> > 2) You may need to repolarize the generator.
>
> Randall, thanks for the advice. Now please enlighten about the above
> statement and why, since far from a rocket scientist and electrical stuff
> and me never have mixed well. And how does one repolarize the generator?
> This is not my department and I profess total ignorance, but I am learning
> slowly but surely.
In a nutshell, the regulator does not 'know' when the engine is started and
the generator is turning, except by the voltage on the generator output.
When the engine is started, this voltage comes from a thing called residual
magnetism, which means the generator housing is still slightly magnetized
from it's last use. Sometimes the residual magnetism can get lost (dropping
the generator on the floor is one common way); "repolarizing" is the process
of getting it magnetized again. Connecting the battery backwards will also
lose it sometimes.
So, any time the red light won't go out, about the 4th thing on the
checklist should be to try repolarizing the generator. (after checking the
belt is tight and turning, mounts secure, wires secure, connections tight,
etc.)
There are different ways of doing it, my personal favorite is to remove the
cover of the regulator and mash the cutout contacts closed with the engine
running.
I think the book method is to remove the wire from the "D" terminal of the
regulator (engine not running) and temporarily connect a jumper from the
wire to the battery hot terminal (the one that isn't grounded). But
admittedly it's been a long time, that might not be quite right.
Randall
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