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Delco remy voltage regulator

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W/H JUNKY

Hi everyone. I need to purchase a new Delco Remy voltage regulator for my Commando 8. Could someone help me out with a part number so I get the right one. Thanks in advance 

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gwest_ca

This should be your engine and spec number

http://www.partstree.com/parts/kohler-engines/engines-horizontal/k181-30108-kohler-k181-engine-k-series-wheel-horse-8hp-6kw-specs-30100-30848/electric-start-11-2-96-tp-2045-b/

Item 40 is part number 275746-S  and no longer available from Kohler but that original number should lead you to one.

Garry

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bunson70

I also have a Commando 8 , it's a 1968. I used it two days ago. I parked it in the shed after using it. Today, I went to start it, and nothing happened. The head and taillights worked. The horn did not. I charged up the battery. Then, it turned over. And the horn worked. But, there was a large spark that came from the voltage regulator, as I turned the ignition key. What would cause this? Should I replace the regulator? Also, electronics are my weak point. Is there any books, or a website that would cover the basics? Thank you.

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gwest_ca

This is the only Kohler service manual that I have seen that covers the starter/generator.

 

Good copy large file

Smaller file

Garry

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Achto
7 hours ago, bunson70 said:

But, there was a large spark that came from the voltage regulator, as I turned the ignition key. What would cause this? Should I replace the regulator? Also, electronics are my weak point. Is there any books, or a website that would cover the basics? Thank you

 

Sparks are the result of a bad connection. Before replacing anything, I would clean all or the wire terminals and make sure that they are tight when you put them back on. Also pull on the terminals and make sure that they are tight on the wires. If the terminals look questionable in any way cut them off and replace them.

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bunson70

I cleaned up the connections on the voltage regulator, and the battery cables. The problem is fixed. I thought it was  going to be something more serious. I tend  to over think things.

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Achto
16 hours ago, bunson70 said:

I cleaned up the connections on the voltage regulator, and the battery cables. The problem is fixed. I thought it was  going to be something more serious. I tend  to over think things.

 

Glad it worked out for you.:handgestures-thumbupright:

 

@W/H JUNKY were you able to find a regulator?

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bunson70

Hello everyone, it's me again. I went to start my tractor. It barely turned over. Then, when I tried it again, it wouldn't turn over at all. I checked the connections. Everything is good I took out my voltmeter, and I have power going into the voltage regulator, but not going out. If I push down on the copper contact, with the key on (see picture) the engine will turn over. My Dad and I looked it over. We cannot see anything physically wrong. My question is, if I start the tractor by pushing on the copper contact, will I do any harm by running the tractor this way? 

IMG_20180120_173728954.jpg

Edited by bunson70

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Sarge

The starting relay side of that unit is probably either corroded on it's silver contact or the coil could be burned out. Trace out the connections to both ends of the coil on that contact and check it with an ohm meter to see if the coil is burned out (open circuit). There are some guides online about how to test the different functions of these - hunt around on YouTube or Google. One very common issue I've found is a lack of a case ground - it's got to be grounded properly through the starter-gen case , engine block and back to the battery. Get a points file and gently clean the silver contacts - then polish them with a clean strip of paper and make certain to remove any debris or filings - otherwise it will damage the contacts again. There are settings that need to be done once you remove any material from those contact points since it changes the gap - I know I've found the specs for them somewhere on the 'net. The most important ones are the high limit on the charge voltage and low limit cutout switch, just fyi.

 

Sarge

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bunson70

I just replaced the ignition switch. It is back running again.

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Sarge

I should have brought that up - been tired and foggy from the flu lately. The stock Cole-Hersee heavy duty switches are tough to get now as they were designed to carry the entire load of the starting current to the engine. Not sure what the little Commando 8 had used, but finding NOS C/H switches is pretty tough. If yours has one, might want to upgrade it to a relay instead to move the draw away from the switch and using those heavy cables in the dash - if that's how it's built.

 

Sarge

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WHX??
51 minutes ago, Sarge said:

heavy duty switches are tough to get now

Got a nice one from @new2horses not to long ago. Very resonable

@new2horses

Edited by WHX14
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953 nut

This drawing could be helpful in this rewiring.

5a66344dde287_wiring-starter-generatorwithbatteryignition.jpg.6ac8651f0a88628499393ed7545493d0.jpg

 

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WHX??

This is always a nice thing to have for those regulators.

Delco_Remy_Generator_Regulators.pdf

Old piece but unless the laws of physics changed without my say so still applies!

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953 nut

Neat book Jim.     :thanks:         Don't know what parts are the same or where the differences are on our Starter/Generator Regulators. Hope someone can fill us in.

