polarizing a 12 volt generator

Kippster · Mar 5, 2010

I have a IH cub cadet with a 12 volt starter generator on it. I have heard of guys using these as strictly a generator on a farmall tractor, so I thought that y'all might know about how to polarize such a genny. Its still on the cadet, but I can't get the thing to charge. Last time it did this, a buddy monkeyed with it and said that it needed re-polarized because I had changed batteries or something like that. Whatever he did to it made it work, but God rest him, I can't ask him to do it now. So, I hope someone on here can help me. Thanks for the advice in advance. Kippster

randy hall · Mar 5, 2010

that unit would make a very poor tractor generator. it only puts out about 7 or 8 amps at a very high rpm.

Bob · Mar 5, 2010

As I posted over on the GT Forum, when those are used in starter mode, they get a shot of "juice" from the battery to the "A" terminal the SAME as if you were manually polarizing the unit.

So, if it cranks the engine, it's NOT in need of polarization... it's already been done.

Try (for a short period of time) full-fielding the unit be grounding the "F" terminal on the generator. If it charges that way, it points to a bad regulator or a regulator that's not grounded properly.

One thing to look for... The regulators are rubber-mounted and have a little braided copper lead jumpered around the rubber mounts to provide grounding and sometimes those jumpers get damaged/broken/torn off.

Are you bale to check the charging voltage at the generator's "A" terminal with the engine running above idle to see if grounding the "F" terminal makes it charge?
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polarizing a 12 volt generator

Kippster

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