I am working on the possibility of getting the truck fired up this week so that I can run the gauges and see that everything is working as it should.

Scenario that I have.....you guys might remember that I just recently installed my voltage regulator.

This is

what I have done.

I have connected the # 14 to I terminal on voltage regulator

I have connected the number 15 wire to A on voltage regulator and have split that off to also connect to the Alt terminal on the rear of the alternator.

I have connected the ground on the alternator to a good ground on the engine block

I have connected S terminal on voltage regulator to the stator terminal on the rear of the alternator

I have connected the F terminal on voltage regulator to the field terminal on the rear of alternator.

No battery in the truck, jumper cables only over to the battery terminals that are on the truck and then onto a car sitting next to the truck.

Key on

Car is running that is supplying juice and the voltage regulator starts smelling/smoking getting hot.

Immediately disconnect jumper cables

Check my wiring, feel for a specific wire that is hot, feel none.

Cant see a flaw in how I wired it

Reconnected battery terminals but left car turned off this time, still getting hot but of course slower and I disconnected and stopped.

Can you guys see an obvious flaw/something that I have done wrong.

If not any help in diagnosing would be appreciated.

I am going to go out and check the voltage on the wires but I am prob. wasting my time and I am thinking I have a wire crossed soemwhere.

Origin of voltage regulator= salvage yard, looks brand spankin new, not a hint of crud on it, not motorcraft but some off brand

I believe it to be well grounded as it is held onto inner fenderwell with heavy sheet metal screws that originally held it onto whatever Ford product I removed it from

 

I know this prob. is no help but I have 12.4 volts across the I and A terminal

The truck does turn over by the way, I have all the plugs removed and cap is off but it does move. Note to self though be more careful about leaving it sit outside with hood off cause water will run down the carb, into intake and get in the cylinders.

No problem, not stuck just wet inside there.

 

nothing jumping out at me. if you hooked the wiring up just like the schematic, you might want to start testing alt and reg.
are you positive you have not gotten the cables mixed up, or accidently hooked a hot tap to ground? good luck.

 

Thanks, I will check again now but I am sure I did as described above

 

I thought I had problem solved by switching out the regulators, seemed fine. I bolted my alt back in ( I had it sitting on the frame rail while I was trying to do some tests ) and after doing this problem came back again.

I do not know if I am supposed to be getting power to both I and A with key on but I am getting 12.4 volts on both of them with key on.

Not sure what else to do, called quickwire and they could not help

I thought that it was odd that when I re-bolted the alt back on the problem seemed to come back, maybe coincidence but I put the voltmeter against the case of alt to see if maybe something internal was grounding up but I did not get a reading of any kind.

 

I was incorrect, its getting dark outside and I decided to just go ahead and remove the alt again and see what happens. I laid it down on the frame, re-connected my jumper cables and no smoke, no nuthin. I rubbed the alt on manifold just for the heck of it and sparks jumped.

Checked with my voltmeter and now I get 12.4 on the case.

Fairly new alt, not junkyard new but storebought new. Hard to believe it has gone bad. I still think I have something wrong with the wiring. Help!

 

I figured out the problem I guess, didnt make any sense to me about the case being alive, the more I thought about it the more I thought there must be an internal short. I took off alt and had discount test it and it is no good.

 

Subscribed. Missed this while I was wrenching and answering questions on the other thread.

 

Watch out, your bad alternator could have ruined the regulator you have.

 

Yep. I sure happened to me.

 

Prob. ruined two of them, maybe just the one........I have been meaning to ask this, have googled it with no good results..........Is it possible to test.....let me back up, is it possible for ME to test a regulator out of a vehicle sitting in front of me.

I have been curious since I have been pulling them from the scrapyard. They are 30 dollars new and I am sure some of these from the scrapyard are just recently installed.

Purchased my new alt. last night, 44 dollars out the door at autozone, not worth buying one from the junkyard, I guess that a fancy one with internal voltage regulator and high amp output would be beneficial if a good one could be had used from junkyard but I do not need all of that.

Thanks again

 

I don't know of a bench regulator test, but just hook it up and see what happens. A bad regulator can't ruin a alternator, but a bad alternator or wiring can ruin the regulator. Whatever you do, don't try the trick some people use on here, and jerk the battery cable off with the engine running. It's a very risky thing to do and if something is wrong, can burn up a lot of stuff.

If you get it all hooked up and running, and it won't charge, check for voltage on the "F" terminal either on the alternator or the regulator, whichever is easiest to get to. If all your other terminals on the regulator have the correct voltages(I believe they will from your previous tests) and you have no voltage on the "F" terminal, the regulator is bad.

 

I don't know of one, either. But they are easy to test as Dave said. Just make sure you mount the regulator or otherwise ground it or it won't work.

 

Thanks for the tips, I did read a post that was made some years ago about jerking that battery cable. I never knew this was a problem but the explanation given by Franklin at the time makes sense

 

sure, you don't need the 130a output those offer, but its no harm to have it - and i like knowing that if i have a problem, it has to be in exactly one place.

that said, i've done the 3g upgrade 4 different times if i remember right, maybe it was 5. they're usually like 30 bucks at the junkyard, including as much of the wire harness as you choose to leave attached to it