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Sarge

All the basics of setting the field gap and cleaning the contacts is there . The only real difference in the regulators used on our tractors is the starting circuit relay and cutout circuit since one single unit is used to start and charge the system. The book is a great learning tool to diagnose problems, just takes a basic understand of 6-12 volt systems and owning a decent ohm/volt meter. We had a member here and sorry I can't remember his name but he wrote some of the best explanations ever on how to work on these systems - he's an electrical engineer. @Save Old Iron , maybe ??? I know he went through two of my regulators and did some detective work on their function. The only thing found wrong with them was severely worn contact points - the service kits are NLA and long gone now so new contacts are not available. He did clean the oxidation off the existing points and set the voltage limits on both - they still work perfectly. These things are basically electro-mechanical switching devices - those little contacts can vibrate at a rate of 200+ times per second to control the generator's output side. Current types of alternators use a system to convert high voltage ac to dc power and regulation is handled by switching diodes within the regulators, either internal or external they are the same thing.

 

A simple cleaning with some good contact cleaner (Deoxit D-5 Gold is my fav) and some paper will easily clean most of these of oxides. It's truly amazing that any of these things still work despite their age and number of running hours - but most still perform as they should and it's honestly rare to find any that are truly burned out. Hunt around the old auto electric shops in your area - you might get a surprise as there were a bunch of similar starter-gen applications on other machinery that used the same exact regulator series as our tractors - just make certain it's the same series or you're asking for trouble and a possible fire or exploded battery. A local shop near me that did auto electric and sold Champion air compressors (Princeton, Ill is my hometown, and Champion's main old plant) had 3 brand new, old stock regulators that are identical to the ones used by WH/Kohler - I picked them up for $35 each - got one left on the shelf for my use later. There are new imported knockoffs out there and some actually seem to be pretty reliable, but I doubt they will ever last as many years as the original equipment Delco - those were built like a tank in comparison to the new replacements and use a lot cheaper materials.

 

I know somewhere out there is a spec listing for setting all the limit gaps and other settings on these little wonder boxes that is specific to our applications - just can't find it now since all the search engines are so polluted with sponsored junk. Maybe if someone else can hunt that down as I've lost that file to an OS failure and had to re-load the old computer, wish I had someone that could recover all those old files I had collected over the years.

 

Sarge

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WHX??

Yes it was him Sarge. I see he hasn't been on in awhile,  too bad  he really knew how electrons zipped around.

One of the Kohler manuals had some info on how to test and set them ... Garry's post above is the one.

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formariz

Some additional literature on them, perhaps a little redundant but it covers a couple different types.Some of the specs referred to by @Sarge I believe are here in the last pages.

 

DELCO-REMY SERVICE BULLETIN.pdf

Edited by formariz
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Sarge

That's one of the books I've seen - there is a better one that was shown in a thread from long ago, that's what I had saved on my drive and somehow it did not end up on the disk I had written to keep those files safe from computer failures. I hate that - I've lost some of the best electronic copies of books that are totally non-existent now and no way I can seem to find them. Wish my memory was better, there was a pretty specific title to that service manual for the regulators, starter-gens and other such equipment from the 50's & 60's that were built by Delco - they even had all the original part numbers and breakdowns of how to tell different applications apart. Same with the huge stack of Chrysler original service manuals my Dad had - they were lost in a basement flood in their house and most of those manuals were from Chrysler's training school - back in the era of the muscle cars to boot...ugh. I still have some oddball ones that were in his tool box - those I'm keeping safe.

 

Sarge

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formariz

@Sarge

I am pretty sure I also have the one you are referring to. Need to investigate the archives here a little better. It's not where it should be it may misfiled.

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WHX??

Excellent Dick :text-thankyouyellow: .... I just saved it to somewhere where I'll never find it again! :angry-banghead:

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953 nut
1 hour ago, WHX14 said:

saved it to somewhere where I'll never find it again!

I have a wonderful data storage system, but my retrieval system has given me problems too.     :ychain: I think this may explain it.

thought you would want to know about this e-mail virus. 
Even the most advanced programs from Norton or McAfee cannot 
take care of this one. It appears to affect those who were born prior to 1955. 
 
Symptoms: 
1. Causes you to send the same e-mail twice. 

Done that! 
 
2. Causes you to send a blank e-mail! 
That too!
 
3. Causes you to send e-mail to the wrong person. 
Yep! 
4. Causes you to send it back to the person who sent it to you. 
Aha! 
5. Causes you to forget to attach the attachment. 
Well well! 
6. Causes you to hit "SEND" before you've finished. 
Oh, no not again! 
7. Causes you to hit "DELETE" instead of "SEND." 
And I just hate that! 
8. Causes you to hit "SEND" when you should "DELETE." 
Oh No! 
 
IT'S CALLED THE "C-NILE VIRUS."            (Not the D-Nile Virus or A-Nile Virus)
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AMC RULES

:rolleyes: Whatever, as long as it's not a "P"...

you should be good.    :teasing-poke:

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