(1969)

No picture, but it's bolted to the firewall on the very top of the driver side, has a thin, long 4 prong plug, and says F 2 3 4 on the black plastic where it plugs in.

Smoke starts to come out of mine when the engine starts.

Thanks!

 

Hi-Blower Relay?

 

I'm pretty sure that would be the voltage regulator? F (field) 2-3-4 is how the connector/plug is usually marked.
I would start a "Why is my voltage regulator smoking?" thread myself.
The car is over 18 so it's legal for it to smoke, but that usually means the exhaust pipe.
According to Citcapp once the smoke gets out of any electrical device it's shot, maybe there's a hole in it?

 

have you ever tried to put the smoke back in? for some reason it just don't seem to work, even if you put the same smoke back in.

 

Unfortunately, once the magic smoke has been released from an electrical device, it is toast... I have made many a devices die this way.

Either the regulator was bad already or perhaps the alternator is defective, frying the reg.

I assume the reg was smoking, and NOT just the wiring connector. The connectors will smoke when the contacts are poor and high current is flowing through them. If this is the case, replacement connectors are available.

If from the reg itself, I suggest removing the alt and taking it somewhere for a test. The output voltage may be too high. When you get a new reg, I suggest an electronic one. It is id'ed by very light weight and no adjustment screws on the back. These are usually more reliable and often have overvoltage and over current protection built in to them.

Do not continue to run the car with this problem, as not only is there a fire danger, but the battery could erupt if it gets a strong overvoltage - that happened once on my old Ford...

 

The alt won't fry the regulator and there is no regulation in it in the first place. When they test it all they will check it the diode trio because it's externally regulated. We know it putting out voltage so that's not the issue.

The regulator is shot period. I'd bet the points fused and that's why it's smoking.

 

Voltage regulator it is!

It does not smoke from the plug itself, but somewhere inside.
I did unbolt it and open it up, and it looks brand new inside, except the backside, which has those two long coil things, and they are rusted up a bit.

(The points on the other side still move freely.)

I'm shocked Autozone actually has them in stock. Albeit twice the price of Rockauto.

 

Because it's not arcing at the plug, it's arcing inside.

I don't know about Autozone, but Advance will price match (they just don't publicize this). Print out the price from RockAuto and bring it in and ask.

 

Wow, how long have they been doing that? All this time I never knew...

I replaced the regulator and she fired right up!
(Sometime when I'm bored I'll have to pry the cover off the new one, drill 2 small holes in the side, and put the old Delco cover on it )

Of course the water pump decided to start vomiting coolant now...

I'll have this thing roadworthy yet!