Voltage Regulator Problem??

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Did the blue wire to case both sides where the flat mounting plates are bolted to fire wall. I had to take the blue wire on back of alternator, as there was no room at connector on regulator, is that ok? Anyways .03 to .05 both sides. I ohm checked this wire before and it was good between alternator and regulator. Thanks
The blue wire on the alternator is effectively the same point as the blue wire on the ballast resistor so yes you can connect there.
 
Those readings were with the car running... I want to add this also. With the battery plus side only connected, it has 2.45+ at the regulator mount base, hook up the negative cable to the battery and the base reads 12.78 the same as battery. Now I am really beyond confused. Thanks
 
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So I guess this is normal, I know the car body carries current. The regulators I have, all the IGN, FLD's and base plates are connected, doing OHM checks and this is correct also?? Thanks
 
Sounds like you are not getting a good ground on your regulator. Make sure you scrape the paint from the area where the screws go through also use star washers under the mounting screws. The regulator case MUST be at ground potential.
 
Sounds like you are not getting a good ground on your regulator. Make sure you scrape the paint from the area where the screws go through also use star washers under the mounting screws. The regulator case MUST be at ground potential.

I even ran a ground wire from the left cylinder head to regulator base 0 ohms all over the bulkhead. I can take some more paint off, but I don't think it is the ground. Is that correct on the regulators that all are connected on the ohm's check? Thanks for your reply
 
I even ran a ground wire from the left cylinder head to regulator base 0 ohms all over the bulkhead. I can take some more paint off, but I don't think it is the ground. Is that correct on the regulators that all are connected on the ohm's check? Thanks for your reply
Do you have a ground strap from the engine to the frame? Also did you install the relay?
 
I don't have a ground strap to the frame, I do have one off the ground cable to battery to the radiator mount frame, two from rear of engine to bulkhead, one goes under VR mount. I do have a relay kit, not installed. I am trying to check out my VR's to see if I need a new one. All of them have different resistance readings. Thanks for the offer, all my VR's look like the original, two are solid state and one is mechanical. Mechanical is fld to ign 0, fld to base 0, ign to base 0. 1st solid state, ign to fld 15 ohms, fld to base 10 ohms, ign to base 4 ohms, 2nd solid state, fld to ign 9 ohms, ign to base 1.5 ohms, fld to base 10 ohms. Does that help any? That is information saturation for sure. Thanks for your time and help.
 
I don't have a ground strap to the frame, I do have one off the ground cable to battery to the radiator mount frame, two from rear of engine to bulkhead, one goes under VR mount. I do have a relay kit, not installed. I am trying to check out my VR's to see if I need a new one. All of them have different resistance readings. Thanks for the offer, all my VR's look like the original, two are solid state and one is mechanical. Mechanical is fld to ign 0, fld to base 0, ign to base 0. 1st solid state, ign to fld 15 ohms, fld to base 10 ohms, ign to base 4 ohms, 2nd solid state, fld to ign 9 ohms, ign to base 1.5 ohms, fld to base 10 ohms. Does that help any? That is information saturation for sure. Thanks for your time and help.
I would lean towards putting one of the electronic regulators in. Now if you Install a relay to feed the ignition terminal of the voltage regulator it should eliminate the flickering light syndrome. I went with an adjustable 70 and up style regulator made by a company called Roadrunner Electronics. There is an adjustment on the back of it that allows you to set your voltage. I set mine to 14.6 volts when hot and cruising.
 
Was checking the voltage regulators with an ohm meter a good check, I don't know what a good one should read? I found the regulator you suggested, this car has no ballast resistor, and your diagram shows two fld's, on alternator only one on this one. Thanks again
 
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Here are the regulators, mechanical on left the newest one, original solid state next when I purchased the car and the other is a solid state that I purchased in 2016. I have taken some more paint off bulkhead for grounding and the other picture shows it has no ballast resistor. The car has a street fire cdi p/n 5520. thanks
 
The battle goes on, does anyone know if voltage surges would cause permanent damage to the voltage regulator? Thanks a bunch
 
Some thoughts:

1...Stop trying to check this using resistance. First, very low values of resistance are difficult to measure accurately, and current flowing through a bad connection can change the resistance of a bad connection.

2...."Think" in terms of "very basics.

A...The VR MUST be grounded to the battery. Sounds like you have that now, but CHECK it. To do this, run the car at an RPM to simulate medium cruise, say, 1500-2000 RPM or so. Do so with the engine warm and the battery "normalized"

Make this check first with all acesssories off, and again with heater, lights, whatever you have powered on

Stab one meter lead right into the top of the battery NEG post. Stab the other into the mounting flange of the VR. Be sure to get through paint, plating, chrome, or rust. You are hoping for a very low value, the lower the better and zero is perfect

B....The VR MUST have a GOOD connection to battery POS. Think of the pathway from the VR to the battery. If the wiring is factory, the path is something like this:

From VR "ign" terminal............to a splice in the engine harness to.........dark blue "run" wire..............through bulkhead connector............to ignition switch connector.............through switch.........out switch connector on the switch "bat" wire..................to under dash welded splice...........to black ammeter wire............to ammeter...........through ammeter..........ammeter RED wire.............through bulkhead connector.............fuse link..........starter relay stud..............to battery

EACH OF THOSE POINTS in the description is a terminal that can have a bad connection. Take the ignition switch, there is at least THREE places right there............The power going into the switch at the SWITCH CONNECTOR TERMINAL.............the switch CONTACTS.........back out the switch connector at the RUN terminal.

