All About Alternators

Maintenance expert Mike Busch, A&P/IA, presents an informational webinar about principles of operation, major components, installation, failure modes, troubleshooting, repair options, TBO, etc. Savvy Aviation offers Professional Maintenance Services to owners of General Aviation aircraft, such as: Savvy Mx (Professional Maintenance Management), Savvy QA (Expert Consulting), Savvy Prebuy, SavvyAnalysis (Engine Data Analysis) and Savvy Breakdown Assistance. For more info see savvyaviation.com and www.sportys.com/pilotshop/spor.... This channel offers videos about those services, and webinars hosted by Mike Busch which were produced by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and sponsored by Aircraft Spruce and Specialty.

[@sand0can1]

30:47 if a hard pice enters between the alternator gear and the face gear it will bent the alternator shaft and it will snap. Probably one of the broken tooth’s on the shown damaged gear entered between both gears. My theory is that it first snap a tooth and then the tooth was sucked between both gears.

[@Michael112233able]

Excellent content...thank you!

[@rameeti]

It was mentioned that some mechanics would place a 2nd alternator belt when the prop was off so as to later unziptie it and then more easily replace a broken belt in an emergency or such. My question is: Would this be legal to do on plane run by a Part 61 or Part 91 operation?

[@sand0can1]

24:59 common read the f-ing manual and think about it. How are you testing the slippage of its glued? It’s not glued it’s a friction that holds the rubber together with the cup. Also every 500hrs you have to check if it is in specifications.

[@raymondgarafano8604]

This is why the stator has a 3 phase winding each wave being 120 degrees apart. lot less
ripple this way. less of peaks and valleys compared to a single phase winding.

[@dannyroosenboom3640]

Note that an alternator with electromagnet rotor cannot produce electricity when there is no electricity available, battery 0 volt, while it always can when the rotor is a real magnet.

[@wlbrobinson]

True but regulation is much harder and more complicated, if it runs at one speed then that makes sense.

[@faainspector9699]

Worn brushes will start to skip on the slip rings when the brush leads are stretched to their limits and the tight leads stop the brush from being loaded on the slip rings by the brush springs.........this gives intermittent output and burns the slip rings also..........easy to replace before the brushes are worn to their limits.........diodes that have failed will sometimes make a buzzing noise which sounds like air in an auto power steering pump........keeping an alternator cool is so very important and a blast tube or a naca inlet and scat hose will keep things cooler..

[@rickylarch]

The B&C alternators are Japanese made Nippon Denso units. You can tell because they have ND stamped into the back cover.

[@raymondgarafano8604]

Of course outside the cover is a small hole thru which to put a piece of stiff wire, you push
brushes down on the inside and pass piece of wire through small hole to brushes down, till
you put the alternator back together then pull wire out so brushes now make contact with
the slip rings.

[@marknercessi9740]

hi i have a alternator has voltage going down rarely to 12.6 until i start the lights to the car
battery is new brushes and slip ring is new maximum voltage is always there around 14.3 volts i have a digital voltmeter in the car im always monitoring it car has never over heated belt is new elantra 1.8 2012 what can cause this problem ?

[@faainspector9699]

Regulators are remote mounted to keep them free from heat and vibration..........and they are quicker to replace when needed..

[@gamalabdelnaser8401]

I was confused as well

[@gulag113]

Stator is not a rotor, your discussion is strange. Superficial knowledge

[@jimg3925]

Mike is one of the most knowledgeable people in this area I have come across. I am very thankful for his helpful videos.

[@keepyourbilsteins]

Yeah he did refer to the stator as the rotor multiple times while describing the 3 phase operation.

[@jimg3925]

At 1:07, 2:30 and 3:50 he correctly states the difference between the stator and the rotor. At 5:11 and 7:06 he mistakenly says the stator is the rotor but it is correctly written on the screen. If this is confusing to you to the point where you no longer understand what is going on with alternators you should probably stop watching his videos and pay to take a class where you can stop the speaker and ask him to correct himself. Either that or just stick to cooking ribs.

[@keepyourbilsteins]

@@jimg3925 I'm referring to this as an educator. Sure, a troll brought it up, but aside from the inferences said troll brought up, the troll is correct.

[@jimg3925]

@@keepyourbilsteins I would very much disagree. He said Mike has "superficial knowledge." He made a simple mistake. He knows his stuff. As an educator, I hope someone treats you with the same respect that you treat Mike. PS I do not have an ax to grind. I am a CFI trying to learn about planes to help students. He has taught me a great deal about all aspects of the mechanics of planes. Where are all your great videos?