Thanks for the reply, lets see if I can explain this better... The stator produces AC voltage only, The regulator regulates that to 12-13.5 volts, but still AC current. The rectifier is needed to convert the voltage to DC. The battery needs to have DC voltage to charge it, if you dont have a battery to charge, you wouln't need the DC voltage (exept for DC acc., like a GPS). True that most new sleds have a regulator/rectifier unit in them, reason being commonality among units. They have E-start available for most models now, so they just put in the system from the factory. On older sleds, most were not rectified to DC, and if e-start were added, a rectifier would too. look through a catalog of replacement regulators for older sleds, there is a different unit required for sleds w/ a battery, than for those without. If you notice, reguulators only have 1 or 2 wires, one for power in, another to ground, or it may be grounded through the mount(body). All the regulator does is dump any extra voltage beyond 13.5 in to ground(frame). A rectifier usually has 3 or4 wires, AC in, ground to frame, DC+ out and DC- out(which may also be to the frame). The circuts on a snowmobile like lights,the heated shield output, and grips, dont care if they are AC or DC, they will work on either polarity. You wont get a shock from the AC on a sled, there just is not enough voltage there to hurt you. A spark plug fires at about 30-40,000 volts, and anybody thats been around engines has gotten a poke from one and lived to tell. The amperage is what hurts!
Anybody want to chime in? This is kind of fun, makes me think back to my aircraft mechanic training days, good exercise for the old brain.
