Voltage Regulator and Cutout Relay

[TodFitch]

Actually I did take the generator apart.  That is what was so oily.  I am guessing a PO very much overoiled the little oil cups for the bearings on each end.  I tried to clean that up using brake parts cleaner.  Thanks for explaining why the regulator is involved in the polarization conversation, I was confused about that.  Most of the books and explanations I see show regulators with three terminals, all easy to access.  It appears my generator and regulator/cutoff relay are the originals, and several of the terminals are inside or under the regulator.

I think, but am not sure, that the 1934 PE and the 1935 PJ still used a third brush for current regulation. If that is the case then the hot lead to the field coils is probably connected to the third brush and the field wire to the regulator (for voltage regulation) is probably connected ground when the regulator is calling for higher voltage. I might has a 1934 wiring diagram to check for that year but I don't have any service information on the electrical system for the 1935.

[Gary Vickery]

Actually I did take the generator apart.  That is what was so oily.  I am guessing a PO very much overoiled the little oil cups for the bearings on each end.  I tried to clean that up using brake parts cleaner.  Thanks for explaining why the regulator is involved in the polarization conversation, I was confused about that.  Most of the books and explanations I see show regulators with three terminals, all easy to access.  It appears my generator and regulator/cutoff relay are the originals, and several of the terminals are inside or under the regulator.

[TodFitch]

tl;dr - Polarization is only for the generator and only then under unusual circumstances. So you most likely do not need to flash/polarize anything.

Longer version:

A generator has field coils around a soft iron cores. Polarization/flashing sets a little residual magnetism in the iron cores. Because of the residual magnetism the generator always as a small field and will start generating when it spins. That, to use a term from computing, bootstraps the generator into working. And the direction of the residual magnetic field determines the polarity of the output of the generator.

The only time you need to flash a generator is when the residual magnetic field in the soft iron cores is non-existent or the wrong direction. It can be non-existent if the generator is freshly built or rebuilt (but the manufacturer/rebuilder should have flashed it when they tested it). Or after many years of non-use (I have had generators work perfectly after sitting on the shelf for a couple of decades, so we are talking a really long time). It can be the wrong direction if someone wants to change from positive ground to negative ground (or back).

Since you didn't touch the generator, no flashing should be needed.

The reason why a regulator comes into the discussion when polarizing/flashing the generator is because it is usually a convenient place to get to the field wires for the generator and power from the battery. To flash the generator you normally momentarily short the battery wire to the field wire (though the details can vary depending on how the generator and regulator are interconnected).

[Gary Vickery]

My PJ has a generator with voltage regulator and cutout relay.  I'm not convinced the generator is properly charging (for one thing, when I disconnect the battery while running it dies immediately), so I took it off and opened it up (I guess that is how I learn how something works - read whatever I can then take it apart).  It was filthy and had a lot of oil in it, which concerns me.  Anyway, for now I just cleaned it up a little and put it back together again, and wonder if it needs to be polarized.  All the instructions I can find for polarizing are not for the regulator/cutout relay.  They all show multiple terminals, while mine has a single battery terminal visible, with other terminals inside the cover of the regulator.  Will I need to polarize it, and if so how?  It appears from the manual that both the generator and field terminal are on the bottom of the regulator, meaning it would have to be removed from the generator to see or touch them.