Voltage Regulator vs Cut out

M

mb_camp

Junior Member
hello all, newbie to early flatheads here. I just acquired a 1937 ford 1 ton truck that has had a 8AB installed in it. The claimed to have "converted" it to 12 volts but truth be known all they did is install a 12v battery with starter solenoid and an independent ignition switch. Although the generator is in place a new writing harness was installed and nearly nothing under has been hooked back up so there is no charging currently. I am planning on going back to a 6v pos ground set up but my question is did the 37 trucks use a voltage regulator or a cut out on the generator? I am a Model A guy so no stranger to cut outs but it looks like the the generator is not set up to use a cut out (which is not unexpected considering is a later motor). Any input would be appreciated!!
 
'37 used a 3-brush generator with cutout. I have restored 2 and 3-brush generators available. The 3-brush comes with a refurbished original ford cutout. But the 8Ba requires a later style 2-brush generator.
 

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Related to the generator question is the fan: is there a fan on your 8BA, and if so how is it mounted?
In 1937 the fan was bolted to the generator pulley. That is hard to impossible to do with an 8BA since the generator mounts further forward on the engine, closer to the radiator.
 
thanks for the responses, the fan is not mounted to the generator as it was on the original motor it's on a separate pulley below the generator.
 
so if I'm understanding the information here, my only option is to install a voltage regulator on the 8BA generator
 
12v pos ground or neg ground? and i assume i would need a 12v volt reg? i have adjusted regulators to work on 8v systems but have never tried to get 13-14v out of them.
 
mb_camp said:
12v pos ground or neg ground? and i assume i would need a 12v volt reg? i have adjusted regulators to work on 8v systems but have never tried to get 13-14v out of them.
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I make them 12v negative ground, but it can be polarized positive ground if desired.
 
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