Regulator adjustments

I'm sure this has been talked about before but having problems with voltage regulators. Several of them I've purchased lately will overcharge the battery 15-16 volts(full output of the generator). Is there an easy way of adjusting them to work correctly?

(quoted from post at 16:10:04 09/01/21) I'm sure this has been talked about before but having problems with voltage regulators. Several of them I've purchased lately will overcharge the battery 15-16 volts(full output of the generator). Is there an easy way of adjusting them to work correctly?

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easy", kills it for you!

I don't think there is any way to adjust electronic regulators,
The old regulators with relays, you could use needle nose pliers and bend the tab to reduce spring tension. Lot of trial and error. Some had a screw adjustment to change spring tension. I have done it before, been too long to remember which spring. Some had 2 springs some had 3 springs.

If that fails, pass the charging current though a large diode.
That will reduce voltage between 0.6 and 0.7 volts. Done that before too.

no way on these new electronic ones . i have same problem on my 806 , took cover off and surprise... electronic. so i just remove alternator plug in when running a long time. old style yes.

Do yourself a favor replace that system with a one wire alternator.Fought generator systems for years,replaced them with one wire alternators,life is good.

Assuming a mechanical voltage regulator, yes.
There are (two or three relays under the cover) one will be a cutout relay with heavy wire around it. and two more one with both fine and heavy and one with fine only. If only 2, there will be one with heavy and one with fine wire.
Adjust the tension on the relay with fine wire only. It will be the voltage control it works by vibrating the contacts causing the field to get pulsing DC. The timing and on state of the pulses control the amount of field current being made, and thus the output voltage. Id the spring holding the contacts closed is just a bit too tight, the generator over charges. The amount of change to adjust is very small. Some have a screw that is used, and some just have a tab that anchors the spring that is bent to adjust.
Make sure the battery is fully charged prior to adjustment. This allows an accurate voltage setting.
The cover will also affect the output as the cover changes the magnetism in the towers unpredictably.
so before assuming success put the cover on and recheck.
I have described the adjustment as though it was simple. It is delicate, and can be complex. Finding a Motors Manual from the late 50s will help understand what is going on. Reading is your friend. Libraries have copies and photo copying them is a real possible solution. Jim

2X what Jim said.

One other thing to check, make sure the base is grounded, especially if it is rubber mounted. Those require a ground wire to the case.

Not a bad idea on any of them to run a ground wire instead of depending on the mount screws, especially with fresh paint.

(quoted from post at 13:43:55 09/01/21) I don't think there is any way to adjust electronic regulators,
The old regulators with relays, you could use needle nose pliers and bend the tab to reduce spring tension. Lot of trial and error. Some had a screw adjustment to change spring tension. I have done it before, been too long to remember which spring. Some had 2 springs some had 3 springs.

If that fails, pass the charging current though a large diode.
That will reduce voltage between 0.6 and 0.7 volts. Done that before too.

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GOOGLE "adjustable alternator voltage regulators", there's quite a few out there.

The HD Delco alternators used by Cummins and other HD or ag engine manufacturers used adjustable electronic VR's for many years, I suppose that is a thing of the past with stuff made in the last 10 or 15 years, though!



The above is an OEM-style adjustable internal electronic VR for a 25SI Delco alternator used from the 70's probably almost up into the 90's, as an example.