why does my H voltage regulator only last a couple years?

This will be about the 4th time my voltage regulator has gone bad on my 51 farmall H. This last one lasted about 3 years. The tractor is completly re-wired and the generator was checked before I rewired. Am i just that un-lucky?

Dann - Any idea how the regulators failing? (Burned/welded contacts, open winding or resistor, internal corrosion or ???)

I've had regulators fail on my Super H and Minnie-Mo U (both tractors use the same regulator). Both reg's are about 3 years old and have probably less than 30 hours run time between 'em. They are marked "made in USA", though not by Delco.

I originally attributed the failures to simple bad luck - but now I'm not so sure.

I'm not sure what's causing them to fail. I haven't pulled the current one apart yet, but I have pulled others apart and I can't really tell what the problem is. I do remember when I bought this last regulator at Napa that they had a $80 model and a $40 model. I chose the $40 one and maybe that's my biggest problem.

What is your procedure for polarizing the generator?

Is your tractor set up as postive or negarive ground?

you have just uncovered the best reason to change over to an alternator, reliability.

I have one on my cub thats as old as dirt but I have to put one on my H about every three months.

No doubt about it....for a working tractor an alternator is the ONLY way to go!

Does your battery polarity match the regulator polarity. A regulator should be marked "positive ground only" "negative ground only" or "works with positive or negative ground". A regulator marked positive only or negative only in a system set up the opposite way will shorten the life of regulator contacts.

You can buy a Delco alternator (early to mid 80's GM vehicle) cheaper than a regulator. Use the 3 wire set up.

Couple of reasons, one is regulators now days are made for pos and neg ground systems. Years ago they were polarity specific. Points on neg and pos terminals were made of different material and or hardness, now they are the same.
Second thing is actual current flow through the field windings and therefore through the regulating points. Over the years IH used at least three different generators, depending on weather or not you had a regulator or high low light switch controlling the charge. Most manufactures of rebulilt generators have a one fits all,(and it doesn't) for all H and M's and supers etc. For that reason and many others I hate rebuilt generators. Used to repair them but you cannot get correct field coils now days so one is stuck with what you can get. I had a specification manual from delco remy at the dealership and it listed every generator delco used. Lot of difference. Don't have it anymore. If you do a current draw test on the fields and they pull over 2 l/2 amps you will never keep points in regulaltor very long. Some 3rd brushs are adjustable and if you set them too close to main brush you will impress too much voltage on fields and cause them the draw too much current also. A shunt wound generator (two brush) is a superior generator and was used on later model tractors like 450's and used same regulators. I have adjusted hundreds of regulators over the years and it can be very frustrating when you cannot get a nice steady voltage setting due to incompatable parts.

Great answer Pete. You need to post more often.

>If you do a current draw test on the fields and they pull over 2 l/2 amps you will never keep points in regulator very long.

Pete - Is that with 7 - 7.5 volts across the fields?

Bob M

2 to 3 years is all I got out of them on my SM. Try running a nail file or sandpaper between the contacts. That's got the current one on the working 4 or 5 times now.

Could also be that the $80 model is just the $40 model with a "insurance policy" ( ie. better warrenty).
Pete

My current draw test would be on the bench with normal battery voltage of 6 to 6.3 volts. Will add, I ran into a new 706 that would clean out the regulator in just a very few hours. More indepth testing revealed the field windings were
for a 6 volt generator, replacing them with proper windings solved problem.

What is the Delco Remy # on the gen you mite not have the correct reg. Does your gen have the adjustable brush.

the number on the gen is 1100501 1A29. The voltage regulator is marked 6v pos ground.

Ok, another question here. Why doesn't some co. offer a solid state regulator for these oldler model tractors. Sounds like a simple enough unit to build . I know , not enough demand to make it profitable. Deere uses a simple diode in place of a mechanical point type cut out relay on some of their old beaters. Also, the vibrating point mechanical voltage regulator has to make and break many times a second so easy to see why if points don't make good contact each and every closing the voltage will be fluctuating. They tell me the zenor diode used in solid state regulators can interup current flow up to 7000 times a second. Don't know the guy who was sitting their counting this.

(quoted from post at 13:46:40 06/24/09) Ok, another question here. Why doesn't some co. offer a solid state regulator for these oldler model tractors. Sounds like a simple enough unit to build . I know , not enough demand to make it profitable. Deere uses a simple diode in place of a mechanical point type cut out relay on some of their old beaters. Also, the vibrating point mechanical voltage regulator has to make and break many times a second so easy to see why if points don't make good contact each and every closing the voltage will be fluctuating. They tell me the zenor diode used in solid state regulators can interup current flow up to 7000 times a second. Don't know the guy who was sitting their counting this.

Click to expand...

I can't tell you anything about this, but found on the WORLD WIDE WEB.
Sounds promising.
I happened across this & remembered several postings from the past regarding the topic of "wish there was some way to repair these old original regulators" or "wish for Solid State REG". This might be a possibility. I can not vouch for anything here, as I have no 1st hand experience in this story. However, it looks like the poster from a Corvette forum had success with the builder. Pictures in link.

It Works !!

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Got the solid state voltage regulator conversion back from New England for my generator-based '61 and it works !

Seems I burnt up an integrated circuit polarizing the generator (which proved unnecessary). Can't tell any difference from my old mechanical regulator even with the lights on (at high beam) and blowing the horn.
Goodbye contact points !

Anybody else that wants this done can contact:

[email protected]

This fella did a good job on the hardware/electronics side in addition to great communication when I had a problem.
Be smarter than I was - send him the correct Delco-Remey V/R to convert and not an aftermarket replacement like I did.

SOURCE: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-and-c2-corvettes/1965881-c1-solid-state-voltage-regulator-for-generators.html

This from Bob the guy that did the work. I just asked if he was still doing them.
Hello JMOR,

Yes I am still doing the conversion of regulators to solid-state. The cost of conversion is $80.00 plus $6.50 toward return shipping. I need a regulator carcass to convert, your desired polarity, the rated output of the generator in your car. your return shipping address and your check. Your email address is nice to have as I will keep you informed of return shipping etc.

If this is something you would like to do ship your regulator to me at:-

Wilton Auto Electric, LLC.

10 Stoney Brook Drive

Wilton, NH. 03086

I look forward to doing a conversion for you. Also I need the voltage (6 or 12) of your car. Sincerely,

Bob

Interesting indeed , thanks for the information.