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Q. - 55 Commander Electrical + or -

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  • Q. - 55 Commander Electrical + or -

    Had an interesting point of departure on the 55 last night. It's been up on jackstands for awhile while we do things like replace muffler bearings and install Saginaw power steering. Anyway, I went to re-install the battery. Being a little fuzzy on which terminal was grounded, I checked the shop manual, which of course states the positive terminal is grounded. So I installed the battery accordingly, so that the respective cables would reach the respective terminals.

    My first clue was the ground cable would not fit on the + terminal of the battery - it was too small. My second clue was the hot (starter) cable was oversize, loose and rattling around on the - terminal. What the heck??? This was the battery I took out of the car, and everything fit fine then.

    HMMMMMMMMM. The only solution to this conundrum was that the battery had been installed the other way 'round, so that the - terminal was grounded, opposite of the factory shop manual.

    This was the point where time slowed down. This would mean the car has been converted from + to - ground. So the generator, starter and regulator, for a start, would be opposite polarity. Well, as a matter of fact, the generator is obviously not the original (it's an Autolite, not Delco, and it's too long), and I'd noticed the regulator looked new. The starter is wrapped in some insulating cloth, so I don't know what it is, but it sure starts the car in a hurry. Wonder if the Ammeter and Fuel Gage are connected backwards too.

    But why? Looking around, my eye fell on the air conditioner compressor. Aha. That has an electromagnetic clutch in it, which presumably would need the correct polarity to operate properly. So my question: Was the car converted from + to - ground when the AC was installed (aftermarket), simply because the compressor clutch units were only available for - ground systems? Has anyone heard of this parctice?

    Ya gotta want AC awfully, awfully bad to do that.

    Frank Starr
    Seattle (no we don't need AC) WA

    ps - it's a good thing I still had the battery I took out of the car. Otherwise I would have gone back to whoever I'd bought a new battery from screaming about their battery having its terminals backwards.

  • #2
    Is it still 6 volts?




    Dick Steinkamp
    Bellingham, WA

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    • #3
      Is it still 6 volts?




      Dick Steinkamp
      Bellingham, WA

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      • #4
        Yes, Dick.

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        • #5
          Yes, Dick.

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