Hi,

After a ride iun my Delta 88 '68, I discovered some white powder next to my battery. Battery was also warm and it gets charged with 15.5 volts. Too much I understood.
I heard something about adjusting the voltage on the regulator. Can't find a adjustment screw. Anybody ever done this? Do you know what the part in the last picture is?

 

The item in the last picture is the horn relay, whose base also acts as a junction point for the alternator to main fuse box connection.

I've never adjusted a mechanical voltage regulator, it probably involves bending one of those contacts you seen in that picture. However, I wouldn't chance blowing up your battery or other harness wiring, I would just replace it with a new one from Rock Auto. You might be able to find a solid-state replacement too.

Also, get that white residue cleaned up before it eats a hole in your battery tray, or worse yet, your core support or something else valuable.

 

Here's the adjustment procedure:

https://www.autozone.com/repairguide...00c1528007db3f

The discussion in this thread said the air gap probably doesn't need to be adjusted; just turn the voltage adjusting screw in the upper right part of the regulator.

 

Thanks Johnny and Fun71!

 

It's been my experience that adjusting the voltage regulator ends up like the dog chasing it's tail, you can't catch it at the right time and very small adjustments seem to make large differences in voltage swings. Any more I will usually buy a new regulator rather than fight low voltage on a trip or take the risk of burning up the battery some where in the boondocks. There is a reason why the damn thing changed the way it wants to work and it can change its ways at any time in the future. I would get a new one..... Tedd

 

This has been my past experience also.

 

You can try to do the adjustment. If it doesn't give the results desired, see if you can get one of the solid state replacements. That might also make life a bit easier on your ignition module if you're using an HEI distributor.

As mentioned, do something with the "white powder" before it eats up something important.

 

Thanks for your comment Ozzie, I washed down the white powder :-)

 

Thanks for your reply Tedd!

 

Scrap the external-regulator alternator. Install a 10- or 12-SI internally-regulated alternator. You'll get better charging especially at idle and the newer alternator looks very much like the old one. An internally-regulated alternator from a '73--80-ish car should be OK as long as it's clocked properly and not one of the huge-case 27-SI units used on high-amperage applications. Something in the 60--80 amperage range should be suitable.

The swap couldn't be easier. Make two, three-inch jumper wires with female blade terminals, buy an alternator pigtail with the alternator. The old alternator plastic wiring connector has two blades side-by-side, parallel, like this " | | ". The newer, internally-regulated alternator has two blades, side-by-side, in-line, like this " _ _ ". therefore you need an updated molded-plastic connector which gets soldered into the wire harness.

I understand that sourcing parts will be more difficult for you.



If the internally-regulated alternator you buy isn't clocked properly for your application, four bolts can be removed, the alternator re-clocked, and then reinstall the four bolts. SOMETIMES you'll need to pull the rear housing completely off to re-position the brushes (use a toothpick or an aerosol-can "straw" to hold the brushes, reassemble, then pull the toothpick or straw out of the brushholder from the rear.