About this episode
Here’s the short answer: Worn and contaminated brushes inside the alternator. Check it out:
My theory is that the excessive amount of carbon dust from brush wear was causing a short circuit situation between the brushes, and not allowing the field circuit in the alternator rotor to be properly energized for normal operation.
Here’s a comparison of the old and new brushes:
This story comes from a recent situation on the right engine of this Aerostar aircraft:
Since the alternator has externally removable brushes, it turned out to be a minimally invasive surgery to fix the problem. I cleaned the brush holder and also the slip rings inside the alternator, and after installing new brushes and reassembling everything, the alternator performed flawlessly.
Listen to the audio to hear the full story.
This episode also covers some of the email responses I received last week from some listeners, and here’s one of the highlights:
Glen sent me a photo of he and his dad in front of his Piper Cherokee… I love to see different generations enjoying aviation adventures together!
