Smoking alternator

-
sbh126

sbh126

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2009
Messages
353
Reaction score
28
Location
Okinawa, Japan
While I was trying to break in my 440 motor this afternoon the alternator started to smoke when I first started cranking. What could cause this? Could I have the 2 wires that go to the voltage regulator crossed? Heres how I have it wired.
 

Attachments

  • charging system.jpg
    7.1 KB · Views: 187
Boy, could be a few things. I assume it didn't smoke until you turned on the key?

COULD be grease/ oil on the brushes/ slip rings.

Here's what I'd do. The blue comes from the ignition, feeds battery to the field (either push on terminal, doesn't matter) comes THROUGH the field coil and "out" the other brush, where the green is hooked. The regulator "controls the ground" to control the charge.

So get yourself a test lamp, disconnect BOTH field (push on) terminals, and turn on the key.

Use the light to check the blue wire to ground, it should be "hot" with key in "run."

Now hook the blue wire to first one, then the other push on terminal at the alternator, and look for a spark. THERE SHOULD BE NONE

If this is OK, leave the blue wire on one field terminal, and try the test lamp on the other exposed field terminal to ground. It should light.

If all that checks out OK, it could have been something that "burned out" like oil.


Frankly, those are not all that hard to dissassemble. If it were me, I'd tear it down and inspect. Just pull both brushes, pull the little bolts out around the edge, and gently pry the front half, leaving the windings in the rear half. Look for obvious problems, like rubbing, dragging, shorted/ bent wires, black, smelly, etc.
 
Wow how ironic. I was driving my work van home on 40 on Friday and I smelled something burning, pulled off the exit and opened the hood... my alternator was on FIRE!!!!! Put it out with the extinguisher I carry in my truck. No real damage except the alternator and plastic plugs at the ends of the wires. Bearings were so worn out that the alternator just literally caught on fire, Replaced the plugs and new alternator, cleaned up all the extinguisher powder and back on the road!!!! Always carry an extinguisher with you. If I did not have one I would have lost my work van and all my tools.
 
dustermaniac said:
Wow how ironic. I was driving my work van home on 40 on Friday and I smelled something burning, pulled off the exit and opened the hood... my alternator was on FIRE!!!!! Put it out with the extinguisher I carry in my truck. No real damage except the alternator and plastic plugs at the ends of the wires. Bearings were so worn out that the alternator just literally caught on fire, Replaced the plugs and new alternator, cleaned up all the extinguisher powder and back on the road!!!! Always carry an extinguisher with you. If I did not have one I would have lost my work van and all my tools.
Click to expand...
i have extinguisher in every car i own,work van has 3,my van goes up i would lose all my tools too.
 
Well I plugged it back in today and it seemed to run fine. Now that I think about itI had it apart to clean it up a bit and it was probably just some of the degreaser I had used that was burning off.
I did order a fire extinguisher today just in case I ever need it. I guess it was one of those things you dont think about till it happens to you. Better safe than sorry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top