charging issues

[rroth]

Trying to trouble shoot a charging issue. Batteries not charging and volt meter showing no charge. Tester on batteries show just over 12v. Had the "alternator" and voltage regulator taken to a rebuild shop and both tested ok. The "unit with fins" that is mounted to the grill and showing cable leading to alt may be bad(?) I have no idea how to have that checked. My buddy who worked on these in Nam doesn't remember too much other than it is a cooler and power converter. Any suggestions ? This is a 1951 and the orginial generator must of been replaced with the alt.

thanks

Ron Roth

[k8icu]

rroth....if you have a thing hanging in front of the radiator that looks like a small radiator but for electrical you have the 100 amp system. Meaning your truck was set up as communications truck most likely with a shelter in the back. The alternator is really a 100 amp generator and the fined thing is regulator. It is fined to keep it cool as it creates a lot of heat at 100 Amps. If a shop tested the generator and said it's producing 24V then you may have a problem with the regulator or the cable. To test the cable you need a volt meter or a test light to check each wire (I think there are three but I'm going from fuzzy memory here) to see if they have connectivity. Good luck

[rroth]

Thanks, I didn't know that.

[Elwood]

rroth....if you have a thing hanging in front of the radiator that looks like a small radiator but for electrical you have the 100 amp system. Meaning your truck was set up as communications truck most likely with a shelter in the back. The alternator is really a 100 amp generator and the fined thing is regulator. It is fined to keep it cool as it creates a lot of heat at 100 Amps. If a shop tested the generator and said it's producing 24V then you may have a problem with the regulator or the cable. To test the cable you need a volt meter or a test light to check each wire (I think there are three but I'm going from fuzzy memory here) to see if they have connectivity. Good luck

Umm...in the 100amp systems, the alternator is an...alternator, meaning that it puts out AC instead of DC as a generator does. The finned assembly in front of the radiator is a rectifier, to convert the alternator's AC output into DC for the truck's electrical system. The regulator is a separate assembly, mounted in the usual location on the firewall on the driver's side. Waterproof cables connect the alternator to the rectifier, and the rectifier to the regulator.