Voltage regulator

[Gofast53549]

I have a 1969 kaiser jeep pickup with the 350 4bbl. I replaced the alternator and it isn't charging. Where is the voltage regulator located?

[bmorgil]

Welcome Gofast! The original 1969 Kaiser Jeep Buick 5.7L Dauntless V8 350 used an AC Delco alternator. The regulator should be on the passenger fender. It was originally silver in color and was right next to the battery.Take a few pictures under the hood and lets take a look. It is possible someone used an internally regulated alternator and removed the original regulator.

https://oljeep.com/gw/elec/69-71_350/69-71_Gladiator_350_color.jpg

[Gofast53549]

There is no voltage regulator on the fender. The wires go from the alternator to the firewall and into truck. Thanks for any help.

[bmorgil]

I would say someone has replaced the alternator with an internally regulated alternator. A popular upgrade. If you installed the original alternator part number, it needs an external regulator. I cannot see much in your pictures. If you can take a picture of the back of the alternator that would help. It looks like you will need to purchase a GM 10 SI alternator with a standard 3 wire internal regulator hook up and put it on there. Take a picture of the back of the alternator. See if you can get a close up of the wires hooked into it. I am guessing it was converted to a 10 SI or 12 SI which can be hooked up a couple of ways. If it has two small wires going to the case and one large red wire going to the large terminal on the back, it is converted to a standard GM 3 wire hook up.

Pay particular attention to the wire colors. You will have to identify how it was rewired to be sure you have it hooked up correctly. If it was converted (if there is no external regulator it must be) the original alternator style will not work unless you change it back and buy an external regulator. You could also convert to a GM 10 SI or 12 SI one wire hook up, with a self exciting one wire alternator. That would only need the big red wire hookup and the charge light hookup.

[51 CJ3]

Someone did a one wire conversion on a tractor I own.I didn’t like bringing the engine to 1800-2000 rpm to get it to start charging so I installed a field wire.

[bmorgil]

Jeff, 1800 to 2000 to excite it is awfully high. I don't blame you for adding the B+. You can specify the the RPM the one wires will excite. On most of my one wires I like to use 800 RPM excite RPM. A lot of them are 1000 rpm excites.

[51 CJ3]

There were a lot of things on that old tractor that made me think the previous owner didn’t really know how to maintain a piece of equipment. Being an aircraft mechanic, I had never encountered a one wire setup before so I went with what I knew. All piston powered airplanes have field wires to the alternator so the alternator can be shut down if things go screwy. That also means a separate field switch and circuit protection for the field circuit. If things start smoking while airborne a person needs to be able to kill the electricity. I did mess up the tractor wiring on my first attempt though. I powered the field straight from the bus which makes it impossible to kill the engine with the key.

[bmorgil]

Ah yes the alternator "run on". That makes a few people scratch their heads! You can put a diode in the field wire in some instances.

I would not want to be in an airplane when things started smokin' unless it was on the ground and not moving! Working on an Airplane has to be the ultimate in confidence. I fixed it, now lets take it up in the air a few thousand feet and see how she runs! OMG!

[LarrBeard]

We ran into this about a year ago on another alternator retrofit and in that case we suggested another, smaller, pulley on the alternator to get the alternator RPM up for a given engine RPM.

(Oh yes, the adventure of a PMCF - Post Maintenence Check Flight). The ultimate test was to have the maintenance guy go along for a ride in a multi-place aircraft.