[goingmach_1]

Bolens 1886 with K482 Charging issues

I am doing a overhaul on the engine for my Brother-in-Law in his 1886. As it turns out I really like this machine. Its in great shape, except that the previous owner ran the engine into the ground.

My Brother-inLaw, Uncle Danny, purchased it, noticed it was making noise and took it over to your freindly neighborhood take it apart guy. After it was dismantled he determined it was going to need a couple of new rods, pistons ect. Thousand bucks ought to do it!

Well Uncle Danny packages it all up and drags it home, where it sits for 10 years. I come along and ask, "what are going to do with that?" He says get 'er going some day. We decide he will never do it, so I box up the remnats and start the process.

Remember, I did not take it apart.

Well I take the engine block over the machine shop, and the machinist just happens to really like doing old Kohler engines. He measures it all up and realize it needs the full Monty. Oversize pistons, undersize rods, new valve guides and valves, all the bearings, gaskets and seals.

It took some time to source it all but in a nut shell the engine is complete, installed and running.

But! It wont charge the battery.

It has a 30 amp alternator with a AC-DC rectifier. I did all the book procedures to test it high and low. The stator has 4 wires. 2 black AC output, and 2 red ones. The test shows 2 ohms between the black wires and that tests good, and .1 ohms over the 2 red ones, and they test out. The wires are not open and do not ground out to the stator. The regulator tests good as well.

The only issue I can see is that there is like a small piece of one of the magnets in the flywheel has flown off. There is still I'd guess a half magnet in there, it grabs metal anyway. All the other magnets are intact.

I traced all the wires through the key, amp gauge, circuit breaker, starter solinoid. Brand new battery.

Does anyone been through this before? Any ideas? Do you think the stator is toast.

I don't have a spare engine to start swapping parts out.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ken in NJ]

Can any of you small engine experts offer any help or advise here ? :thanku:

 

[flash5153]

Well,,Im no expert on charging system but have my share of battles with them. I won them all!!

My first thought after reading your post,,,(several times).

If it has a alternator,,,,,this is where the problem lies. ( I would think)



Can you start the engine and disconnect the battery and still run??? Do the Head lights work???

I have to ask how you determined the battery is not charging??


I had a tractor in the past I did some work to the flywheel magnets(no alternator on mine) and after that the battery was low when tried to start it.

Thought I had a charging problem ,,but found out battery was being drained as it sat,,,,,,from a bad wire

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Ive never had a charging stator problem on one of these old K series Twins, I cant offer alot of insight on this particular engine but one thing I would check for, is the 2 wires coming off the stator under the flywheel, make sure neither of them have continuity to the block/ground...

 

[goingmach_1]

Flash 5153,

Thanks for your reply. I know the battery is not charging because when I use a multi meter on the battery when the engine is running it reads battery voltage. In other words, with the engine stopped, battery voltage is 12.5 volts, with the engine running the voltage is the same. It should be nominally above battery voltage. I'd like to to see 13.5 to 14.5v.

If you disconnect the battery with the engine running, it will stop. The engine uses a coil which needs battery power to make electricity for the spark plugs.

Thanks for you input.

 

[goingmach_1]

RED-85-Z51,

Thank you for your reply. This stator is a 30 amp with 4 wires. I have since removed the flywheel and the stator. I stripped all the protective casing off the wires and inspected them visually. They look good. I also tested them for being open to ground and they are. (Good) As well checked for resistance and they do as per the book.

I have just purchased a brand new stator listed on e-bay and hopefully will get it next week. I will re-install the new stator, flywheel and see what I got. A electrical (retired) engineer buddy of mine says the magnet should not be a issue, so the the flywheel will be the last item I change. If the new stator is not the issue, I will go after the regulator-rectifier. I will post the results.

Thanks.

 

[flash5153]

http://youtu.be/9N9EISHD24w

 

[RED-85-Z51]

With the engine running, are you getting AC current at the wires off the coil? If you are getting proper current there, and nothing out of the Reg/Rec, then its for sure a bad reg/rec.

 

[goingmach_1]

With engine running there is no voltage, zero, on either of the two AC leads. Screwed onto the recitfier, or with them removed.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Sounds like a bad stator ring to me...

 

[goingmach_1]

Just a quick update, I am still waiting for the new stator to come in. I got a new off of ebay, but the seller waited a whole week to ship, then did so so by snail mail. What are you going to do? I will post the progress.