Right there you have a possibility of 3 bad connections. They can get worse with load and heat, and can change, AKA wiggling the key changes the contacts

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THAT is why I use voltage drop, because a few tenths here, and a few tenths there adds up. You can "rig" a long scrap of wire to the battery POS post (or starter relay) and trail it along to your meter, and "chase" voltage drop down the path.

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RELAY!!!!!

Sometimes, there are situations where "it is just easier" to install a relay. Electrically cut the blue "run" wire coming out of the bulkhead into the engine bay. Use the firewall end to fire a relay, and feed the relay contacts power through a fuse / breaker from the start relay stud. Power the ignition/ field/ VR off the relay output. This puts all that stuff VERY close to the battery POS and eliminates "lots" in the "path" above
 
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Some thoughts:

1...Stop trying to check this using resistance. First, very low values of resistance are difficult to measure accurately, and current flowing through a bad connection can change the resistance of a bad connection.

2...."Think" in terms of "very basics.

A...The VR MUST be grounded to the battery. Sounds like you have that now, but CHECK it. To do this, run the car at an RPM to simulate medium cruise, say, 1500-2000 RPM or so. Do so with the engine warm and the battery "normalized"

Make this check first with all acesssories off, and again with heater, lights, whatever you have powered on

Stab one meter lead right into the top of the battery NEG post. Stab the other into the mounting flange of the VR. Be sure to get through paint, plating, chrome, or rust. You are hoping for a very low value, the lower the better and zero is perfect

B....The VR MUST have a GOOD connection to battery POS. Think of the pathway from the VR to the battery. If the wiring is factory, the path is something like this:

From VR "ign" terminal............to a splice in the engine harness to.........dark blue "run" wire..............through bulkhead connector............to ignition switch connector.............through switch.........out switch connector on the switch "bat" wire..................to under dash welded splice...........to black ammeter wire............to ammeter...........through ammeter..........ammeter RED wire.............through bulkhead connector.............fuse link..........starter relay stud..............to battery

EACH OF THOSE POINTS in the description is a terminal that can have a bad connection. Take the ignition switch, there is at least THREE places right there............The power going into the switch at the SWITCH CONNECTOR TERMINAL.............the switch CONTACTS.........back out the switch connector at the RUN terminal.

Right there you have a possibility of 3 bad connections. They can get worse with load and heat, and can change, AKA wiggling the key changes the contacts

==================================

THAT is why I use voltage drop, because a few tenths here, and a few tenths there adds up. You can "rig" a long scrap of wire to the battery POS post (or starter relay) and trail it along to your meter, and "chase" voltage drop down the path.

==================================

RELAY!!!!!

Sometimes, there are situations where "it is just easier" to install a relay. Electrically cut the blue "run" wire coming out of the bulkhead into the engine bay. Use the firewall end to fire a relay, and feed the relay contacts power through a fuse / breaker from the start relay stud. Power the ignition/ field/ VR off the relay output. This puts all that stuff VERY close to the battery POS and eliminates "lots" in the "path" above

Ran the this morning, got 0.002 between the negative post an VR flange, still bounces 14 to 15 volts. I am just trying to find the root cause of this, I have a new VR on the way, if that don't fix it the relay will be next. By the way this car has no ignition ballast, and I put in a new starter switch. Thanks for your time and help...
 
Here's an example of a "loop" that could cause this to happen. Whether you have a mechanical or electronic regulator, the field circuit can/ may/ probably does have a time constant

Let's say you DO have a voltage drop in the path from the battery to the VR IGN terminal. THAT POINT right there at the VR power terminal changes with load if there is resistance/ bad connections in the circuit.

SO AS THE VR changes the field current by ramping it up and down in order to maintain charging voltage, that change in field current ITSELF comes / is sourced from THAT VERY SAME POINT. That means that change in circuit loading drags down the voltage (when field current is increased) or allows voltage to climb up (when VR drops field down). It CHANGES because there is resistance between the VR and the battery in the circuit

So AS THAT CHANGES, the actual battery voltage is constantly going up and down. The VR is attempting to make it's point in the harness at which the IGN terminal is branched off maintain at 14V, but the RESISTANCE in the harness and voltage drop caused by system current means that the battery voltage is NOT AT that same 14V.

The damn thing can get into a sort of self oscillation in that way, where it's constantly going up and down.


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ANOTHER way you could check this is to open up the harness enough to "get to" wherever the VR power / ign splice is, near the old ballast connections, and JUMPER a nice big, say no12 over to the starter relay stud or battery with good heavy clip leads. If the pulsing stops / gets less, and if battery voltage "settles down" closer to 14, you know you are on the right track
 
This thing has a 8 gauge wire from the SOL position on the starter relay to starter SOL position, factory was 12 gauge, any problem with that? Thanks
 
Ok, I working on the car right now.. I did the jumper from battery to IGN. side of VR, the bouncing stopped....
 
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