How do i make it a negative earth car ? the car has a generator not a alternator

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we have more fun than anyone just driving here and there

turn the battery around & re polerize the generator by removing the regulator box cover & give the little arm a few pokes.

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Have a Nice Day.
If already having a nice day please disregard.

And you should swap the coil primary leads around too. Otherwise electrical folklore says the coil will give less voltage.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

check out the 'How to' http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=27591 If you don't want to keep the generator then change to an alternator at the same time as you do the polarity reversal. As Matt the miniman is oft to say, easy peasy.

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1964 998 Cooper , 1968 Morris 1100

Yeah, do that too

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Have a Nice Day.
If already having a nice day please disregard.

You don't HAVE TO convert to an alternator to get negative ground. It really is as easy as 850man says.

He didn't specify which arm though... you push the cutout arm in, hold for a few secs then let go. Make sure it comes back out, if not, use a screwdriver..

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

will the fuel and temperature gauges still be ok??

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we have more fun than anyone just driving here and there

Yes.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

if stereo plus dodgy wiring === smoke

you might want to check the fuse inside the stereo head unit.

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Aussie Leyland, Aussie Factory, Aussie Mini S.

Its only things with diodes inside them that will not function with pos earth. You cant easily run a current through a diode backwards.

depends on the head unit. new units tend to be a little more sophisticated, and there was smoke, which obvisouly means current went somewhere.

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Aussie Leyland, Aussie Factory, Aussie Mini S.

Lucas generator systems are "Self pole-ing" (spelling?)

all you need to do is swap the battery around, swap the coil wires around,,, then just simply turn the ignition on,,, job done,,,it`s now ready to run neg earth

simple as that

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

You can say this Matt, but back in 1967 I found it wasn't so. I had to close the cutout to reverse the polarity, it would not charge until I did this.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Yep, it's called "Striking (or flashing) the field". There's a small amount of permanent magnetism stored in the iron within the generator which creates a small current when the genny starts spinning on startup, this small amount of current seeds a larger magnetic field which in turn creates a larger current flow.

It's a case of a small amount of residual magnetism seeding the charge process, also called "self excitation"

The poling of the generator (direction of the north and south poles, like in a normal magnet) decides which direction the current will flow initially and hence decide the polarity of the car.

Nothing needs to be done to the regulator, it does not care for the polarity, neither does the starter motor which will turn in the same direction anyway, or the instruments.




Third way of flashing the field is to (with the engine and ignition turned off):

- Disconnect the large and small spade terminals on the generator,
- Turn the battery around in the boot and reconnect,
- with a short length of wire from the battery post on the solenoid, strike the field terminal of the generator (the small spade marked F) two or three times like you would strike a match. This reverses the magnetic pole within the generator, it will spark a little...don't worry.
- Reconnect the large spade and field wire,
- Start the engine.

A 5 minute job.

(oh, and flip the ignition coil wires too for good measure...)

Sometimes the old generators lose their magnetism. Striking the field will restore this residual field again.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I blew up a cheap new stereo in my first Mini in 1990 that way. I got an exchange unit from the shop and then realised my mistake. I didn't have a clue about reversing the polarity back then, so I built a plywood box to insulate the radio from the body.

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2