do i have to flash a generator thats not hooked up but is driven?

I am working on an old car getting it started, and I have no wiring harness and only using jumpers from a battery to see if the engine will run. I put in a new generator because I need the pulley on it to drive the water pump. do I have to flash the new generator before I start to spin it? the generator will have no wiring hooked up to it for a while. I just dont want to screw up the internals of the generator by spinning it. do i need to flash it and if so i can i do it from only the two terminals on the back? thks bob

 

No If it has no power to it it's just like setting on the shelf.

 

You don't need to "polarize" it until you hook it up.

 

Yep, to what they said. Right now it's just a big idler pulley until you hook the wiring up.

Water pumps or power steering pump you don't want to run while they are dry but a generator or alternator just goes along for the ride.

 

perfect, I was concerned that it would require me to do something before I could "spin" it. thks bob

 

Iffn it has the oil ports on top of the bushings you'll want to throw some oil in those.
Otherwise, like everybody else said.

 

When you do you will need to know the type of generator that you have. All generators do not polarize the same way.

 

Oil the bushings front and rear. Do not over oil. If the gen has not been used or lubed in a long time give it 5 drops. After that 3 drops at every oil change. Synthetic oil if possible. Or whatever motor oil you use.