Compressor motor wiring

Is polarity an issue when hooking up the electric motor (I didn't think it mattered with A/C)?  I'm worried that the compressor will cycle backwards if I wire things wrong.  The diagram JohnieG posted doesn't show specific terminal conections and there are 3 terminals on my motor (as shown in my previous posts).

[Jim]

As long as you're brave enough to play with electricity, I would bench test the motor first. In this case, the motor could be connected either way and it will rotate in its intended direction. From your previous picture, I see two posts that are shiney; I would start with those two.

Get an old extension cord and cut of the female end leaving the cord and the male end. Strip back approximately 1/4" of bare wire and twist it so there a re no frayed ends that could accidentally touch another part of the motor during a test!

Make sure the motor is secure to the bench somehow... If the motor is still in the mounting bracket, screw it down.

Plug in the custom extension cord making sure the ends are seperated and touch them to the two shiney teminal posts. The motor in all practicalities should spin since these are the two terminals utilized prior to disassembly...

As for the third terminal, it may be an internal ground wire... I'm not really sure, but the picture looks as though it wasn't connected or used because it's still very dirty...

Jim,

The third terminal was used (it had the remnants of a connector attached).  I believe it may be where one of the wires from the thermostat/start unit hooks in.  Thanks for the suggestions on the makeshift power cord, I'll post any findings.  I guess if you guys never hear from me again, you'll know that things didn't work out too well   '>

Update:  The compressor motor wiring is fixed, I'm alive and our house is still standing.  My wife always gets nervous when I play with electrical wiring, maybe it's because of that time she walked into the garage just as sparks started flying out of the pinball machine I was working on.  Apparently I had unplugged the wrong pin  '> .  Any way, a big thanks to JohnieG and Jim for providing information and technical advice.  Now if I can just find the phone number of that A/C repairman who said he could re-charge my system.  Hope he dosen't have any R-12 laying around, it might be bad for the environment  :'> .