Posted by bdk on June 24, 1999 at 12:06:19:
In Reply to: WC-52 "IT'S ALIVE!!" (sort of.) posted by Moby on June 24, 1999 at 09:41:43:
If your carburetor is flooding, your float needle is probably not working correctly. You may have a piece of dirt keeping it from closing, the rubber tip on the needle may be dried out, or the float may be stuck/rusted into place so that the needle isn't metering properly. Open it up and take a look!
Most float carburetors are designed to work on about the same fuel pressure, so I doubt your pump is the problem, unless it is defective also.
I think that the alternator conversion is more trouble than it is worth. You must change the pulley on the alternator because the original belt is wider. If you go to a narrow belt, it won't turn the alternator (or the water pump!) because the narrow belt won't grip the sides of the pulley, it will sit in the bottom of the groove.
Your original generator will probably work fine with a little cleaning and maybe some new brushes and brush springs. You can probably match something up at your local NAPA dealer for about $5. Maybe the wiring from the generator to the regulator is defective? Check all your terminals. Keep in mind that a generator won't charge a battery at idle. You generally need 1200-1400 rpm for them to make power.
If you make the change to an alternator, you must also change the voltage regulator to the two unit panel type used with an alternator (unless your alternator is internally regulated). Then you get to replace every bulb in the truck with 12 volt pats. Oh by the way, your coil just smoked because you forgot to add a ballast resistor or change it to 12 volts too.
Some poor schmoe like me will buy this thing from you in ten years, and cuss you up and down for changing all this stuff that works just fine if you maintain it properly. Your truck has probably been neglected for over 50 years.... I suspect that with help from this forum you could overhaul the generator for less money than you could overhaul an alternator. You'll also spend less time overhauling the generator than it will take you to get that alternator working on there, plus you will have learned something (I always do!).
I have two alternators from a bogus conversion on my WC-54 Ambulance. If you want, I'll trade both of them for your generator....
BK