Ford V8 generator- self exciting?

[Darrin Wright]

I want to mount my generator on my engine and run the engine with the belts on to bed in the water pumps. Without the charging circuit connected (at this stage).
Is the generator self exciting or does it need a sense current/wire?

If it is self exciting I have problems, but if it requires a sense current then I may be able to get away with this without having to wire up the charging side of things.

Please help.....

[motto]

If you're talking about the original generator it must be able to be run disconnected with no ill effects otherwise the regulator would serve no purpose. It's the regulator that controls the field current either by varying the earthing for or the power supplied to the windings. Either way, no connection = no output.
No doubt someone will speak up if I have it wrong.

David

[Mike Kelly]

Hi

You will not have any problem . The gene will just spin around without generating any power . As Dave wrote, it requires an external regulator in order to supply the field coils with current .

[Lynn Eades]

Not so sure.
An alternator does not have magnets in it and requires battery voltage to get the alternator charging.
A generator turned fast enough, will generate electricity enough to power the standard ignition system, from a completely dead battery ( 0 volts with a tow start)because the field coils are wound around soft iron pole shoes which contain residual magnetism. This magnetism is enough to excite (start) the generator.
I am not sure about the two brush geny, but the carrier manual (see picture below) states damage will happen, and advises the removal of the third brush in the three brush geny if you want to run the engine with the geny fitted, and not wired up properly.

[Mike Kelly]

I may be wrong but with these old 2 brush genes - When the generator is not connected to any external power supply , the tiny amount of magnetism in the pole pieces isn't enough to generate anything more than a miniscule amount of power . Mike

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Darrin

Agree with Lynn that there is a potential for a problem running a generator with nothing connected to it. I have seen the same warning in other automotive and truck manuals of the period.

I have run generators on while testing engines with out connecting them, but then I remember the admonitions not to do that. But it has never damaged a generator.

Maybe you could consider putting a 12v light bulb or other load on the gen to provide a dummy load and also give you an indication that it is generating power. Or even putting a volt meter on the generator out put and if you start seeing voltage stop.

Cheers Phil