m37 25 or 100 amp charging system

[nutsfor59]

hey,does anyone out there know if anything needs polorized if you are running a solid state regulator ???,my ammeter only runs in the yellow,it's hard to imagine after switching parts and systems all this stuff is bad,any ideas or help appreciated !!! ,thanks

[cuz]

The thing that needs polarizing is the DC generator. Doesn't make any difference what regulator you run. The purpose of polarizing the generator is to tell it which post on the battery is grounded. So for the 25 amp system with the Auto-Lite or Delco generator gets polarized anytime it has been disconnected from the system.

You also mention the 100 amp system but you do not tell us which system you have installed? The 60 and 100 amp system are actually AC Generators and are more commonly called Alternators. They do not get polarized.

[nutsfor59]

hi,thanks for the reply !! i have the 100 amp system installed on my truck with a solid state regulator,i did this to run the grc7 radio set that i installed,i'm puzzled by the ammeter always in the yellow area and never a healthy green !! it did that when i formerly had the 25 amp system,is there a common problem that causes this ?? or could this stuff all be junk ?? or what is the likely culprit ?? my connection adater set wont seem to fit this upgrade set up,diff terminals etc,thanks

[cuz]

When you made the switch to the alternator set-up you lost the ammeter's shunt which was in the old mechanical 25 amp regulator. With no shunt in the new system the wires #8 & #9 that connect to the amp meter are useless and should be dead ended and you will need to install a volt meter in it's place. Saturn Surplus carries both the early style (with Douglas metal connectors) and the late style (with Packard rubber connectors) volt meters NOS. Just order one up and install it in place of the amp meter. Connect the positive lead of the volt meter to a circuit that is only hot when the main switch is on. The easiest is the instrument power spider (Wire # 27). The stock spider was a 4 wire and you can purchase a heavy truck 5 wire for the extra lead to connect the new volt meter.

Right now all you need to do is check battery voltage with the engine running with a digital VOM and if you are reading 27.5 to 28.5 she's charging just fine.

http://www.saturnsurplus.com/electrical/electrical.htm


Late Packard connector $38
http://saturnsurplus.com/electrical/voltgauge.htm


Early Douglass connector $32
http://saturnsurplus.com/electrical/9512.htm


Late Packard 5 wire spider. $12.50
http://saturnsurplus.com/electrical/instspider.htm


This spider can be built up either way. $12.50
http://saturnsurplus.com/electrical/11418.htm

[Glenn]

He's mentioning yellow and green as if talking voltmeter, but calling it an ammeter. Did they have ammeters that were color coded?

[cuz]

I've seen a lot of folks call the early Douglas connector volt meter an amp meter because there isn't a big "Volt Meter" written on the face. None of the amp meters I have are color coded. You'll have to ask "nutsfor59". If there's only one Douglas or Packard equipped terminal on the back it's a volt meter.

[nutsfor59]

hi,thanks for the replies all,and i apologize for saying ammeter/voltmeter,i have made the connection of #27 to the gauge and still stays steady in the yellow,and lacking the proper test equipment cannot determine wich component in the system is at fault,i hate to spend money on a part i dont need or is non retunable,shouldn't the gauge ready steady in the green ?? i'm worried of going on a trip and running only off the battery then dead !! and broken down !!! also in need of a 100 amp regulator harness to the dash,thanks for any ideas or suggestions....

[cuz]

Do you have the regulator wired in now?

All you need to check the system output is a digital volt/ohm meter. They can be had for as little as $20.

[nutsfor59]

hey,yes the regulator is wired in now,i did something wrong last time and cooked my meter !! i'd still like to know where the gauge is supposed to be reading,thanks

[cuz]

Yes it should read in the mid to hi green arc. You really can't move ahead with any troubleshooting until you get a VOM so you can see if the volt meter in the dash is reading accurately. Borrow a meter if you must and check the voltage at the battery with the system running and you should read 27 to 28.5 volts.