6 Volt Generator Help

I had the cut out switch on my CA replaced with a regulator last year.  The man at the shop told me that with the regulator the light switch does nothing but cut the lights on and off.

Just to clarify in my mind on this issue, by flashing you would have to reverse the battery to a negative ground from a positive ground situation and flashing the generator would take care of this on the charging end?  Thanks for this issue being raised I have ruined one regulator and didn't know why.

Any time you replace the generator or a generator has sat unused or has been serviced in a shop its crucial to flash it after wiring and BEFORE starting the engine.

You can't predict the polarity a generator will build unless you flash it to control that polarity. The polarity of the voltage build depends on the magnetic polarity of the pole pieces and frame. There are not a high quality permanent magnet because that would prevent regulator control of the field current to control the output voltage. So in time the residual magnetism fades. It can also be affected by shocks and external magnetic fields. Sometimes you can slightly magnetize iron by orienting in parallel to the earths magnetic field and tapping it with a hammer. That works much better with a much stronger magnetic field. The direction of shaft rotation also effects polarity of build.

If a generator builds up with polarity opposite the battery, when the cutout closes the contacts can be burned because it is shorting two voltage sources totaling twice the normal voltage.

Gerald J.

bigcountry48 wrote: Does any one possibly have a diagram, that would be greatly appreciated!

Here is some reading and diagrams. http://www.ruiter.ca/mc/info/PDFs/1R-116.pdf