147 Starter/Gen/Regulator Question

[D50ffe]

Hello OCC members – I have been working on a 1970 Cub Cadet 147 for the past seven months. It was a barn find and had not run since about 2003. I hope to restore it in the near future but for now I’m using it as a prime mover around the property. After rebuilding the carb, complete fluid and filter changes, replacing all wiring and cleaning the gas tank, it’s running. My issue involves the starter/generator, voltage regulator and the battery. I was never able to get the generator to push more than 7-8 volts so I took it off and had it checked by ABI rebuilders, a shop I️ highly recommend, in Danville, VA. It was cleaned and new brushes were installed but it tested ok on all bench tests before being opened up. When taking a voltage reading using a digital multi-meter from the generator, at the generator, I get result of between 4 – 8 volts. The same reading is produced at the voltage regulator from the battery terminal input to ground. When I take a reading at the battery I get between 11 and 13 volts. All of these at about 2000 rpm. My charging gauge pings back and forth and never stays in the charging direction. Is this normal operation for this regulator or should I see 12 to 13 volts at the generator and at the regulator? Could my gauge be faulty and if so how could I test just the gauge? Any ideas? I have opened up the regulator and cleaned the contact points but made no other adjustments.