Alton Generator ?

peterg

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Howdy Mike,

Something occured to me. With a D you have/had the additional load of a distributor and possibly converted/made the next step to electronic ignition...to go along with the load of lights?

POD's like most electronic reg's are geared towards modern sealed batteries that are happy with a higher running charge rate and limit at 7.2V compared mechanical reg's that cutout in the 6.6V range, though they do limit the amperage which is critical on sealed batteries. A 12 amp 6V PowerSonic/Werker does not like more than 3.5amps.

At any rate, original armatures can overheat, either sling the solder or short in the windings if made to work too hard, I try to balance excessive duty cycling of regulator and load on the generator by using a decent sized battery. In this case, a PowerSonic PS6100 rated at 12 amps sits vertically in a hollowed-out Exide rubber case battery. As D's have a bit more room, I've had very good luck with four applications of their PS6200 20amp battery on my other non-Vin machines.
 

Michael

Forum User
VOC Member
this is how mine looks

I have a Series C Rapide. I don't know what Dynamo was mounted before. When I got it there was none. See attached pic of the hole.
 

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peterg

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Howdy Michael,

The more long tenured owners here can probably identify that immediately, would say possibly a tensioner blade broke at the mounting ears/primary chain broke but if all your cover screw bosses don't have chain run grooves carved into them maybe the fixing bolt on the generator drive came adrift.

Nonetheless, not an issue when sealing an E3L - or even a D6 for that matter - to the backside of the primary if using the sealing material ref'd in previous post. Both of these genie's have a slight standoff when correctly meshed in the primary chain and seated on the case pad to allow some crush of the material. I keep it as tightly layed to the diameter of the hole once I find where the drive end bearing boss wants to position itself to prevent oil welling up on the bottom perimeter of the hole.

Theoretically, the oil slinger is supposed to centrifuge oil from the primary drive off preventing any major leak even if unsealed, I just don't like having a gap there for water to enter from the outside.
 

rwhitne2

Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Howdy Mike,

Something occured to me. With a D you have/had the additional load of a distributor and possibly converted/made the next step to electronic ignition...to go along with the load of lights?

POD's like most electronic reg's are geared towards modern sealed batteries that are happy with a higher running charge rate and limit at 7.2V compared mechanical reg's that cutout in the 6.6V range, though they do limit the amperage which is critical on sealed batteries. A 12 amp 6V PowerSonic/Werker does not like more than 3.5amps.

At any rate, original armatures can overheat, either sling the solder or short in the windings if made to work too hard, I try to balance excessive duty cycling of regulator and load on the generator by using a decent sized battery. In this case, a PowerSonic PS6100 rated at 12 amps sits vertically in a hollowed-out Exide rubber case battery. As D's have a bit more room, I've had very good luck with four applications of their PS6200 20amp battery on my other non-Vin machines.
Well Peter here is my set up no elect. ignition , all stock cept Podtronic and 2 sealed Hawker 6v - 5 AH batteries in parralell in the Exide box. Worked fine last year til dyno clamp bolts loosened and wound up w/ the lip of PD 28/3 3/4 sheared off and floating around in primary case and PD 33 worn into a cone shape. So got the Lucas rebuilt as well over winter as well. thanks for your continued thoughts . Mike
 

peterg

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Howdy Mike,

Mercy, painful to even contemplate, it'd been my luck to have some of the loose bits burst the primary case outward.

Here's a thought on getting a 20% amperage jump using only one battery. If you take just the cup portion of a one inch hole saw and run it around the inside floor of that Exide rubber case and grind off those lead plate support ribs cast into it, it yields enough head room to run this Powersonic PS6100 12.0 AH unit (or Werker equivalent if you shop at Batteries Plus) standing vertical on edge. I have a rubber pad on either side and one on the end to space the spade terminals top section off the box wall a tad.

Now old and timid, I like to run a DRL (daytime running light) but not waste any capacity on speedo lights/tailight - which is LED so actually immaterial anyway - so if you have a 4 pole original Miller headlamp switch or even the new VOCS repop, you can wire your headlight on the CH pole which is the first detent. As the brass tumbler is striped, it'll remain on for the high setting, activating the other lights though you'll need to wire a dimmer switch on your bars.
 

rwhitne2

Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Very good tip Peter re battery - I have something simiiar in my p/u Triumphs and they have been functioning fine for years. the Vincent is my first 2nd coil/battery old bike (the other a 69 TR 6 w/ electronic ignition etc) - both seem to have had simiiar probs. Never a prob w/ magneto/dyno set up. Will persevere! Mike
 
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