Car not starting.

[JohnG]

you two guys have a really good and simple method! Disconnecting the - post , but only after shutting off the clock (they have their own fuse so this is not too bad). Aside from the clock, I cannot think of anything that should be always be On.

An inexpensive multimeter (less than $6 these days) can often have a 0-10 A scale which could be used to get a measure of the current draw. But the spark, if it happens, is providing valuable information.

May I ask how old the battery is??

[simplyconnected]

...the battery is, indeed, getting charged while the car is running.
...the voltage fluctates greatly betweem 12.80 and 13.10 which he said might be a problem with the regulator

This is what I want to do:
1. check if there are any electrics still on when I turn the car off (includes glove box, trunk, hood, and dome lights)
2. Check the battery connections and the ground
3. get an voltmeter installed under the dash permanently.
4. get a battery isolation switch installed inside the car

If your gen is charging, then there's no need to polarize. Your working GEN light automatically 'flashes' the armature every time the light shines.

While you have the battery disconnected (to clean the posts), pull the cover off your regulator (usually they have two screws holding the cover on, but some covers are riveted shut).

Having a spare regulator is a great idea, JohnG. But if you spend more than $50, might as well pull the gen off and retrofit a junkyard Ford alternator. They already have a regulator inside, and they put out twice what a gen outputs. Get an old Mustang alternator and be done with all your problems, cheaply. Usually, the junk yard will cut the wires, so the plugs come with the alt, which is a good thing. Wiring is VERY simple. Your GEN light will still work, too. Click on this sentence for my Y-block retrofit.

If you keep the generator, I agree with JohnG about the voltage. We usually keep a running charging system at 14-volts. Remember, the charging voltage must overcome the battery voltage, and there isn't much difference between 12 and 14 volts. When you stop your engine, the battery voltage slowly drops, and levels off at 12.

Here's the deal with ammeters; they usually only go up to +/- 30-amps, which is fine for an old gen. Alternators put out 75-105-amps. This requires serious wire sizes and should be fused if you put the #6-AWG copper cables through a firewall. (Normally, alternator wires go straight to the battery terminal on the starter solenoid.)

You can temporarily connect a volt meter to a Radio Shack cigarette lighter plug, just to try it, before you mount it permanently. I usually insulate the back with tape while using it temporarily.

#1, and #2 are a 'MUST'. #2, & #3 are optional, since these cars never 'needed' one in the past 50 years. The disconnect is convenient if you need to work on the electrical system under the dash a lot. If you get one, I like the kind where you unscrew the large nut, and put it in your pocket. You can leave your car and it won't be started until you return (especially at shows).