Is it charging or not???

If you turn the lights and/or ignition on NOT running the ammeter ought to swing over to - discharge, but then when running at wide open if shes charging, it ought to swing over to + charge, with the amount depending on the battery condition and state of charge and the loads like lights n ignition.

Typically, if the battery is okay and the genny and VR are both working correct, Id expect it to charge full a while after start up but then gradually back off to half charge and less with time. HOWEVER A BAD BATTERY CAN CAUSE HER TO DRAW HIGHER THEN NORMAL AMPS.

If a voltmeter is placed on the battery it ought to read 12.6 volts setting not running and then at wide open maybe 13 to a lil over 14 IFFFFF the battery is good and the genny and especially the VR is working correct. HOWEVER after the battery is charged and ifffff fff its a good battery with no bad or shorted cells, if the voltmeter reads well over 14 and it STAYS THERE for a long period I SUSPECT THE VR IS BAD and you could overcharge the battery.

Other possible problems may be a minor short whereby the genny and VR are trying to pump out amps to supply it which causes it to read high charge amps through the ammeter yet the battery isnt receiving all the voltage BUTTTT such a short would have to be in between the ammeters supply terminal and the battery connection, often on or mear the starter solenoid or switch.

Sooooo a good voltmeter on the battery can tell a lot..... . If it stays up well over 14 volts even after a long period and the battery is charged and the ammeter shows high charge and the battery is okay I SUSPECT THE VR. Have a shop LOAD TEST the battery also!!!!! !!!!

When shes showing that high charge and if it stays there, if you remove the wire from the VR that wires to the gennys Field post, the charging amps ought to drop muchhhhh h lower. If the VR's current control relay is bad it could be stuck/burned in the position that calls for high charge by continually dead grounding the Field, which is again, a VR problem.....

Best wishes, keep an eye on the battery acid and for signs or over charging n boil over in the meantime, signs of overcharging. You reallyyyyy need a voltmeter on the battery to see whats happening also.

John T

Try this: Put an accurate DC voltmeter across the battery terminals. It should read around 14.0 - 14.5 volts after the engine has run at speed for a couple minutes. A reading of 15.0 volts or higher with the ammeter showing +30 is a sure indication the battery is being overcharged.

Darin, now knowing it was converted to an alternator and knowing if you turn the lights on it swings to the right I NOW THINK THE AMMETER IS WIRED BASS ACKWARDS. If it was originally Positive ground and since most all alternators require Negative ground, theres a dern good chance the ammeter leads were never reversed when it was converted to a Neg ground alternator system. If you reverse the ammeter leads it should then swing over to - discharge if the lights are switched on not running. Do that then lets see what the ammeter shows at wide open !!!! An alternator can charge at higher amps n voltages then I posted above thinking it was still a generator and an external VR, so we gotta start from scratch again, let me know what she reads once the ammeter is wired correct. The internal solid state voltage regulators inside them Delco can go bad also.

John T