Electrical: Electrical issues

[DaveB]

I have a 1951 2R11 which has developed electrical issues. I will be driving and all of a sudden the truck will stop running. I installed a new 6 volt battery last year replacing an 8 volt battery . Not knowing what adjustments were made to the old regulator I installed a new voltage regulator, polarized the generator and everything seemed ok, the amp meter was showing a slight positive charge. Turned the lights on and it went slightly negative as normal. Turned them off and the amp meter stayed slightly negative. Went out for another ride again about 10 miles and the truck stopped running. The battery was dead. Recharged the battery, started the truck and the amp meter pegged at a negative 3.5 amps. I was able to get it home. Turned the ignition off and the amp meter stayed -3.5. Started the truck the amp meter read slightly negative and that’s where I am.
Any thoughts as to where to start looking?

[studegary]

It appears that you have a short or constant drain. It may be in the wiring, a switch or ??. You do not have a lot of wiring/circuits. Check along them. You might also disconnect things one at a time to narrow down the area of concern. This is the type of thing that is much easier to analyze/solve at the vehiclle than over the Internet.

[Ron Strasser]

DaveB:
First I would Disconnect the wire that goes to the ammeter from it source.
Does the ammeter return to 0 I(f not there is something wrong with the meter
connect a volt meter across the battery and note the voltage
Leave meter connected and start the truck. As you increase engine speed the voltage should increase.
If all checks out OK Then you need to check the wiring going to the reset of the truck
Good Luck
Ron

[DaveB]

I believe I have a short in the headlights circuit. When turned on the amp meter pegs to -3.5. I found a couple of miner issues with a tail light.
What I question now is the generator. It is putting out 6.08 volts at idle and drops slightly to 6.07 as the engine rpms rise. It also shows 12.7 amps consistently. The amp meter in the truck stays just slightly negative at idle and does not move to a charging position while increasing revs. I did polish the armature and inspected the brushes which look good.
Is there any test I can perform on the generator or am I postponing the inevitable and have to buy a new generator?
Thanks for the suggestions.

[TWChamp]

Your generator should be putting out a bit over 7 volts. With the belt off, when you polarize it, it should spin in the normal direction it runs. Try full fielding the generator, then check the voltage at the output terminal on the generator. Try this first, and if it doesn't generate more than 7 volts then I'd remove it and have a look inside.