Technical Generator miswiring

Been a while and I forgot my log in... anyway, I'm asking for a friend, doncha know?

What happens if he accidentally swapped the field and armature wires on a B type generator system? I'd never do that but he may have.
Ron

 

if you would never do it then show him how you do it.I think it did not work properly when HE did it

 

In my rememberance the size of the wire, lugs, and studs along with the letters A and F on the case makes this pretty hard to do. But then it's been a long time ago.

 

54, that was tongue in cheek. I just ddn't want to admit to my mistake. jimmysix, the lugs are the same size even though the wire is not, and there are no marks on the case. But what do expect from Prestolite?
The issue is that although this generator only has about 25,000 miles since it was rebuilt and the brushes are good, it is not charging. And though the GEN light comes on with the ignition, it goes out once the engine is running. And I am getting nothing out of the generator from either armature or field so something is wrong, yet somehow there is voltage enough to turn of the idiot light. I've tried it with the regulator out of the circuit too, still no juice. I had the genny off a few months ago doing other work, and that's when the problem started. I did polarize it when I put it back on. Could I have swapped the wires? Maybe, and that's why I am asking for 'my friend'.

 

Sounds like you cooked the regulator in some way. Need a diagram of "B type generator".

 

I'm thinking I cooked the generator, I don't get any voltage at the generator terminal.

 

This is most likely the problem.

it takes a bunch to cook a generator. like directly shorting it out, IE wiring the field and arm terminal together and shorting them to ground and running it until its cooks itself. If you cooked anything in the generator it is most likely the wires to the brushes, and that is easy enough to see by pulling the plate.

The most common thing to cook is the regulator. They are kind of a fail safe like having a fuse, and normally what cooks is the coils so that they fail with the contactors open not closed.

 

Well it is the regulator! Just got the call. I have not started shopping yet, but he said I ought to since his cost was $111! And it's not like he's gouging me on testing. He's charging me nothing!
Well, time to start shopping

 

LMAO you would have spent 111 on something I told you for free.

 

Ya, well... He charged me nothing, said regulators were getting pricey, told me to shop around. His cost $111 plus shipping. I found out he's right... a $35 regulator is well over $100 now!
Since they are all probably Chinese **** now, I ordered a Clover Systems solid state regulator that I can put in an original can and make it look stock, and never have to worry about stuck points or burnt coils again. Just fried circuit boards. Ha! $119 plus shipping.
Thanks for everyone's help