Help with Flathead Ford F-4 Truck
Uh, the generator will need to have some work done to convert to negative ground. Otherwise it will charge the battery dead assuming nothing goes up in smoke.
"Work done?". Here's the deal on generators
The only difference for a generator between NEG and POS ground is "how it was polarized" sometimes called "flashing" or "flashing the field."
This procedure VARIES depending on whether you have an A or a B circuit, and it's vitally important to determine "which" you have before doing so
(The "A" and "B" generator circuit is analogous to the early and late Mopar alternators.......in one case the field is grounded, and in another case, the field is isolated and connected to the armature. Autolite made both, and at least in the case of older Ford tractors, they used both types as well. "They ain't all the same")
The second difference is in the regulator. Many? Most? OEM regulators have electrical contacts which won't put up with "arcing" in normal operation due to reversed polarity. BUT nearly all aftermarket regulators are built so that they do. This was for reduced inventory.......You don't have to stock as many regulators
This truck would have been POSITIVE ground, end of story. No reason to change other than going 12V.
I would check over the wiring, and hook the last battery conection up through a light to make sure there are no shorts or current draw.
