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Posted by Bob Stopka in Panama City on Wednesday, July 01, 2009 at 01:52:43 :
Hey all, Looking for feedback from anyone who knows how to fix a voltage regulator problem on my 41 WC4. It is the original
6 volt positive ground system, with original style Autolite
VRY-xxxx type regulator. Also has original style generator. Charging system always worked great until recently. When it did work well, the amp gauge would act normal for what I know from 30 years of visually being around these trucks. By that, I mean, with no lights on etc, charging system in good average working condition, with good wiring, good grounds, good connections, etc... Anyway when it used to work as what I would refer to as normal, with no load from headlights, etc, when the battery was at full charge, the amp meter indicator would be at the center, hovering over 0. All the way left is -35, all the way right is +35. When the charging system was acting normal, if I turned on the headlights, the needle would go slightly to the right, say to +10 amps. It would run like that maybe decreasing towards 0 at the center over time, as the battery was replenished. Shut off the headlights and it would again, center over 0. Wether the headlights were on or not, I would, every few seconds, or less, here the Voltage Regulator center relay contact click on and off... By the book, this is the normally open when fully charged, current relay contact. Ok, here is what I ran into the other day, after the truck sat for a couple of weeks. I started it up, and the amp gauge went almost to +35, higher than the normal in the past, even when I had not run her in a couple of weeks. In the past, it would go a little high to the plus side, and come right back to 0 soon, like within 5 minutes, even if running the engine higher than idle... Now, the amp gauge goes up close to +35 and stays close to there at a high idle, and at normal idle, decreased to about +20, but never down to near 0. When this issue started, I did not hear center current relay contact clicking every so often, like when it was acting normal, so I shut her down, disconnected the battery and pulled the cover on the voltage regulator. What I saw was that the contact point on the center current relay had fused to it's opposite point, like a little arc fused spot, not the whole point being fused. I was able to break the fused arc apart easily with my knife and then lightly filed and burninshed between the 2 contact points on the current relay. I checked the other two normally closed relay's points, and they appear fine, which is what I expected, since the center current relay points normally seem to be the most active. Now, when I started the WC4, the current relay point activated, clicking intermittently like it has in the past, but the amp gauge will not return to near 0. It wants to sit at like +20 at idle, and higher as I rev the engine. Even after I ran the WC4 on the road for like 2 hours at about 35 mph. When I watch the current relay point now, I see a little blue arc between the points, as it clicks away, in the same spot where the points fused. (not sure if it used to have the blue arc before this issue started) The WWII WC4 TM says the current relay points should be set with a feeler gauge to 10 thousandths minimum. A section of my Motors manual from long ago says that Autolite current relay points should be set minimum of 15 thousandths. Either way, my current relay points are set to more like 7 thousandths opening. There is an threaded adjustment which tightens or loosens the spring tied to one of the point contacts on the current relay. I expect I will open the setting to first 10 thousanths, and if that does not fix it, then to like 15 thousandths, and will see how it affects the current relay point clicking and the amp gauge action. I also have a battery load tester unit and if I load the battery for 10 seconds as it states to do, it is in the good green area. If I monitor the battery with the tester, and rev the engine, the charge rate on the tester moves up to like 7.4 volts. At idle, (battery voltage) it is about 6.2 volts, so I think my battery is fine. But the battery is about 5 years old. Cleaning all connections on the voltage regulator, generator, and new battery terminals made no difference in the current amp gauge action and needle location. It still will not come down near 0. With lights off, like close to +30, lights on,like close to +20.
I am thinking the issue is with the current relay points, since that is where the fusing was. Also, the battery is not boiling out through the cap vents, which makes sense, since my max voltage while at higher rev is like 7.4 volts. I can follow all the TM troubleshooting, and may have to do that, but I was hoping someone may have seen this issue and could give me some good suggestions. I guess I can not rule out the amp gauge or the battery either. Anyone have any good ideas ? Thanks in advance
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