<VV> Re: Alternator Problem

[vairologist@juno.com]

Smitty says:  Well, It;s working.  I guess my initial problem was an
intermittent failing regulator.  I hate to admit to gross stupidity but I
suppose some of it was.  As I said, first I jumpered the alt to see if it
was good, which it was.  Then I put in a couple of regulators from the
shelf which had come from various junk boxes, stripped cars or whatever. 
I noticed that the female red connector on the reg coupling had slid out
of it's socket so I fixed that thinking it was the problem.  Still got a
red light.  About this time I got tired of shuffling down alongside the
truck in the garage to see if the light was on so I inserted a strip of
shim stock into the brown lead connector to put a test light in the back
where I could watch it. Changed to another reg. and still got a red
light.  All this time the meter on the battery is saying the same thing
as the red light.  Changed the alternator.  Got a red light.  Put in a
"NEW" regulator.  Got a red light.  Of course as I said in my first post
I had thoroughly checked all leads and connectors so now I am pulling
hair.  You guys that know me know how hard that was.  Pulled all the
connectors out of their plastic holders and measured and checked for
physical integrity.  Put everything back together, installed the NEW reg
and as I was putting the reg coupling on I noticed it wasn't going all
the way on.  My little strip of shim stock was preventing it.  The guy
who converted the truck to alternator mounted the reg out of sight under
the sheetmetal next to the battery so I was doing everything by feel. 
Pulled the shim out and tried it and the light was out. 14.2 volts.
        I may be stupid but I still can learn.  I got every Late
regulator I could find and ran them through the truck as a test bench. 
Out of 7 I had, the new one, one that read a little high, and another
good one.  One of them I tested with pretty paint on it smelled bad when
I ran it so I opened it up.  Everything inside was rusted into a single
glob of red stuff.  I put the ULTRA regulators in the big black can and
put the others on the shelf.  That darn Nall fellow better stay out of my
way at the convention.  ggg