Cutout burnout

[mlp623]

After taking apart, cleaning and re-assembling my generator, I thought I was ready to put it back on the car. I made some mistakes and now need to understand what I did wrong and how I can get back to running.

When I re-assembled the generator I felt the long thru bold that holds both ends together hit the back of the terminal post - not sure if this is normal.

After re-installing I wasn't getting a charge on the ammeter with a fast idle (or faster). I tried jumping around the cutout by attaching a wire with alligator clips on each end. A couple sparks, and a pegged ammeter. Wires were hot.

It looks like the contact points in the cutout were making a connection, so I pushed it down with the back of the screwdriver - that caused the cutout to go up in smoke. Good thing for battery cutout switch. Some smoke from behind the instrument panel. I removed the panel and tightened the connections to the Ammeter.

Now the cutout is off the generator, the ammeter is back to -0-, and I have a burned out cutout on the bench.

A couple additional details.

• No fuse (yet).
• 6 V positive Ground
• New Ammeter from brattons
• Lights and horn worked before burning out the cutout.
• Cutout was original style - not a diode or voltage regulator.
• When I re-built the generator I installed new brushes and all new terminal post washers(etc) (this may have put the post in contact with the thru bolt)
• 3rd brush was in the middle - and not touching the lower brush

I am up for a funproject voltage regulator, but if there is another issue I'm not up for burning a $60 part.

How can I troubleshoot? (after the superbowl )