The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Electrical Issues

Greetings,
My 63 has always run fairly well until Christmas Eve when I was delivering a new fridge to my Daughter and Son-in-Law. I needed to get jumped off twice. Since then I've put on about 50 miles and for the most part it's run well but at times the needle is buried on the "D" side. In the past I have changed the voltage regulator to fix a simular problem. I am not good at diagnosing electrical issues, and in the past that has gotten expensive whith my "replace until you get the right thing" method. Any ideas?
Pete

63 C-10,

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you have a 12 volt generator and ammeter in the dash.

Usually a old dying battery won't come back from the dead so this item is probably out of the equation. Your ammeter, if working properly, is the diagnostic tool that tells you your charging system doesn't seem to be doing its job.

After making sure all your drive belts are tight, it might be wise to try and find out if the problem is with the 'boss' or the 'employee'.

The generator is the employee, as it is told when to charge, and how much to charge. If you can pull the field wire off the regulator and touch it to a good ground, it should put the generator into full charge. If you have someone inside watching the ammeter when you do this, the needle should go to full charge. Do this only for a few seconds..just long enough to have your helper verify the gauge reading.

If this works, then this tells you that the regulator probably isn't functioning properly.

If it doesn't work, one of the things it might be telling you is that the generator needs to be repaired or replaced. Brushes, springs and a commutator cleaning might do the trick, and these would be easy for you to do.

There are more modern charging system components that are cheap, much more reliable and pretty easy to install if you don't mind losing some 'style points' for non-stock accessories.

So to sum it up...either the system is being told to charge and can't..faulty generator OR, the generator is fine but is not being told to charge..regulator. Good luck!

Stuart

right on atom......doc

amp meter "buried" on the D. I bet that is a short someplace. look for worn wires or pinched wires.

Thanks Guys,
I will check er out! Drove perfect today, needle in the middle. It is 12 volt, when you say ammeter Automark, you mean the guage that says "Batt" correct? I am not stupid, just unsure and am asking questions. I most likely will keep the truck stock for one reason, I have the original dealer paperwork and want it to remaion stock. I may have to buy another to add things like power steering and air conditioning. I had to jerk a boy out at the oil change place few weeks back as he had no idea how to drive a "3 on the tree". I have some pictures of "Ginger" if'n someone could get them posted.
Thanks,
Pete

Pete,

Are you sure you have a generator? You very well could have a alternator and external regulator.

Big difference...no stupid involved, many folks get confused under the hood.

I think there is a 'how to post pictures' piece in the IT-forum at the bottom of the main page.

With a handle like 'Ginger', I'm sure everyone will want to see her!

Stuart