willysmjeeps.com

Last week I had my 52 M38 running great. New plugs, points, ignition wires, etc...Even has a new Carb and 2 new Optima Red batteries. I was enjoying driving it around my neighborhood. However I had it straight wired for starting purposes. None of the lights were wired, and I didn't have the light switch installed. This week I wired it with a new Regulator harness and ignition switch following the diagrams from the manual and all others I could find. When the moment of truth arrived, I connected the batteries and turned on the ignition switch. The volt meter came alive so I stepped on the floor starter. It cranked immediately. All gauges perked up except the temp. I was elated and ready to go for a drive, but when I tried to accelerate, it cut out like crazy and squealed. I turned it off and tried again with the same result. I decided to see if the lights worked...none of them would respond thru the switch, but they all worked if I hot-wired them. Any help in this matter will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

It will be near impossible to troubleshoot your issue over the phone or thru a web site. The technician will need to be right there.

You will soon get a lot of shot in the dark suggestions but it will all come down to a complete review of all wire numbers and connections against the wiring diagram.

Can you describe the cut outs like crazy and squeals in more technical automotive terms? IE when you say squeal does the exhaust emit a squealing noise or are your generator belts slipping and making the squealing noise? I mention the belts because if you have the field and armature wires switched in the large cable between the regulator and the generator (Pin B = Field and Pins A & C = Armature) the batteries will try to turn the generator like an electric motor. If you failed to polarize the generator then this electric motor effect will be in reverse and the belts will squeal and get burned thru where they rub the generator pulley.

Hey Wes, the squeals definitely sound like belt noises (which did not occur until the re-wiring), and the volt meter really spikes when I try to accelerate. This just started with the addition of the regulator harness and ignition switch. I did put a new generator harness on, but replaced it with my old one after I heard the squealing. I thought those big harnesses would only fit one way. The cutting out sounds like a timing issue, which was not an issue before the new wiring. Have I fried something? I get so close...then utter frustration. I am not a very good mechanic when it comes to electrical know how, but I will re-check the wiring #s. I have no idea how to polarize the generator??? I really enjoy this hobby, and love working on the jeep, but my lack of understanding gets the best of me at times. Thanks for your help.

Hey Wes, I checked the gen/reg harness and it was ok. I am really not sure how the other one I put on was connected because I thought they would only fit one way. The jeep ran fine with the old harness, but it was not covered with the rubber so I swapped it with another one I had witch was actually much thicker. The jeep ran fine with this one until I added the regualtor harness with wires 4, 8, 9, and 10. I am not using 8 and 9 so I taped them to the harness out of contact with anything. Wire 4 is connected soundly to the starter, and I split wire 10 with a douglas 2-1 into wire 11 which feeds the ignition switch and wire 15 which feeds the light switch at the F terminal.

Usually the heavy generator to regulator cable is not mis-wired. The error usually occurs within the generator's plug or the regulator's plug. Disconnect the cable from the generator and start the jeep. No squeal means a generator or regulator problem.

You polarize the generator by removing the cable plug on top of the generator. Momentarily touch a jumper from the always hot battery terminal on the starter and PIN B on the generator's plug. You'll get a little spark.

Your wiring connections you described are all ok. Do you have the three circuit breakers on the cowl battery box?

No circuit breakers. Thanks.

When I took the wire off the generator i got the same result...idles ok, but will not accelerate. Which terminal is the "always hot" on the starter? Sorry for all the dumb questions.

When I took the wire off the generator i got the same result...idles ok, but will not accelerate

But did the belts still squeal?

Which terminal is the "always hot" on the starter?

The one the battery positive cable bolts to.

Have you pulled the cap off the distributor and inspected the guts?

If the generator charging voltage got any large amount above 28.5 volts you can damage the coil.

Got so frustrated with it today that my wife "made" me pack an ice cold cooler of beer and spend the day with her at the pool....good woman. I have not removed the dist cap since last week when new points were installed and it was running great. I did not notice the belt squeal, but the engine was very sluggish upon acceleration, was skipping, and backfiring a bit. What will I be looking for when I remove the dist cap? Also, when I polarize the generator how long do I need to touch the jumper wire from the starter to the "B" pole? Many thanks.

how long do I need to touch the jumper wire

Less than a second.

What will I be looking for when I remove the dist cap?

Look at this post:
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... 4&start=15

Polarized the generator like you said....got a small spark and quickly removed the wire from the "B" terminal. Visually Inspected the distributor and everything seems to be tight and clean. Cranked the engine without generator cable connected, then with it connected with same results....poor sputtery, acceleration with the sound more like a chirping than a belt squeal. If i tried to accelerate too much the engine would die almost like it was flooding because the fuel was not being burned and I noticed the "rich" smell in the garage again. I do not have the equipment or knowledge to check the coil like the article said to. I did leave the ignition switch on the other day when I was trying to see if the lights worked so I may have fried the coil and the points. I know I am not giving you much to work with here, but I have just about reached the end of my understanding. I guess what boggles me the most is that it was running great until I hooked up the regulator harness and ignition switch. Could a faulty regulator cause all this?

Hey Wes, just for grins I took the volt reg out, removed the regulator harness, and hot wired the jeep like I had it before....the jeep runs great again. Does this make any sense or help in any way to determine why it runs awful when the gen/reg is hooked up like it is supposed to be? Thanks.

If you ran the engine with the generator cable disconnected and it was still squealing then it isn't the generator overloading and sliding the belts. Since there is apparently no physical load on the engine to make it sputter, I'd be suspicious of the power going to the distributor. Can you get a voltage reading on that while it is running? That wire may be cross connected with something that has a lower voltage. The generator field output from the regulator maybe? I'm afraid you are going to have to trace everything out with a wiring diagram. There is a very good colored diagram in the download section of the forum.

Is there a way test the generator and regulator without the military style testing gear? I believe one or both of these may be causing my problem. Thanks.

If you can afford a $30 VOM (Volt-Ohm Meter) you can follow the distributor coil test regimen as I posted it. Any body trying to wire any car needs to have at least this one instrument. Just about all electrical equipment on the jeep can be tested with that simple meter. The test adapter kit is also a must have for any M series MV built between 1950 and 1990. But a stubborn guy with a little ingenuity can figure out how to use spare electrical pins and pin sockets and short pieces of wire to make his own test adapter up. If all this is completely out of your reach or expertise the best advice is to take the jeep to a guy that knows his way around around it. The first place to look for that kind of help is your local MVPA chapter members.

If none of these options will work for you take the generator and the regulator together to your local auto-electric shop and have them bench check the two together and if they are working ok or after they repair them to adjust them to each other on the bench.