Posted by Clint Dixon on Thursday, October 14, 2004 at 8:15PM :
I would have posted this in the thread below, but I figured that no one is reading down that low anymore. Here is some information word-for-word from an Auto-Lite Electrical Equipment Maintenance and Operation Manual, dated 1949:
"After the regulator is connected to the generator and battery and before any runs are made, the generator should be polarized with the battery. Most generators can be polarized by grounding the field terminal and then making a momentary connection from the starting switch or regulator 'Battery' terminal to the generator 'Armature' terminal; howeever, this will not polarize the heavy duty type units. On this type, do not ground the field terminal; make a momentary connection from the starting switch or regulator 'Battery' terminal to the generator 'field' terminal. If the generator is not polarized after having been disconnected it may cause the circuit breaker armature to vibrate and burn the contacts."