The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Regulator Polarity

I've heard that the only stupid question is the one that you don't ask, so here goes. I've never had to set the polarity on a regulator, and don't know how to do it. I have been unable to find out from looking in the shop manual (it just says to establish the polarity or something like that) and the same goes fo a couple of other repair manuals I have. Since I know one of these days I'll need to be able to do this, I was hoping one (or more) of you guys could explain this procedure to me.

What you're polarizing is the generator. Take a short piece of wire & quickly short it between the Bat & Gen tabs on your regulator. A single spark is all you need. Don't hold it to the contacts longer than just a quick touch.

Lumbergh,

I might expound on Tinys post...I think this procedure is done with the truck turned off.

Some regulators are marked BATT/ARM/FIELD, while some might be marked BATT/GEN/FIELD...GEN and ARM are synonymous.

Stuart

Lumbergh,
To further expound on Tiny,s and atomarc,s Posts
As you probably know,anytime you take apart Anything in the charging system of these old birds,meaning any connection at the Generator,Regulator or Battery,You have to re establish the polarity of the Generator.
Simply put,
A MOMENTARY Touch of the 2 terminals Marked Batt/Gen or Batt/Arm is all it takes-a little arc/spark.
Under NO Circumstances, EVER Short out/Touch the Field Terminal,As you will cause Stuarts nose hairs to get Tweezed Out :p
Regards

HEY!!

I resemble that nose 'hare' remark Mr. Wench Fetcher! :p


Tweezer Man

Hey Stuart
How the Heck are ya......
Only Tweezin I mean Teezin ya know?
Regards Buddy

Thank you very much. I will print and add this to the shop manual in the appropriate section.

Ok, so I did it 50 years ago all the time, every time I replaced a regulator, just like the instructions said. back then I never asked why, but now that I'm an old fart and have more time, I need to know, why? Just what exactly are you polarizing when you polarize the generator? there is nothing in these electrical systems that can maintain memory, so every time you turn the engine off you really are back to square one.
So if someone could explain the actual dynamics of this procedure I'd a sure appreciate it?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

"polarizing" is matching the polarity of the gen and reg - the regulator is pos or neg ground, the generator can be either [bi ] - magnetism has a memory

Bill

Denny Graham,

It is my 'limited' understanding that polarizing the generator induces magnetism in the pole shoes and sets the proper North/South relationship.

This magnetism allows the generator to start an initial charge. I am not sure I have this right so don't quote me!


Stuart

So his thread is timely I'm getting anew rugulator for my truck What everyone is saying i need to do is polerazise my generator by touching the batt post to the gen post quickly then realease and it will be polerized. is this correct if i don't do this nothing works is this correct.

It's not necessarily true that you have to polarize the generator every time for it to charge. The majority of the time it needs polarized and it's so simple & quick to do that a good rule of thumb is to polarize it every time you disconnect/reconnect it.

Peter,

Yes, I think that is correct. These are the terminals on the regulator itself. Polarizing the system is usually done when a component is replaced. Would it work properly without doing this....try it first and see.

Stuart

Bill,

Great link. It explains the concept very clearly. It never fails to amaze me how closely related the 'old tractor' sites are to the 'old stovebolt' sites from a technology standpoint.

Stuart