Voltage Regulator repair

Dave H (MI) · Jan 7, 2011

For those who might know. I have brought mine into the house to bench test it for continuity using the schematics a few of you gave me in my last post. It's nasty cold out there tonight!

The wire that runs inside the VR from the battery terminal is stripped and goes thru a winding before coming out and providing voltage to the load terminal. In the middle of the winding this wire is broken. Any reason why I cannot tin the ends and then lightly solder them back together? When I jump the break I get voltage at the load terminal which I did not have before. Guess I am not out anything for trying.

Fullers Farmalls · Jan 7, 2011

Well I'm with ya Dave. I have a VR/Cutout go out on me. And if I'd know what to do I woulda saved some money.

LarryT · Jan 8, 2011

Dave, Take a good look at the ends of the broken winding. Are they burned or melted? What caused the break?
If you had a high enough current to burn the winding, make sure you don't burn something else up. If it looks like mechanical damage, then I don't see anything wrong with trying the repair, but if it is mechanical damage, what caused it?
Just don't be burning up something else to save a few buck on a VR. LarryT

John T · Jan 8, 2011

Tell ya what Id do, it dont work as is so no harm in trying to patch her up cuz at worse it still wont work lol

That circuit from L to BAT simply winds around that one relay, so as long as its spliced AND NOT SHORTED TO CASE/FRAME heck it may work.

GO FOR IT

HOWEVER if youre not a risk taker you can still use the VR AS IS JUST IGNORE THE L TERMONAL. Simply remove the feed wire off L and hook it instead to EITHER the Load (NOT battery) side of the ammeter or else just over to BAT on the VR. Again, all it does is feed hopt batetry voltage to loads like lights and ignition.

I guess if the patch job looks too risky or theres a chance that wire may short to case, just go the ignore L route and re feed as noted above.

John T

Janicholson · Jan 8, 2011

We can do this together John!!
I resist accepting the idea that the repair can be ignored, connecting to the Bat terminal. If the heavy winding is not wrapped around the relay core (effectively because it is broken in the middle) the current regulation function of the regulator will be gone. The voltage component may work, but then again it may be balanced against the current winding and it could just not regulate well at all.

I have been looking at the diagram provided in the post below.

I feel that it would be necessary to have that path of current flow. I also believe solder would need to be silver solder based to conduct enough and be strong enough to be reliable. A tough repair.

Are you in "the south" yet?

Jim

John T · Jan 8, 2011

Yep Jim, Im around Winter Haven and Lakeland and Bartow currently, headed to Florida Flywheelers next week then Avon Park Sebring area for a month, then back to feb Flywheelers then mid south west Florida then up the Gulf coast later. Im currently in a Wal Mart parking lot, hot shower n coffee and on the internet isnt a self contained RV great !!!!!!!!!!!

THE VR REPAIR I was assuming and still intending the part of the winding that encircles that relay pole WOULD STILL BE INTACT (if possible)

NOT THAT HE JUST SPLICE A WIRE FROM BAT TO L

Im long winded enough as is lol hard to get all my intentions in a single posting. Actually he may be better off just ignoring L and using it as a 3 terminal VR as I discussed below

Later Jimbo

John T

Dave H (MI) · Jan 8, 2011

John, I envy you as I have only seen the Flywheeler's show on TV. You and Larry have brought up a good point and it happens to be something I have been scratching my head over. The wire is not broken. On the desk under magnification it is clearly MELTED. I am more than up to the job of soldering it. I have silver solder and a quality iron. My issue is WHERE is the short? This does not read like a dead short. I think it is a case of something touching briefly. When I energize the coil my Eico meter does not read any amperage drain. This coil is insulated from the coil above with a paper disk which is in good condition. There is a second disk UNDER the coil of wire in somewhat lesser condition. It could have shorted there. I am assuming that, since this is a bare wire that there is insulation around the central core also?

Understand me, I am not being cheap here. I just like trying to fix things. I will ultimately buy a new regulator if necessary but not until I have torn thru this one...and learned a lot in the process!

John T · Jan 8, 2011

I just cant say where that dern short is from sittin here either, maybe it melted its way clear??? Again, so long as the wire leads from BAT to LOAD (as the picture diagram indicates) via those turns around the relays iron pole AND IS NOTTTTTTTTT SHORTED it ought to work. The 4 pole VR helps prevent overcharging by only sending enough current to the battery as necessary while allowign genny current to feed loads directly without having to pass thru the cutout relay.

WE cant help much more not being there and it sounds like you know how n what youre doin so press on I say n good luck..

John T

Brownie 450 · Jan 8, 2011

Can you replace the complete wire? If it is what I think it is [about 1-2 turns of #9 copper], can you put a new piece in & solder it both ends?

Anonymous-0 · Jan 8, 2011

The statement that "genny feeds loads directly without having to pass through the cutout relay" is NOT correct. All current produced by the generator(with the exception of field current) passes through the cutout relay. The non-battery loads could be directly wired to the armature terminal and work as you say, however, then the lights would only work with the engine running and the ignition circuit would have no power! Look at the picture.

WSJ · Jan 8, 2011

I have bench tested regulators with a verifiable voltage power supply. With the cover off increase the voltage on the gen terminal and observe the voltage at which the cut out relay pulls in and the voltage relay starts to vibrate.

You can also use the power supply to charge 6, 8 or 12 Volt batteries.

Regulator info.
http://www.ruiter.ca/mc/info/PDFs/1R-116.pdf

Power supply
http://www.mastechpowersupply.com/variable-power-supply/switching-power-supply/cat_7.html

Voltage Regulator repair

Dave H (MI)

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Fullers Farmalls

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LarryT

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John T

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Janicholson

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John T

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Dave H (MI)

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John T

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Brownie 450

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Anonymous-0

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WSJ

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