8N Showing Discharge

OK so I got the 8N running. Now it shows a discharge of 20 amps. I have a new battery hooked up correctly with Positive ground. A volt meter hooked to the generator shows it is putting out charge there. The voltage regulator looks as if it was replaced because it is painted blue. When I turn on the light switch without the motor running, it will show a positive charge. Something must be backwards, or is the voltage regulator not working?

Sounds like you have the wires reversed on the ammeter.
You can simply swap them from side to side if it's a post type.

Not a post type. Inductive type.

(quoted from post at 20:17:05 07/23/18) Not a post type. Inductive type.

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run the wire thru in opposite direction.

So it is charging, just the current is going the wrong way????

(quoted from post at 20:59:11 07/23/18) So it is charging, just the current is going the wrong way????

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the wrong way thru the meter yes,, it is charging.

Your 8N Voltage Regulator wasn't painted blue by anyone per say, it is most likely an aftermarket style which replaced the original AUTO-LITE unit. Some were painted blue, some were painted black. Does it look like this -see picture. Even if you have the original Induction Loop AMMETER, if the large (original yellow) wire feeds thru the loop the wrong way, you will show a discharge. Here is a sketch of the 8N Wiring System -see other picture. You say you have the original LOOP AMMETER so know it is not a VOLTMETER, volts and amps are two different animals. Maybe I misunderstood. Verify all the wiring is correct as shown in sketch. Do you have the OEM Ballast Resistor in the circuit? Do you have lights in the circuit? If so disconnect them temporarily. ALL 8N generators were the 3-Wire type using the 'A' Circuit design. The first two were also the 3-Brush type with 3rd Brush adjusting screw on back plate. The Two Brush style has no back adjusting screw. All three had an output rating of 11.5 AMPS. Only the first early FORD 2-Wire/2-Brush 9N generators which used a VR, was the 'B' Circuit design until the NAA. Which generator do you have? When your wiring is verified to be correct, try to polarize the your 'A' circuit generator -done on the VR, momentarily arc spark with a screwdriver or plier handles the ARM and BAT/GRN terminals with POWER OFF and DO NOT TOUCH the FLD terminal -see picture.

FORD 8N WIRING DIAGRAM:

ORIGINAL 8N AUTO-LITE VOLTAGE REGULATOR & INDUCTION AMMETER:

NEWER, AFTERMARKET STYLE 8N-10505-B & C VOLTAGE REGULATORS:

FORD TRACTOR GENERATOR POLARIZING ??A? CIRCUIT AND ?B? CIRCUIT METHODS:

Tim Daley(MI)

Thanks for the picture Tim. My wire was looped through the meter the wrong way, fixed it and now it charges.

It doesn't matter which way the wire feeds thru the LOOP, it will still conduct electrons the correct way and the charging circuit is unaffected. Did you mean you reversed the wire thru the LOOP and now the AMMETER now reads correctly?

Tim Daley(MI)

Yes that's what I meant.