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I have the 46 clipper inline 8. I want know that if I disconnect the battery while the car is running and it shuts off does that tell me my generator is bad? I have a volt meter how many volts should it be putting off? Idont't know much about the elcectricity on this so any help would be great!!

Anything ya'll could tell me about the voltage regulator would be great!!

NEVER disconnect the battery with the engine running. It may continue running but the voltage will increase significantly, burn out any light bulbs that may be on, and possibly do other damage.

If you wonder if your generator is working, just watch the ammeter on the dashboard - that' what it's for. Many ways to test; a simple on is, with the engine running put on the headlights and heater - the ammeter should show a discharge. Then give the engine a little gas and the ammeter should move from discharge to charge.

If it doesn't, then again with the engine running and lights on, temporarily (momentarily) ground the Field terminal at the voltage regulator. If you now have a charge condition, the generator is OK and the requlator is probably at fault.

Having just gone through my 1954 Cavalier here is what I know.

There are detailed instructions on how this works on this Forum.

The generator should run the car just fine without the battery connected. The regulation can be a little bumpy.

The voltage regulator has three relays inside (I will guess the 46 would use this system in either Autolite or Delco).

Inside the generator is the spinning armature which provides the power for the car as Direct current (DC). Carbon brushs pick off the power from the commutator at the back end of the generator.

Typically the field winding inside the generator has one end connected to same brush that goes to the output post usually labeled ARM or GEN. The other end goes to the FLD terminal post and also goes to the Field connection of the Regulator.

The generator Frame is grounded to the car.

The regulator starts off with both the current limiting and voltage limiting relays closed. As the voltage rises up to about 7.2 volts the voltage relay opens and closes rapidly controlling the field current and this provides the voltage regulation.

In almost every old stock regulator I have installed I have had to burnish the voltage contacts before it would work.
My apply to a regulator that has been stored a while.

The cutout relay has heavy contacts and it will be near the BATT connection on the regulator. These contacts can burn up.

Start the engine and use a decent DC volt meter and measure the voltage at the generator "ARM" post, if the generator is working it will Be around 7.2 volts. If the generator is kaput usually nothing will be there.

If you mess with the wiring or regulator pull a battery cable and don't run the engine.

Regulators can be serviced, Generators can be repaired and new brusha put in, the hardest part is lifting out.

Look down through the last several pages of General posts as we talked this to death. The names of the providers are in the thread.

Jim

I will add:

I haven't had problems with the three relay regulators going to far over voltage, but I blew all the headlight bulbs in my model T Ford a couple of years ago when my 6 volt battery went open circuit. The Model T uses third brush regulation and they can go up to 200 volts before you get smoke.

I use high quality FLUKE digital meters and some of those hate working near ignition systems and spikey voltage regulators and Ford-Coils.

Heed all the warnings above.

My rebuilt system is working great and running 45 Amps worth of accessories.

Jim