Generator\Starter Rebuild

[Goober]

I am about to rebuild my generator and starter from my BD-240. Anybody got any tips or ideas on what problems I might run into?

[Paul "Misterfixit" Schulz]

being an auto electrician and armature winder by trade i spose i can give ya some pointers,

do all the usual stuff bearings and bushes, brushes etc, but when machining the commutator (the bit with all the copper segments that the brushes run on) in a lathe make sure you support the shaft by its BEARING SURFACES only, do not attempt to machine it by any center live or fixed that is machined into the end of the shaft because the commutator needs to be exactly running on the same plane as the bearing other wise the commutator will have a bouncing effect on the brushgear and will cause poor performance and shorten the life of the brushes, use a shallow cut with a slightly concaved round tip lathe tool bit, then when it is cut you must undercut the mica insulators from between the segments of the commutator ( i use a broken hack saw blade which i have grinded each side to leave no offset in the teeth, be gentle! then put it back in the lathe and polish the commutator with some worn fine grade emery cloth. makewsure there is no small peices of copper in between the segments otherwise it will short circuit causing sparks and burning at the brushes.

[Goober]

WOW. That was really detailed. Thank you alot Misterfixit. Wow.