If your engine powered welder looses its magnetism.

[JL Sargent]

This is a tip I recently picked up from another forum. If you dont use your engine powered welder for a while the generator portion of the machine (the armature) may loose its magnetism and therefore not excite the generating action.

One way to possibly reintroduce it is to take a basic electric drill, plug it into the generator and then by hand rotate the chuck the opposite way the drill is set to run while the generator is running. (if drill is in fwd position turn chuck in rev. direction). This will generate a small voltage which can get the whole shebang going again which will instantly start the drill running opposite the way you just turned the chuck.

 

[muleworks]

I have two diesel Classic II 250 amps and have had to take an armature rock and clean the armature every now and then. The copper gets a buildup on it and does exactly like you described by not giving much of an ark or little voltage at the plugs. I have had a fuse blow also thats shuts things down. But I was arc gouging at 240 amps, it was making the lines leads jump around
Chris

 

[lalatheman]

JL Thanks for the tip. Thats real intersting

Dave Lawrence