Technical After the rebuild

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Technical After the rebuild

Jake,

I've just watched your video. The roughness you've sorted by adjusting the mixture - excellent.

On the other hand and even without seeing a tachometer reading, the generator light behaviour seems completely normal - it's brightly lit at idle and extinguishes once the revs rise.

The manual I have has the following to say about the regulator -

3. Start up, and run the engine fast: at 3,000 rpm. The regulator should limit the voltage to 15.5 volts. It is important to take the reading quickly to avoid temperature effects.
4. The reading should be steady. Fluctuations imply the contact points need cleaning This should be done with fine glass paper, and all dust removed.
5. If adjustment is needed bend the arm onto which the spring blade rests, increasing the spring tension to raise the regulated voltage, The voltage regulator is the one farthest from the cut-out.
6. The FIAT setting procedure involves the removal of the regulator and its preheating in an oven. The setting figure of 15.5 volts quoted is a compromise. It is valid at an ambient temperature of 10 C. At 20 C set to 15 volts. These voltages are the maximum. Do not exceed this. If the car is used extensively on long journeys a voltage lower by 0.5 volts should be used.


Fiddly +++

It would seem that they are recommending a maximum charging voltage of around 14.0 to 14.5 volts at 3000rpm. Most cars would use a range of 13.5 to 14.5 volts (~3000rpm) at operating temperature. I'm with the other guys - replace the old clunky relay regulator with a nice new electronic one. If you wish, build it into the old box so it looks original.

When you buy one, make sure it is for a dynamo (DC) and not one for an alternator (AC). The DC regulators should have the usual markings (eg: 51/67/30) and a voltage rating. The one marked MO1027 on the Fiat 500 Ricambi website looks like the correct one. ( http://www.fiat500ricambi.com/fiat500/Dynamo+and+starter/MO1027# )

The oil leak could literally be from anywhere. Your engine and transmission are clean so you should be able to see where its coming from. Could be as simple as an leaking sump gasket or as troublesome as a knackered oil seal. Unlike many older engines/transmissions, these ones can be assembled so they do not leak oil. I have a mate who once owned a 3.8L Jaguar and no matter what he did, it leaked like a sieve. It only stopped leaking when the sump was empty, but then, those motors were notorious for leaking oil. He eventually sold it to a couple of Army guys who stripped it and used the body for target practice on their military base shelling range. Apologies to all the Jag fans out there, but I reckon that was a fitting end :D

Chris
 

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Hi,

Checked yesterday under the car. Difficult to find where the oil comes even if its clean. The oil was dropping throught the bolt(red arrow) and the flat area just on the left side of the bolt was oily. Not much but some drops. Its difficult to see behind the flywheel. Anyway, ordered for sure a corteco seal. A quick look showed also that transmission side was dry.
Need to run the engine a bit more to see actually more, a quick look showed that the sump gasket was dry.
I'll leave to Florida tomorrow so it will be ~2 weeks off the garage :confused::D.
 

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Hi, back from Florida!

Fitted today the electric regulator, same problem with the generator ligh. Stays on on lower rews and goes off about 2500rpm. Whats the problem, the dynamo? What does the volts which I earlier wrote above say about the dynamo? Im not familar with electrics so help needed :)
Dismounted the dynamo and stripped it down. It was quite dusty inside, coals half way weared.
I will replace the coals and springs, anything else. And how do I clean it. With air? Can I use electroclean?

The oil leak sorted out. No leak, the oil which was dropped abit was my own fault. When I refilled the engine I messed abit when I filled the engine :D
thanks.
 
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Noticed one thing to this dynamo thing when I checked the Haynes manual. It says:

"Join the terminals together with a short length of wire. Attach to the centre of this length of wire the positive clip of a 0-20 volts voltmeter and run the other clip to earth on the dynamo yoke. Start the engine and allow it to idle approximately 1500 rpm. At this speed the dynamo should give a reading of about 15 volts on the voltmeter"?

Hmm..previously when I measured I got something between 0.8-0.9 volts? Way too small?
 

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