Hudson 1955 Rambler, Technical & Service Manual

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2
ELECTRICAL SECTION
BATTERIES (Auto-Lite)
The battery is a three cell, six volt unit
with adequate storage capacity for the normal
requirements of the car.
CAUTION: Always connect positive
terminal to ground.
Specifications
"Hornet" Series
CT-1-15, 20 Hrs. 105 A.H., 20 Min. 133 Amps.
15 Plate.
"Wasp" and "Rambler" Series
1M-100, 20 Hrs. 100 A.H., 15 Plates.
Connecting Cables
Use only genuine replacement cables to insure
the proper ground connections. Undersize
cables reduce starting ability. Always apply
vaseline to the hold-down clamp, nuts, and
terminal connections when the battery is
installed.
Servicing of Battery
The battery should be inspected every month
or every 1,000 miles. The addition of
distilled water, particularly in cold weath-
er, should be made just before operating the
car above charging speed. This insures
mixture of the water with the acid.
Be sure that the height of the liquid in
each cell is not less than 3/8" and not more
than 1/2" over the top of the separators.
Battery Testing
At regular intervals, each cell of the
battery should be tested with a hydrometer.
The battery should register not less than
1.250 specific gravity in climates where
freezing occurs, and not less 1.225 under
more moderate conditions.
CAUTION: When replacing a battery in the
carrier, do not tighten the hold-down clamp
wing nuts excessively. It is unnecessary and
will cause distortion of the battery case.
Discharge Causes
Following are a few of the factors that
contribute to the discharge of a battery in
use:
Improper regulator settings.
Oxidized regulator contact points.
Loose or corroded battery terminals.
High resistant ground connections.
Short circuits in wiring and terminal blocks.
GENERATOR (AUTO-LITE)
"Hornet" and "Wasp" Series
The Auto-Lite Model GGW-4801-F Generator used
on the "Hornet" V-8 and Model GGW-4802-B used
on the "Hornet" 6 and "Wasp" Series are six
volt, two brush, shunt units with a ball
bearing supporting the armature at the drive
end and a bronze bushing at the commutator
end (Fig. 1).
A fan integral with the pulley forces air
through the generator to cool the armature.
The generator output is regulated by the
correct settings of the current and voltage
regulator.
Lubrication
At time of regular chassis lubrication
intervals, add 3 to 5 drops of medium engine
oil to the oiler at the top of the drive end
head. Fill the commutator end oil pocket with
medium engine oil.
At overhaul, pack ball bearing 1/2 full
with high temperature non-fibre grease and
soak bronze bearing and felts in medium
engine oil.
Maintenance
A periodic inspection should be made of the
charging circuit. The intervals between
these checks will vary depending upon the
type of service. Dirt, dust, and high speed
operation are factors which contribute to
increased wear of the bearings, brushes, etc.
Under normal conditions, an inspection of the
generator should be made every 5000 miles.
A visual inspection should be made of all
wiring to be sure that there are no broken
wires and that all connections are clean and
tight. Special attention should be paid to
the ground connections at the bat- tery,
generator, and regulator.
If the commutator is dirty or discolored,
it can be cleaned by holding a piece of No.
00 sandpaper against it while turning the
armature slowly. Blow the sand out of the
generator after cleaning the commutator. If
the commutator is rough or worn, the genera-
tor should be removed from the engine, the
armature removed, and the commutator turned
down.
The brushes should slide freely in their
holders. If the brushes are oil soaked or if
they are worn to less than one-half of their
original length, they should be replaced.
Check the brush spring tension of 35. to
53 ounces with a spring scale. To check, hook
the scale in the hole in the end of the brush
arm. Pull the scale on a line parallel to the
face of the brush and take the reading just
as the arm leaves the brush.
If the tension is excessive, the brushes
and commutator will wear very rapidly. If the
tension is low, arcing between the brushes
and commutator will result in reduced output.
Overhaul Procedure
At periods of approximately 25,000 miles of
operation, the charging circuit should be
thoroughly checked and the generator removed
from the engine and reconditioned.