Regulator problems

[nanuke1]

I have the original 24v regulator in my truck that has not been charging. We have removed the unit and tested the components with an ohme meter to determine continuity and found the diode was fried. I ordered a new one and installed it. Once the truck was started the voltage meter was reading in the red but slowly increasing. The coil on the end with the relay began to smoke so we shut the truck off and noticed that the relay would not disconnect so we had to open the relay with a screwdriver. The coil got very hot. We have tested the generator which was good and batteries are good. With the truck off but the switch on the voltage meter reads in the yellow almost green.

Is the coil bad or are we missing something?

Thanks

[cuz]

The circuit breaker relay could have fried itself or something else wrong with the regulator may have caused the circuit breaker relay to fail. I am sure you have done significant damage to that regulator. The difference between 12 and 24 volt systems is the amount of juice and difficulty of accessing proper test points on the military water proof stuff. I am not sure just how thorough your inspection of the regulator was if you were only doing OHM meter checks. She's a wee bit more complicated than that. Are you using the TM 9-1825B (Dated 1952) for the Auto-Lite regulator or TM 9-8627 (dated 1953) for the Delco regulator? If you do not have the appropriate manual of the two you are probably destined to spend a lot of money on replacement regulators before you resolve the issues. A minor adjustment on the vehicle is fine, but any serious troubleshooting or repairs must be done off the truck on the test bench with the right equipment to provide the necessary varied circuit loading needed in the various powered sections of the test regimen. The best advice at this point is take the regulator and the generator to a good auto-electric shop and have them bench test the two together and make the necessary repairs and then set the two up together on the bench. With that done there is very little you will need to do back at the truck except install them and check voltage output.

[nanuke1]

Is my best choice to switch to a solid state unit from John at Midwest Military? I really enjoy the mechanical unit but struggle with the lack of info and/or parts that do not seem to be available. Also, is there a download available for the TM manual?
Thanks

[cuz]

The later solid state VapAir and Prestolite units are nice but there are no books or parts for them. They are a $275 throw away when they die or someone troubleshoots incorrectly and smokes something. There are parts and tech data available for the old mechanical Auto-Lite and Delco units. TM 9-1825B dated 1952 for Auto-Lite Accessories and TM 9-8627 dated 1953 for Delco Accessories.

I have all the relative portions of the TM 9-1825B loaded and free to download on our download page at www.willysmjeeps.com web site. You will have to join the group (it's free) to access it. Portrayal Press offer both manuals in paper.