my generator works amazingly at idle, before the voltage regulator it makes 18.9 volts at idle. after i installed a new voltage reg (the old one rotted out, internally it was all good) it puts out a stable 13.6 volts. the generator works very well, but the moment its off idle, the light flashes. i dont understand whats wrong with it, any tips?
You've got regulator issues.... Time to dig out the factory manual and check the adjustments inside the regulator. If you're getting 13.6 at idle, the voltage setting is too high; you shouldn't see that much until you get to about 2000 rpm. This why I run alternators.
Hmmm...I though they didn't put out that much voltage at idle because that's how generators work? nothing to do with the regulator. Question...does it keep at 13.6 volts when the idiot light is on? or does the voltage drop? Tell us more of the history of the charging system, and how it's all wired up. Did you have to do any rewiring?
Yes it has to be dropping voltage off idle to fire up that light. 18 volts at idle is too high for a generator. Did you have the generator rebuilt? Reinstall your rusty regulator and see what readings you have. Or get a piece of tape and cover your idiot light.
the rusty regulators fuses are gone. cant even use it. i retested, it makes 13.36 volts at idle, not 13.6. i replaced the brushes and polished the commutator. i dont have someone to run it up to higher rpm at the moment on top of that, my heater control valve (on the heater core) gave out. so i have that apart, only to find no one makes the cable type valve! for now im going to bypass my heater, as the core itself is in amazing shape.
The gen lamp is connected to the armature terminal at the voltage regulator on one end and the ignition switch on the other end. When you first turn the ignition on the lamp it powered up and finds a ground through the armature in the generator. When the generator starts charging the lamp loses its ground since there is now power at the armature terminal. If you haven't changed any wiring, it appears that the generator is not charging when you rev the engine. That is the classic symptom of a lose fan belt. If that isn't the problem, then something in the gen lamp circuit has changed. Could the lamp wire (yellow with a black tracer 57 Ford) be connected to the field terminal? I am wondering how the lamp can find a ground with the engine revved up, but not with it idling. We need more information about the car wiring.
aha! loose fan belt. thank you, i will go check if thats the issue. also i may have wired it incorrectly, i will go check.
WOOHOO you helped so much with that, i had both a loose fan belt, and the wire was on field, not armature.
As rusty as that car is I would run a separate ground wire from the regulator to the generator and to the - on the battery. Just to be safe.
Good to see you sorted it out, and posted the answer. As for your heater valve, you could install a 12volt solenoid valve instead, and wire it up so it opens when the fan is on. The only problem I have found with this set-up is the inlet filter sieve on the valve clogs up with crud over time, and needs a yearly clean-out.
if my current plan doesnt work, i'll resort to that. its just a fancy needle and seat from what i can tell, the grommet on the back of it is dry rotted and has started a leak. so im going to attempt to make a grommet out of some sheet rubber. this should fix it. if it doesnt its getting soldered.
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