[quote=IronMick;5010531There are tests in the fcatory manual. All you need is a multimeter.[/quote] Multimeter is helpful, but nuttin' beats a growler if you wanna know what's happenin' with the armature.

 

ooops, double post. Sorry . . .

 

I agree with this. I have never seen a growler other than at the auto electric shop. Where to look? How much $s for one of these?

 

eBay seems to have a few, and if the present offering is any indicator, around $40. They are usually advertised as 'vintage' since so many modern day "technicians" prefer to replace rather than repair. I don't know if anyone makes 'em any more.

Even after observing them from early adolesence, I've never seen one that looked new.

Ya know, I wanted, in my earlier post, to make another point that I think becomes more important all the time:

When you replace a generator, as with many other things these days, you get a semi-splendid Chineese item that looks alot like the original. Whether it performs like the original is another matter entirely. As a virtual resident of my local Harbor Freight store (when I'm not at Wal*Mart) I certainly have no aversion to things Chineese, but I still have some reverence for the quality that at least seemed to attach to the original parts.

 

The general knowledge is that the new ones are not anywhere near as reliable as the old. When i was searching eBay for a backup gen i was looking for an old original HD model as it might be worth the risk. They say that the new ones armiture will not last.