There are several things that could be wrong, but rule out the battery first.

Charge the battery, then immediately disconnect the ground cable.

Reconnect after a day or so and try starting.

If it won't crank, you've found your problem.  🙂

If it does, you'll need to look further.

Even "new" batteries can have shorted cells, especially if they have sat on the store shelf for a long time and/or they've been deeply cycled.

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

Ken

OK, it looks like the battery is not the problem.  I left it disconnected for 3 days and I just now started it with no problem and it turned over just fine.  So, now where do I look.  The amp meter shows that it is charging, but is it getting to the battery?  Or, is there something else?

Buy a multi-meter if you don't already have one. Disconnect the positive battery cable. Put the meter on DC voltage. Touch the red lead to the battery post and the black lead to the cable. If you have a parasitic load it'll show on the meter. If you don't have a load it'll show 0. If it shows a load you start disconnecting things, one at a time, until the meter shows no load, 0. When that happens you've found your problem child.

@ken-albers It might be necessary to "polarize" the generator. I don't know the exact procedure but I bet you can find it online or someone will jump in to help.

I am still suspicious of your battery. 6 miles of driving should not kill a good, well charged battery. I think it needs to be load tested to make sure it is not just "surface charged". I have a Milton battery tester that does the job. 

Mike

I was thinking the same thing Mike but he says the ammeter shows it's charging.

@bowtiefan Ken, Make sure your battery is installed with negative ground. Check all connectionist the battery, starter and frame. I like for the battery ground cable to go to a bolt on the transmission top. This gives a much better path back to the starter. I AM STILL VERY SUSPICIOUS OF YOUR BATTERY.

Mike

@35mike 

I agree on the battery.

One other thing that might be the problem, but I doubt it...

Ken, are you sure the cut-out is opening when you shut the engine off?

I'm sure you would notice if it isn't, as the ammeter would show a substantial discharge.

Tiny and Mike, you were both right.  This morning I checked for a drain and my meter showed a 1+ volt draw.  I felt good that I had a starting point, but just in case I decided to have a load test on the battery and it was also bad.  So, I've now got a new battery, that was the easy part, but what could draw 1+ volt?  I haven't started looking yet, but that seems like a lot.  There's no computers drawing power like on new cars, so any suggestions?

Ken

MIke, the cut-out was replaced when they rebuilt the generator.

Ken, there's no easy way I know of. You just have to start pulling bulbs and disconnecting electrical things one at a time. Check the meter each time you pull something to see if that's the issue. The one certainty is it's always the last place you look........ (sorry, couldn't help myself)

Nothing makes sense.  I have disconnected all the lines coming from the battery.  The starter switch, all the wires at the ammeter, the input to the generator and even the horn.  Each time I disconnect something the draw gets bigger.  It started out at about 1 volt, now it's up to 5 volts.  Of course it has been partially rewired and many change colors as they go which of course doesn't help.  The negative terminal is grounded to the frame.  Maybe not the best, and I can change that later, but I don't see how that would effect anything.  I may have to disconnect everything and start from scratch.  Me and electricity are not the best of friends!

If the voltage gets higher it indicates a reduction in the draw (or current). Amperage measures current, Resistance measures the conductor and voltage is a result of the combination. V=IR   Voltage equals the combination of current and resistance. If the voltage approaches the battery voltage then there is no draw. There is always some resistance in the wiring and connectors so the measured voltage away from the battery will always be at least a little lower than across the battery terminals. Hope you understand and I haven't added to confusion. 

@bowtiefan 

Hi Ken

I'm not clear on what you are doing.

"Draw" is measured in AMPS, not volts.

Re-reading the above posts, I think Tiny may have meant to say "put the meter on DC AMPS".

Make sure you're meter is capable of handling more than just milliamps, and use a setting that reads in actual amps.

With everything connected and turned off, disconnect one cable from the battery and put the multimeter between the battery post and disconnected cable.

If you are seeing a draw in AMPS, then start disconnecting things.

PS

If you aren't seeing a draw on the amps setting, then try the milliamps settings to search for the draw.