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Date:         Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:01:10 -0500
Reply-To:     Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Alternator Brushes Wore Out Pretty Darn Quick
Comments: To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <BAY152-ds39339A8744EF87A4A5EF3A02E0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Sorry, slip rings. But the same applies.

Thanks, Tom Hargrave www.stir-plate.com www.towercooler.com www.kegkits.com

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Dennis Haynes Sent: Monday, August 22, 2011 8:28 PM To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com Subject: Re: Alternator Brushes Wore Out Pretty Darn Quick

Being a bit picky here but alternators do not have a commutator.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Tom Hargrave Sent: Monday, August 22, 2011 8:59 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Alternator Brushes Wore Out Pretty Darn Quick

Fast alternator brush wear is almost always caused by burned or pitted commutator rings.

Did you check them when you replaced the regulator or did you just change out the regulator?

Most just change the regulator & then blame the regulator when the brushes fail in a few months or weeks.

Thanks, Tom Hargrave www.stir-plate.com www.towercooler.com www.kegkits.com

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Rocket J Squirrel Sent: Monday, August 22, 2011 4:29 PM To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com Subject: Alternator Brushes Wore Out Pretty Darn Quick

Buried in my post from yesterday (about an intermittent charging issue) is a question about the wore-out brushes on the voltage regulator. The reg/brushes can't have more than 20,000 miles but were worn to nubbins, less than 1/8'' long.

Fortunately I had my old voltage regulator which probably has 70,000 miles on it and its brushes were much longer so I swapped it in and the charging system is working fine.

What can cause brushes to wear quickly?

Do different brands of brushes wear differently? (The ones that wore out quickly were on an aftermarket adjustable voltage regulator, my old one with the still-long brushes is a factory type).

Could something have happened within the alternator to speed brush wearing?

-- Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott Bend, Ore. 1984 Westfalia. A poor but proud people. 1971 "Ladybug"-brand utility trailer ca. 1972 from a defunct company in San Clemente, Calif., now repurposed as The Westrailia.

Sent from my kitchen. ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1382 / Virus Database: 1520/3850 - Release Date: 08/22/11 ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1382 / Virus Database: 1520/3851 - Release Date: 08/22/11


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