You Get What You Pay For!

Recently, I've had a couple of customers tell me that they can buy older style (1970's era) Delco starters at the local parts stores for $39.00.  One of them had already purchased a marine sealed one for that price with a one year warranty.  How is this possible?  How can parts stores purchase these, in today's prices, for a low enough price to sell them for that amount and still make a decent mark up?

I'll tell you!  They have to cut quality and are rebuilt in third world countries, where they pay probably less then a dollar an hour for the work.  The problem with this is that both quality and workmanship suffer.  Quality suffers by way of using inferior parts, used parts that should not be reused without rewinding or repair and new parts of very low quality with inferior metals and plastics that work fine when new, but after being in the extreme temperature changes and vibrations under the hood, will eventually fail, sooner rather than later.  Many won't make the one year warranty.  Workmanship also suffers in that many of the workers are unskilled and don't really know how to watch for problems, when assembling or stripping or leaving bolts and screws loose, which will also cause problems.  How many of these units have you taken on and off, for warranty after warranty, until you finally get a good one?

How do I know this?  I've worked on many of these units and seen first hand the poor quality!  I stood there and told my customer I couldn't believe how much they are charging for these units because I know how much I have to put into one, to repair it. 

Speaking about this particular starter, on average if the unit comes in dirty and needs a standard rebuild, using quality wear parts like brushes, bushings, drive and solenoid, the parts alone cost about $25.00 and labor would usually average around $42.00.  That's a total of $67.00!  Now If I have to replace the armature and/or field coils, that substantially increases the repair cost.  To order a 'quality' rebuilt or new starter including shipping, cost me around a hundred bucks!  Add my markup of around $40.00 and you see that I can't even begin to compete cost wise with the parts stores.  I can however compete on quality, so if you only care about cost, then you get what you pay for!  If you want a unit to last and be trouble free, you should take it to a qualified and trusted rebuilder and pay the additional cost to repair yours or get a quality unit!

Poor Quality, Part 4 Ferguson Tractor Starter

This Delco starter, which looked like a rebuild from someone, came in because the customer complained that it was dragging really bad.  I tested it on the bench and it for sure was dragging.  It sounded like the bushings were worn out.

After taking it apart I found that the bushings were alright and it failed because the brushes were worn out all the way down to the metal brush holders and one had worn half way through the brush screw.  The reason this starter failed is wrong brushes.  They ended up using a smaller brush out of a later unit that didn't belong in this one.  Either someone couldn't find the right brushes or purposely picked up the wrong ones.  Either way, the starter prematurely failed.

Because this particular starter is a smaller diameter unit and has tight clearances, the longer standard brushes are too long and it takes a short but wide brush with offset screw holes to properly work.  I Installed the correct brushes and trued up the armatures commutator, which was chewed up by the brush holders rubbing against it, and finally got it going again.

So this shows that if the right parts are used and someone watches their own workmanship to make sure everything is correct, you'll have a unit that lasts, instead of fails!

Testing Generators on Vehicle or Tractor, Part 2

To fully understand this post, I suggest reading Part 1 first!

'B' circuit generators, like what is on Ford products, differ from 'A' circuit generators by the way they are controlled.  To test a 'B' circuit generator on the vehicle, remove the field 'F' wire from the generator and set it aside so it won't touch anything, then using a short jumper wire, jump across to the 'ARM' or 'GEN' terminal on the generator or better yet, use a longer wire and jump to the hot side of the battery, which could either be positive or negative depending on which side is grounded.  This will kick the generator into full charge which can either be read by the gauge in the dash or using a meter across the battery.  Be careful, because I've found that these generators are usually have a higher amp output than the 'A' circuit generators and will really cook!

To polarize a 'B' circuit system, After everything is hooked up and before starting the engine, Remove the field wire from the REGULATOR'S  'F' terminal and touch that wire to the 'BAT' terminal on the regulator.  Just hold it on, for only a second and when you remove it there should be a spark.  Warning, do not touch the regulators 'F' field terminal to the 'BAT' battery terminal or you will fry the regulator!  (As always follow the instructions you receive with the new regulator if they differ with what is written here!)

Testing Generators on the Vehicle or Tractor, Part 1

Testing 'A' circuit generators are pretty easy.  First, disconnect the 'F' terminal either at the generator or the regulator.  You must do this to prevent damaging the regulator if it is still good.  Start the engine and have someone watch the ammeter (which is the gauge that should be being used with a generator) and then use a jumper wire and ground the 'F' terminal on the generator.  If the generator is good, it will go into full charge instantly and show that way on the meter.  What ever you do, don't touch the 'F' terminal on the regulator when you do this.

