Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): craftsman generator, motor windings, residual magnetism

Question
I have a craftsman generator mod.#580.32672, Ser.#4517528. After having generator worked on for not starting,(starts now),no electrical output. How do I restore the residual magnetism to this model? Thank you for any help.

Answer
Jerry
When was the last time the generator was used? If it put out voltage then it may not be the problem. What you can do to flash the field is

1) Get a electric drill and plug the cord in the generator receptacle,then start the generator when it is running spin the drill chuck to back feed into the outlet while you have the Trigger held in, just make sure it is done fast as if this restores the output the drill will start to spin and you do not want to have anything in the way.
2) Follow these steps to flash the generator:

* Plug the electric drill into the generator receptacle.

* If the drill is reversible, move the direction switch to the forward position.

* Start the generator

* While depressing the trigger on the drill, spin the drill chuck in reverse direction. This will excite the field and the generator will now produce electricity. If spinning the chuck one direction does not work, try spinning the chuck in the other direction as you may have the reverse switch positioned backwards.

Use caution not to get your hand or other materials caught in the chuck. As soon as the field is excited, the generator will produce power and the drill will turn on.

The reason this works is because the electric motor in the drill will act as a small generator when spun backwards. The magnets in the drill's motor induce a voltage into the motor windings, which is fed back through the trigger, cord and into the generators receptacle. From there it goes into the power winding of the stator. The voltage going through the power winding creates a magnetic field, which is intensified due to the iron core of the stator laminations. The rotor intersects this magnetic field as it is spun past the power winding, thus inducing a voltage in the rotor winding. Once current flow is present in the rotor winding the rotor has been flashed.

If flashing the field does not make the generator work, you may have additional problems, besides a lack of magnetism in the rotor. Further testing will be needed. Hopefully, this will give a simple way to field flash your generator if needed