Wiring a 12v generator in a zamboni

Hey guys & gals Been a closet grm fan for awhile and only recently signed up & got a subscription (mostly from an Scca tracknight I did...) Anyways, I have a question/problem I'm looking for help with. The charging system in my 1959 zamboni (yep, the real deal ice making machine...) isn't putting out any juice. The motor & chassis under the zamboni body is 1959 jeep (cj5 I believe?)

I've had the generator tested at a local electric motor shop & it passed as good

I polarized the generator after reinstalling

I have checked The wiring and everything seems to be going where it belongs and it has continuity thru the wires (no breaks, good grounds)

I Have tried a couple different voltage regulators I'm assuming are new (still in boxes on the shelf, my dad told me they were new once!)

Any tips/ideas? I'm going to try to figure out how to check the regulator, and then make a known good wiring harness, to avoid any chafed wires grounding out. Would you think the system would need the ammeter light to charge? I'm unsure if the bulbs is any good. Does the regulator itself need to be grounded? The generator has a new ground wire but I wonder if the rusty mounting for the regulator is screwing me

I'm trying to improve my pathetic electric skills, so have pity on me trying to understand what I'm doing :)

Thanks!

I don't know of any charging systems that will funtion correctly with a bad bulb or open in the bulb circuit.

Can you take the cover of the regulator and inspect the tips and arms? I'm not sure about the ground for the regulator. Of course it needs one somewhere in the system, but I can't say for certain that it would be through the case. I rarely work with stuff that old.

HappyAndy wrote: I don't know of any charging systems that will funtion correctly with a bad bulb or open in the bulb circuit. Can you take the cover of the regulator and inspect the tips and arms? I'm not sure about the ground for the regulator. Of course it needs one somewhere in the system, but I can't say for certain that it would be through the case. I rarely work with stuff that old.

thanks, im going start at the amp light circuit, not sure if it ever worked? but i know the charging system worked at some point in recent history.

ive taken the cover of the regulator and looked at it, nothing looks bad! thats about as far as my electrical knowledge takes me...

If I take the "bat" bulb out of my dash (in my '80 Fairmont), it won't charge.