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1953 Ford Voltage regulator help

My dad just purchased a 53 Ford Customline and the battery is not charging. This is a flathead with a positive ground system. We replaced the voltage regulator and flashed the generator (pulled the field wire off the regulator and touched it to the bat terminal) and fired it up. I has a meter on the battery terminals while he revved it a little and the voltage didn't rise like we were expecting it too. I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to test the regulator. When I had the test leads across 2 points on the regulator as he revved her up and it shot up to about 14 volts, but I am not sure which 2 points I was on. I am not that old school and have no experience with a 6v positive ground system and don't know which points I should be probing on. The regulator has 3 tabs the arm the field and the bat. Which 2 do I check on? I found a wiring diagram for 53 flathead here

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(it looks pretty much like how the car is wired), but I still just can't figure out how the charging system works. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Shane

Reply to
gore
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If I remember correctly on a ford you short B to F to full feild. On a Chevy you ground the feild.

The contacts in the regulator are likely oxidized from sitting. Clean them with a point burnishing tool, fine point file, or crocus cloth (not emery!!!!!)

Reply to
clare

that ... and fresh metal in contact with the arse end of the regulator housing on the side fire wall (or wheel well housing) where they affix to each other with 2 metal tap bolts, usually half inch wrench fit.

6 volt is simple, works all the time, dumb, stupid, do it the way it sets it self to the system of things and it will work just fine.

sumbuddie saidis

:?

Reply to
Alan Mac Farlane

Yes, the contacts on the old regulator were heavily oxidized, so we bought a new one. I guess my next question is should the whole assembly be isolated from the firewall, or should it be "grounded" to it. It looks like the old one had 3 rubber bushings on it to keep it isolated, but the new one we bought only had 2 but this would connect it to the firewall.

Thanks, Shane

Reply to
gore

The rubber is to quiet it down. Fastened directly to the firewall they buzz pretty good. The rubbers should have a brass "bonding strip" on at least one of them as the regulator needs to be grounded to function.

Reply to
clare

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