Hey guys excuse my ignorance on this. I recently got a 1949 Shoebox with a stock 6V positive ground elec. system. It is my first experience on a system like this. I have done some pretty extensive searching relating to my problem and have found some good info, but I wanted to post it and get opinions/help specific to my issues. The battery isn't getting a charge, it is only a couple weeks old. I thought it may be the voltage reg. Since my local parts store had one in stock I replaced it. Still no dice, so now I am wondering about the gen. I can charge the battery with a chager and get starts out of it for a while, and the car runs good, except when I start turning on the headlights etc. While running the voltage off the battery is about 6.2v, but I cannot get any votages off the generator at all, even in higher RPM's. I grounded the field line out also to max the gen. but got nothing. Also I think my battery gauge is stuck in mid position so that limits my trouble shooting a bit. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Anytime work is done on the genny, or regulator, the gen needs to be polarized in order to produce a charge. Now I'm not a Ford man but I can tell you what to do if it were a Chev - you momentarily short the "Bat" terminal on the regulator, to the "Arm" terminal. You'll see a small spark, and your done. I Googled up "Polarizing a 6 volt Ford generator" and got all kinds of information, some said to short Bat to Gen, others said short Bat to Field depending on the type of regulator you have. Take a look and compare it to your set-up, hopefully you can find a match. Good luck!!
Just did a 55 ford,, the springs that push the brushes, one missing the other broke in half, a ford starter carries the same springs, the 12V starters springs are what I used, did not have to polarize it, works perfect now.
I remember ALL the GM 6V cars as being NEGATIVE ground. FORD & CHRYSLER 6V cars had the POSITIVE ground. the ground polarity was usually stamped somewhere on the base of the VR. Bob
They ALL switched to NEGATIVE ground when 12V systems were introduced. As a side note, plastic insulated wiring was introduced about the same time as 12V. Bob
Pulled apart the gen, looks good as far as springs, brushes, and ap wire. One thing I noticed with everything connected the battery, ground, and appeture wires all have continuity to each other, even with the gen. removed. Should that voltage regulator be grounded through contact like it is or stood off?
Lots-O'-generator verbiage: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=256038&highlight=polarizing+generator&showall=1 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278956&highlight=polarizing+generator&showall=1
The Jalopy Journal
