Generator / Starter Query

Hi;

I have a Cub Cadet 122 with the 12 hp Kohler engine.
This has a starter & generator in one unit,
belt driven.
It starts ok but doesn"t generate.
I get about 1.5 volt at the terminal that is not connected to the starter solonoid, when the engine is running.
Is this fixable?

I had a similar looking one from a 12 hp Techumseh
in my boneyard.
I swaped it in, but it spins the wrong way.
Whould reversing the terminals do anything?
(The unit has 2 terminals & Ground).

Thanks

I get my starter/generators rebuilt at the local shop. New ones are still avaiable.

Husband had our starter/generator rebuilt (for our 102 Cub Cadet) and also a new regulator put in... only cost about $120 dollars. Should be like a new machine this summer.

reversing polarity will not change rotation, I ran my 102 for several years that way. I just put the charger on when needed. When the bushing wore out I had it rebuilt. your money joe

If a generator will motor and start the engine your generator is good. You have to look at the charging circuit now, not the starting circuit.

Sounds like your voltage regulator is not closing, could of lost its polarity.

Take a 12 volt test light with the engine off. Clip you lead onto the "A" terminal of the generator and touch the test light on the positive terminal of the battery. It should light up. Now do the same test with the engine running and the light should go out. The battery is putting out 12 volts and if the generator is charging 12-14 volts there is very little current flowing thru the test light and not enough to light it up. This means the generator is good. What you just did is make an idiot light out of your test light.

If it were mine and the generator tested good I would pull the cover off the regulator and start the engine and lightly push on the relay(s) to see if the cutout relay stays closed and see if it charges. The cutout relay is the one inline with the "A" terminal on the regulator.

These are just a couple of the simpliest test on a generator circuit. There could be many other problems such as a bad ground to frame with the regulator, bad connection on the amp meter circuit, the field winding in the regulator not closing or resistor is burned up on the bottom side of the regulator.

One final test is to ground the "F" terminal on the generator while the engine is running and this will by pass the voltage regulator and cause the generator to charge full throttle. Now the cutout relay will have to close for this test to show a charge. The cutout relay is the "switch" sort of speak between the generator and the charging circuit. It needs to be closed when running to charge and it needs to be open when the engine is off to keep the electricity from back feeding and draining the battery.

Regulator doesn't get polarized but the generator does every time it's used as a starter.

I sure do enjoy the neat old pictures you post, keep up the good work Now with all due respect in the hopes yourself and others here may gain some knowledge, a few technical comments to your post are in order:


1)
"Sounds like your voltage regulator is not closing, could of lost its polarity.""

A Voltage regulator doesnt have polarity, its the generator that gets polarized"

2)
"Take a 12 volt test light with the engine off. Clip you lead onto the "A" terminal of the generator and touch the test light on the positive terminal of the battery. It should light up. Now do the same test with the engine running and the light should go out. The battery is putting out 12 volts and if the generator is charging 12-14 volts there is very little current flowing thru the test light and not enough to light it up"

ACTUALLY, if the Generator is charging and the Voltage Regulators Cutout relay is GOOD and operative, the relay closes at which time the generatoR is effecvtively coupled to the battery, and the voltages (notwithstanding voltage drop in wiring or acros relay contacts) are the same, Battery and Generator. Then a test lamp across a near zero voltage drop obviously DOES NOT LIGHT. Youre so close, but its NOT the situation where the battery is 12 volts and the genny is 14, its the two are coupled together via the closed cutout relay SO THERE WONT BE ANY SAY 14 ON GENNY AND 12 ON BATTERY, THEY WILL BE THE SAME EXCEPT FOR ANY DROP ACROSS WIRING OR RELAY CONTACTS.......

Sure hope this helps yall, FUN CHAT

Best wishes and God Bless all