 

[goingmach_1]

Just a quick update, I am still waiting for the new stator to come in. I got a new off of ebay, but the seller waited a whole week to ship, then did so so by snail mail. What are you going to do? I will post the progress.

Got the new stator installed, and still no joy. It is not charging.

Looks like the missing magnet segment. I am going to have to find a hobby shop and try and widdle one into the spot that is missing.

I will post those results.

 

[flash5153]

Got the new stator installed, and still no joy. It is not charging.

Looks like the missing magnet segment. I am going to have to find a hobby shop and try and widdle one into the spot that is missing.

I will post those results.

I don't believe that is the problem. But explain again about the magnets?? Half of one is missing??

If that is the case,,,it's something else. IMO. Maybe,,It's the devise/gauge you are checking it with,,,,, is faulty. Just a thought. (You should get some kind of reading.)

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Its pretty simple, magnets rotating around a ring of coiled wire, it should make electricity, even with one magnet slightly damaged.

Going from one wire off the stator, to ground should make X volts, and going off the other wire should be almost exactly the same..going to both at the same time should equal The sum of both readings. And as I recall your meter should be on AC volts. As the stator makes AC power. There will be a rectifier or Diode to break the AC into usable DC power for charging the battery.

 

[tomw0]

Does the new stator have the same resistance measurements as the old? If so, the old one was not defective.
Are you sure that you are testing for output properly? Or wiring the stator into the harness properly? When you rotate the crankshaft, the magnets should cause current to flow back and forth across the windings. Measuring across red to red and then black to black you should get a voltage created. If you are measuring across there, I stand corrected. The stator will put out alternating current, which is then either fed to the lighting system as raw AC, or fed to a rectifier/regulator that will be used to provide the 12VDC+ that charges the battery and runs accessory items. The two circuits are separate. If the A/C has one lead of the stator grounded, then the other lead can go to the light switch, or be fed directly to the 'headlights' as some do now, running the lights all the time that the engine is running. If neither lead is grounded, the circuit would go directly to the load, across the headlight terminals, or be routed through a switch. It would connect to nothing else.
In most schematics I have seen, one lead from the stator windings is connected to the frame, i.e., ground. The other lead goes to the rectifier and/or headlight circuit, respectively. That saves the expense of providing a separate wire to complete the circuit.
tom

 

[goingmach_1]

Thanks for your reply.

Off the stator there is 2 AC leads that go onto the regulator/recitifer marked "AC".

Off the stator there is 2 red leads, and they go onto the regulator/rectifier marked "REG", and the other "+BAT REG".

Further there is a negative wire off the regulator/recifier that says "BAT NEG" and that goes to ground.

A mechanic checked the regulator/recitfier and says there is 3 out of the 4 diodes not working.

So the question is, how do you replace diodes. Is there a + and - diode?

If so how to do you identify them. Is there a special way to install them?

Thanks

 

[flash5153]

Thanks for your reply.

Off the stator there is 2 AC leads that go onto the regulator/recitifer marked "AC".

Off the stator there is 2 red leads, and they go onto the regulator/rectifier marked "REG", and the other "+BAT REG".

Further there is a negative wire off the regulator/recifier that says "BAT NEG" and that goes to ground.

A mechanic checked the regulator/recitfier and says there is 3 out of the 4 diodes not working.

So the question is, how do you replace diodes. Is there a + and - diode?

If so how to do you identify them. Is there a special way to install them?

Thanks

It gets interesting now. I can't help you much,,because I have never had a problem with one. But aren't they a little rubber encasing on a wire??I'm not sure what goes on in there,,,,but if one is burnt,,I believe it's just like a break in the wire.
Some one will be able to help. I'll learn something here too.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

If you are talking about the old Delco Remy Reg/Rec...I havent a clue, never had one fail to work.

Id investigate just adding diodes into the harness if thats possible.

 

[flash5153]

Can you test it before the diode,,, and again after ,,,if results are good??

I know there is one diode coming off the coil(s). Not far from coil,,could be under the cover.

Do you any issues when turning the key off,,,does the engine die quickly??

 

[RED-85-Z51]

This setup is not like a briggs with the diode in the Stator wire. The Stator leads feed right into about a 2" by 2" steel box, the box has diodes in it, as well as multiple relays and switches. It rectifies the current to DC and regulates the charging system...Its all built into the steel box.

Ive got a couple in the shop somewhere...Ill see if I can find one. Been years since I screwed with one.