If the generator does go into full charge then it is probably good.  So after you reconnect the 'F' wire, if it doesn't charge then the problem is probably the regulator and will need replaced.  You could also remove the regulator's cap and try to clean the contacts to see if it will work.  Also make sure the regulator has a good ground as that will also cause it to not work.

One last thing you can try, is to re-polarize the regulator.  This has never worked for me, as my problems have always been elsewhere, but it's worth a try.  To polarize the regulator on an 'A' circuit system, With the engine off and everything connected including the battery, (positive or negative ground) take a jumper wire and momentarily touch the regulators 'BAT' terminal to the 'ARM' (or 'GEN' terminal, which ever way it is marked).  Only hold the wire on it for a second and them remove it.  It will spark when removing it and that is normal.  If there is no spark, check the wiring to make sure you have battery juice to the 'BAT' terminal by checking it with a test light or meter.  Once again, DO NOT touch the 'F' terminal or it will instantly fry the regulator.  (My directions for polarization are only general and you should follow the directions you receive with the new regulator if they differ from what I have stated here!)

On some regulators the 'ARM' terminal is in back or underneath and may be hard to access.  In that case you can jump from the 'BAT' to the 'A' terminal on the generator as the wire from the 'ARM' terminal goes directly to the 'A' terminal. 

One final thought today, most regulators used with 'A' circuit Delco generators have either three or four terminals.  The three terminal units terminals will be marked 'BAT', 'ARM' (or 'GEN') and 'F'.  Four terminal units are marked 'L', 'BAT', 'F' and the terminal in back or on bottom 'ARM'.  The 'L' terminal on the four terminal unit, if used, is for the vehicle's or tractor's lights and is usually wired directly to the light switch.

I will cover 'B' circuit generators in the next post.

Generators, 'A' or 'B' Circuit?

I thought I'd throw in a little information about auto and tractor generators this week.  Please consider this information as general in nature.  You should find an experienced electrical technician for proper identification and testing.

The main difference in the various generators that were produced in older vehicles and tractors is that there were either 'A' circuit or 'B' circuit units.  What this means is how the units output, is controlled by the regulator, regulating the field current (to the 'F' terminal on the generator).  In the 'A' circuit generators, which were mainly Delco units, were controlled by the regulator varying the ground to the field.  In 'B' circuit generators, the regulator applied current to the field, which was internally grounded.

Most 'A' circuit units were on GM products and many farm and industrial tractors.  'B' circuit units were mainly found on Ford products and possibly industrial units, but there were a few 'A' circuit Ford tractor units produced.   Later generators on Ford tractors were all Lucas brand 'B' circuit generators.  Other manufacturers like Autolite and Prestolite made generators also, and they could be either 'A' or 'B' circuit.  Delco may have made a 'B' circuit generator, but I've never came across one!

I will offer a little testing and advice for generators in the next post!

Fewer Breakdowns

I've been traveling the last week and a half and noticed that there are fewer cars broke down on the road than we used to see, say 30 years ago.  Technology has made them last longer and made than more reliable than earlier vehicles.  Just considering the shear number of vehicles out there, you'd think there should be hundreds of broke down vehicle on the road.  With the advances in tire design, you seldom even see flat tires out there either.  Unfortunately, the trade off being that you can no longer work on your own cars with just basic mechanical skills any more!  Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Once these cars quit running they must be towed to a mechanic to get them running again.  I remember many times on my old 60's to 70's cars and pickups, being able to repair them on the road or able to limp them home where I could fix them.  Those were the days!

Doctors VS. Mechanics, Who Should Be Paid More?

If you think about this for a minute and compair the two jobs, you may see that the mechanic may actually have a tougher and harder job than most doctors.

First off, the human body is only made in two models, male and female!  Though there are different sizes and ages that play a factor in their treatment, basicly the internal organs are all the same and don't change when a new baby comes along.  Granted there are always new technics and drugs for treatment that come about and new diseases that pop up, not all doctors will learn all of these as only specialists will come along to learn and use some them.

Now look at all the automobiles coming off the rack each and every year.  Consider all the manufacturers and all the models of vehicles they produce.  Then throw in all the different engine sizes and transmission options and even body options and everything is different and nothing is interchangable, none of them have the same readings when testing and diagnosing.  Every year they produce new models with something more complex and difficult to diagnose and work on!  So when you bring your car into the mechanic, he now has to go online and learn how to diagnose and fix your car.  Basic mechanic skills that were learned years ago that would allow a mechanic to fix almost any car, do not come into play now.  Granted they help and without them they would not even know where to start, they really only aid in physically identifing and changing the defective parts.

Every time a patient goes to see the doctor, the doctor relies on his knowledge and experience to treat the patient.  When a person brings in their devective vehicle, the mechanic is faced with a literal nightmare of wires and components that he has to stop and learn how to fix on the spot!

Who do you think should be paid more?