Delco-Remy regulator problem

cknight · Post by **cknight** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 4:15 pm

Well, to say the least, I'm sick. Most know my other post, "Sys not Charging". I had everything working great. I had taken the cover off the regulator and failed to disconect the batteries when putting it back on. I touched the circuit breaker relay (I have the four relay type) and sparks flew. I melted one of the contacts down for a few seconds and than it opened. I removed the unit, cleaned up the contact and reinstalled.

I started the jeep and the fire really flew, I shut the jeep off but things did not stop there. I had to disconnect first the #1 battery and than the #2 battery to calm things down. I have no idea what to do or what I have done.

I have the whole regulator off now and did get the jeep to run by suppling 24v to the dist. direct from the #2 battery.

I am guessing the regulator is shot and maby the generator. Before the generator would show 1.5v on both A & C, however, when hooked up properly, it was showing 28v on the system. Now it is showing .4v.

Can anyone offer any advise?

Edit: I noticed the new amp meter needle was laying to the left a good bit. I decided to remove and found the wire fused to the connector. Seems the little rubber insulator inside did not do its job and allowed the compression ring to contact both the wire and connector and short out. I fixed this, cleaned up the contacts on the circuit breaker relay in the regulator for the second time and tried it again with friends and family standing by to disconnect the batteries. It worked for about 2 seconds and the circuit breaker relay closed and sparks started flying again.

Post by **wesk** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:20 pm

I am not sure why you had the regulator cover off? At any rate an expensive lesson and I hope our readers pick up on the need to disconnect the batteries and/or the two plugs on the regulator whenever removing or replacing the cover.

I'd guess internal damage to the regulator. Any reputable auto-electric shop can repair or rebuild it. Just download and print my site's instructions if your shop doesn't have a copy.

I'd guess the faulty amp meter connector managed to short out when you switched the leads around.

This doesn't mean the generator is damaged. They are pretty tough. You can check the generator by motoring it over. This is done by removing the two belts and the connector plug. Apply and ground jumper from the generator's case to the negative front battery terminal. Use a regular jumper cable. Then connect a 10 gage wire to the armature pin on the generator. Now if you touch the other end of the 10 gage wire to the hot post on the starter the generator should turn like an electric motor.

As for the amp meter wiring #8 & 9 to the regulator plug you need to ohm them out for continuity and shorts in the harness. With both of the plugs removed from the regulator and the two terminals removed from the amp meter check end to end continuity and check for continuity between each wire and the other wires in the harness to the regulator.

cknight · Post by **cknight** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:45 pm

I actually don't rember why I had the cover off. It was for sure a big mistake.

I will look for a shop to see if I can get it repaired. In the mean time I think will convert the regulator to solid state. "Zero" Jim Davidson at Star Elect. is going to send me the stuff to go this route. I do want to get this fixed though, I guess its the purist in me.

Do you know a source for parts or a shop the rebuilds these things?

Post by **wesk** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:30 pm

I want to point out that the solid state regulators are nice but there's no repair/rebuild data available for them. This means you smoke it it's junk. For the $100 plus they go for I don't feel they are worth it. The Auto-Lite and Delco mechanical regulators still have parts and there's plenty of repair/rebuild data for them.

You don't need anything but the regulator to sub it for the Delco regulator. You don't need wires # 8 & 9 since the solid state does not have an amp meter shunt in it. Most folks put a later M38A1/M170 volt meter (that's the one with the color ranges) in the dash and use just one of the wires either the 8 or the 9 and tape the other off. Then run a ground from the voltmeter to the firewall.

The purist in you should be looking for the Auto-Lite regulator which is the correct Willys factory installed regulator.

Gillinski · Post by **Gillinski** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:33 am

Hi cknight, hi Wes!
My name is Gilles (Luxembourg, Europe)
I have a m38a1 and did the same mistake a few months ago.

So, you see, there are other big dummies in the World

I removed the regulator cover to clean the contacts, because the system read up to 32Volts!

Ok i forgot to switch off the bat., put the cover back and then zzziiiipppp.
I think it's the circuit braker, but i am not sure. (the third from left to right).

Ok, a small part of the metal of the relay was melted a bit but nothing was bent and the contacts were not melted together. I cleaned the contacts, put back the cover (with contact OFF

). Everything seems to be ok. The system reads 28 to 29 V. I drove approx. 200 miles without a problem.

Allthough, i have the feeling that something inside the regulator could have been shot,

but i don't know.... Perhaps someday, i will buy a good second hand regulator.

Gilles

cknight · Post by **cknight** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:41 pm

Sorry to here about your problem. Did you have a Delco Remy or Autolite?

What do you mean, (with contact off)?

Post by **wesk** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 12:27 am

Means "Master switch off or disabled"

cknight · Post by **cknight** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:33 am

From personal experience, I would recomend disconnecting the battery before doing anything to the regulator. This would even include removing the cables. It is very hard to if not impossible to find parts for these things. You can still find some complete units but they are not cheap!