Re: IML: more on alternators

["mike and linda sutton" <mikanlin62@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Someone asked about mixing one style of alternator with a voltage regulator 
for the other....without being TOO overly technical, heres why that doesnt 
work.

The early alternators were designed with one field brush receiving voltage 
and the other brush lead went to ground. The regulator - points style or 
transistorized - sends voltage to the field brush which goes thru the field 
coil and creates a magnetic field and then goes to ground, to be more 
specific.  Now, the points style regulator simply opens and closes a set of 
contact points much like a set of distributor points according to what 
system voltage it senses and it pulses the contact points very rapidly, 
effectively controlling the voltage to the field coil which controls the 
output.  The transistorized regulator does the same thing but uses a 
transistor instead of a set of points, but it is still pulsing the input to 
the field coil to control the output.  Regardless, one brush is " hot " and 
the other goes to ground , usually right on the back of the alternator.

In the later alternators, both brushes are " hot "  ...current goes in one 
brush, thru the field coil and then out the other brush and doesnt go to 
ground at the alternator, it goes to ground when it reaches the regulator. 
It does the same thing, controls the effective amount of voltage and current 
thru the field coil by pulsing it, but it accomplishes this in a different 
manner.  It still goes to ground but it does it at a different physical 
location.

The short version of this, you should keep apples with apples, if your car 
has the older style alternator use the points style regulator or one of the 
solid state regulators designed to work with it.  If you have the newer 
style isolated/insulated field brush units, use a regulator designed for it.

Ill defer to Dick B on this for the electrical analysis, since he has 
counted more electrons in his working life than Ive been able to set loose 
by letting all the smoke out of the wires.  Is this not the correct scenario 
Dick?

Mikey
62 Crown Coupe 


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