Hey, we drove this back from Illinois without a problem. The guys at the refinery said they jumped it off, so we didn't turn it off until we'd driven several hundred miles. It cranked right back up and again every other time we stopped on the way back. However, when I tried to start it at my house a couple of days later, the batteries were dead.

So, I charged them back up and took them to the auto parts store and they both checked out as good.

So, I put one back in, started the engine, and pulled the negative cable. The engine died. I thought that meant the alternator was bad, but some guy told me it's more likely the regulator?

How do I test to see which it is? Also, the brakes worked all the way home until I got off the freeway at my house, and I lost the pedal. It's low on fluid, so I'm thinking a wheel cylinder blew. Haven't crawled underneath, but does anyone know whether these have drums all the way around? How hard is it to get the back drum off if that's the one that blew? I know my 06 F350 dually was a pain to work on the rear brakes - you have to take out the axle.

Just gotta make a couple of easy repairs before I deliver it to the buyer.

 

Can you get a pic of the alternator ? Most likely its a leece Neville 7706, with an external regulator. And yes front disc, rear drum. And the rears, you have to pull axles. Also left side lug nuts should be left hand thread.

 

Yes, pretty sure it's external regulator, and I found out about the left hand threads the hard way when we had a flat coming back from Illinois. How do I know if the regulator is bad or the alternator? And would I have to take the axles out just to change a wheel cylinder on the back? Guess I'm hoping it's a front caliper that leaked.

 

it's raining here and this truck is outside. Don't want to have to take the alternator off if I don't have to. Auto parts said there's two different alternators, I figure this is the one with higher amps.

 

First you have to find the regulator. Some people put them in the cabs to keep them cooler. Some even had external diodes on a heat sink mounted behind the grille. Found a pic of the regulators for the leece.

 

Well, that's easy. I see that mounted on a plate hanging from the top of the engine compartment, next to another component, a smaller black box. I took the top off that to paint it, and it has an electrical coil inside. So, how do I test it? One of the guys who wants to buy it told me to run a wire from the battery to the reg and if the alternator kicks in, the reg is bad. Not sure how to know when an alternator kicks in though, or which pole to touch with the battery wire.

 

Pull the field wire off the regulator. With a test light, Put the clip end on the bat and the field wire should show ground. If that works, put a volt meter on the battery, start it and touch the field wire to the positive terminal. The field wire goes to the brush holder on the back of the alt. The other side of the holder should go to ground. If it works, your volts should jump up but will keep climbing without the regulator. Another thing you can try is see the small plastic screw ? that's the adjustment for the regulator. Remove the screw and using a small pocket flat blade turn it clockwise to raise the voltage.

 

Great! Thanks, I'll check it out tomorrow. Would be awesome if its the regulator. There is an alternator gauge mounted on the doghouse and it seems to show it working.

I wonder if all of them are working fine and there's just something that's draining the battery when it sits there.

 

Great way to create more electrical damage!!

 

Oh great. Mr. Know-it-all, again, here to tell me what a screw-up I am. How'd you like those links I posted?

 

At least I have the integrity to admit I'm ignorant about these trucks and screw up from time to time. Idiots who don't even know they're idiots and won't even admit it when it's proven have no integrity.

 

All electrical devices contain smoke, try not to let it out.

 

Yes unhooking the battery when running may harm the computers in your 1881 E350. Oh wait, it doesn't have any.

 

LOL, I thought it sounded strange. We used to test alternators by pulling the cable all the time. Never heard anyone say it'd hurt anything.

 

Actually, volts can spike if you unhook the battery when running. I also had done it years ago, before computers. Worst thing it might do to your dinosaur is nuke the ign module or blow a few bulbs. I just thought it was funny.