Resurrecting an antique battery charger

[85lebaront2]

I actually have no idea how old this is, I acquired it a number of years ago. I borrowed it from a friend's shop in Newport News VA to use working on one of my Diesel GM cars as I need something with a good output to crank them rather than immediately buying two side post batteries. While I had it, he had a fire that destroyed one end of the building. I called and asked if he needed it back and was told, oh, that one was destroyed in the fire.

I asked no further and have had it ever since. Over the years the original foot in the front came off somewhere and the fan sounded like it wanted to escape, before settling down. I managed to get most of the screws out and found the transformer was loose on it's mounts and missing one screw completely. The bottom was badly bent and the fan had been hitting the case. I had to break one and cut one of the four 1/4-20 screws that held the transformer and rectifier along with the fan motor to the bottom of the case. I replaced all of them with new 1/4-20 bolts and hex nuts with attached serrated lock washers. I fabricated a new foot after finding a picture of a Silver Beauty 8250 but will need to cut the ends off a bit.

[Gary Lewis]

Wow!  250 amps!  That's quite some punch.  Must have a serious transformer in it.  Well done, Bill!  

[85lebaront2]

Yes it is, that's why I repaired it. First use will be adjusting the windows on the LeBaron as it can keep up with the load even better than the factory alternator.

[Gary Lewis]

I hope the alligator clips are heavy duty!

[ArdWrknTrk]

That's a cool old beast.  

I've always thought of FMC as a chemical company that strangely had a hand in military equipment and firetrucks, but I didn't realize they had a semiconductor division.
I know Snap-On bought their automotive division years back.

I'm pretty sure they're only an Ag sciences company now.
Or at least that's what my sister said when I asked about their building in Philadelphia.

It seems that battery charger not only survived the fire 😉 but has a long life ahead of it.

[85lebaront2]

It definitely has some heavy duty alligator clamps. Jim, it was at my house in Newport News when he had the fire, that's why it was "destroyed" in the fire.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yeah, wink wink. Nudge, nudge...

I'd guess it has seen some flooding or sat in the dirt if the foot rusted off, but you seem to have that covered.  

[85lebaront2]

The bottom of the front where it is rusted says "Triple A Specialty Company". I used it today for about 4 hours while I was trying to get the windows on the convertible adjusted correctly.