as a kit on eBay including various links for the princely sum of £23 - or about 1/3rd the price of a new alternator.

So this is the state of play so far - I won't dismantle any further until the bits arrive so watch this space !

vtsteam:
Looking forward to this one.  :dremel:

John Rudd:
Andrew,
Are you giving it the full works? Shot blast the casings etc?

I have one that I started, got as far as stripping down…ran out of cash… :Doh:

awemawson:
Yes that's the plan John  :thumbup:

vintageandclassicrepairs:
Hi All
This brings me back to the Eighties where not a week went by at work when somebody would bring in one of those
alternators into the electrical workshop for repair  :palm:
The Ford factory was next door but one from the power station where I worked, (Dunlop tyres between) so a high proportion of workers drove Ford models
The usual problem was regulator failure,
There was a large crate in one corner of the workshop under the stairs full of donor Lucas alternators and starter parts (mostly junk !!)

John

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page