Dodge voltage regulator...

i used to see adjustable regulators on commercial vehicles .. setting were low medium high .. it was set for whatever the vehicles job was . like round town it would be set to high .. long distance set to low .
could you not simply fit an alternator with built in regulator ?

depending on how the battery warning light is wired in simply changing the bulb for higher wattage will reduce alternator output . worth a try i think .

I could spring for a one wire universal alt,, but at this point we're talking about a system that's been successfully used in millions of vehicles for decades,, there has to be a decent working VR available...

OK,,, say its a # 53 bulb in a quarter turn socket,,, what larger wattage would fit? I guess anything from a taillight to headlite could be wired in,,, and then find a place to stuff it.... But,, first I need to find a VR that works, as I tried three new ones and the original, and no joy...
 
I appreciate the effort, now, armed with the test knowledge and a DMM, I'll test the next one I find,,, maybe I can assure it works at teh proper volts!! Those 15+ V VRs worked, as they wouldn't change a tenth or so, with or without adding load...They're just set too high.... however they read open on the R test???? so who knows.

I think the U Pull-it yard is open today,,, may take a ride after it drys up a little... a good Mopar would be a decent find!!!
 
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Changing the value of the warning light bulb won't change the charging rate.
it does when i do it with alternators with built in regulators . i have built battery chargers using an alternator and small engine .. to get it so the engine will turn when trying to charge a flat battery i use different wattage lamps or use thinner wires to the lamp . it is adjusting the field current .
 
Hey guys,, With no where to go but up,,, I started to read out the original VR... Connecting the center lead on the biggest chip(?) to the one next to it, gets it to read close to the R test results in the link... Not sure why, but the center lead was cut/burned off pretty short, so I figured it had to go someplace!!! I haven't tried it in the truck, wanted to ask if if it looked feasible,,, don't want to mess up the alt...

Thanks for looking, and thoughts....
 

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it does when i do it with alternators with built in regulators .
I think this may depend on the style of regulator. It will not with the Ford alternators I'm used to dealing with, whether they be internal or externally regulated. The lamp isn't in the field circuit on those, its basically in the "turn-on" wire, sitting between +12v and the input to the regulator. Other systems may do things different, I just happen to have spent way too much time messing with older Ford stuff.
 
Hey guys,, With no where to go but up,,, I started to read out the original VR... Connecting the center lead on the biggest chip(?) to the one next to it, gets it to read close to the R test results in the link... Not sure why, but the center lead was cut/burned off pretty short, so I figured it had to go someplace!!! I haven't tried it in the truck, wanted to ask if if it looked feasible,,, don't want to mess up the alt...

Thanks for looking, and thoughts....
if you are talking about the transistor in the pic the centre lead is often cut off as the backing plate connects to that leg and its not needed .
 
Thanks Pete,,,
I have limited knowledge with SS stuff!!! I tested the VR as per the link, and it came close enough to try, but with alt and this reg in the ckt, it charged over 16V,, so I shut it down,,,
 
Those adjustable regulators look like the solution. The guy who made the video, the regulator on that auction site, and alternatorparts.com are all the same. It's a company here in Michigan. The brand being sold is transpo.
 
it does when i do it with alternators with built in regulators . i have built battery chargers using an alternator and small engine .. to get it so the engine will turn when trying to charge a flat battery i use different wattage lamps or use thinner wires to the lamp . it is adjusting the field current .

It shouldn't. The terminal for/to the idiot light is also D+/trio diode output, which is higher than alternator output/system voltage.
One side of the bulb is switched ignition (key on power), the other to D+. When you turn it on, the light lights, because voltage flows through it and to the trio diodes, through the main rectifier bridge to ground. (some alternators won't start working without the current through this circuit providing magnetism to the field so it can start up; alternators tend to de-gauss themselves)
As the alternator comes on board, the voltage comes up and extinguishes the light as the voltages approach equal values. At full output, the voltage is a couple volts above system, but close enough that the light doesn't illuminate. Why is it an idiot light? Well, if it burns out, many systems won't begin to charge; if the alternator only makes 9v, it will still produce enough voltage at D+ to extinguish it. Newer systems usually have a resistor in the instrument cluster, paralleling the light to start it up if the bulb/LED fail.

The voltage signal from D+ also is what is fed back into the regulator to control charging. The regulator uses this relative voltage see how much voltage/current is needed to send to the brushes which energize the spinning armature; if this voltage is too low, it will raise the "field" (armature in an alternator) current, raising the charging rate; if too high, it will diminish the output.
AFAIK, the size of the filament or the wire going from B+ (batt/alt output) to D+ won't change the regulation because there is virtually no current flowing when the voltages approach parity when the alternator works. You might LOWER the output if you grounded one side of the bulb but in most cases that would prevent the alternator from initiating charging.
 
Good to know,,, not interested in field testing anymore junk... Been over a week now, so if I can get a decent reg from a jobber locally tomorrow,, I'll go that route... If not I'll look into your link, but I'd be more comfortable if I can test one before I spend or wait for shipping... Really want to avoid the junkyard route also...
Thanks for the info..
 
Done.... Broke down and paid a visit to my favorite truck junk yard,,, Got a "Made in USA"(wherever that is!) regulator,, and a good, exact match blower motor assembly for 5 bux...

One note, tho.... This regulator read open on the link ohms test also,,, so use it at your discretion...

Thanks to everyone that offered thoughts and help here... This one's in the books!!!
On to the next challenge...
 

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there is something i remembered .if the battery isnt as good as it should be the voltage is likely to rise .
 
True,,, also, the charge Volts should go down some as the ambient temp goes up .... Its a good battery...
Check the water!!
 
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:thumbsup: maybe hit the junk yard on a nice day with a couple beers and scrounge up a couple more.
 
I looked thru all the stuff there...They actually operate a truck only,, and separate car yard around the corner... I hit em both... There weren't any old enough cars for parts I wanted, and prices at car lot were 5x as much...
Truck yard had a van same year as mine... I got the complete blower assembly,,, and he thru in the reg off a PU !!! I couldn't find any others tho... Would have doubled up on regs, if I found any more...

Feel like I hit the lottery!,,, new parts for old cars/trucks is a crap shoot at best....
 
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