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"Ground" is a very specific electrical term that most people throw around cowboy style. Ground as a reference does not inherently convey polarity. Thus the term ground must be used in context to denote polarity.. For instance.. in a battery system where the positive post is tied to ground, you refer to it as a positive ground. in that system, the negative battery post is run to the starter solenoid and ignition systems.. etc. On a negative ground system.. like most modern auto's.. the negative battery post is tied to ground, and the positive post is tied to the starter solenoid and ignition systems. Most modern alternators require negative ground ( though some operate with positive ground.. or in an isolated ground fashion.. depends on specific unit.. ). Generators, on the other hand, usually can be run as either positive ground, or negative ground, depending on how they are setup, what regulator they use, and how they have been polarized. As far as i know.. most of the 12v systems using gennies were setup as negative ground from the factory.. though.. as you see.. they will run as positive ground.. if oriented correctly. If it was a gas unit.. then the ignition coil should have been swapped around to match ground polarity.. but otherwise.. to answer your question.. they run just fine. Just look at the N series and NAA, and gas hundred series from 1939 and up.. all positive ground electrical systems. Now.. if you swapped it from a positive ground to a negative ground, and didn't repolarize it... then most likely there has been regulator damage.. though you can and should still try to repolarize it just to check.. sometimes you get lucky. If it is the regulator.. they are generally from 25-40$ for a replacement.. There are some easy motoring tests to check the genny, as well as field manipulation to check the output without a regulator present, or bypassed. Soundguy
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