Charging Compatibility

[BrianX128 107]

I have an old 12HP K series I transplanted onto a shell of a C161 that was literally spare parts put together to build a mower essentially to do the tilling / snow blowing / dirty work. It's ugly.

 

 

Given that, none of the parts really match, the flywheel isn't from the 12hp engine but it had the same looking magnets. I didn't have a "rectifier" but I did have the voltage regulator from at KT series engine that still takes 2 ac charges and throws DC out the other terminal. It all works, I know it charges but since assembling everything this spring I put a voltage gauge on because I switched to an electric fuel pump and added some lights for winter when it's snow blowing / plowing time. Now I realized that at idle it was at 13.8 \ 14v, but at wide open throttle with no lights on it's at 17v and with the lights on it's at 14.4v. I tested to make sure the gauge was accurate with a good volt meter and it is. I'm guessing there is something different about the two charging systems but I'm baffled as to what because the KT17 the regulator came from charged right at 13.5 with this regulator lights on or not and it had an electric fuel pump also. Nothing different here, unless there is something about the stator / number of pulses coming from the magnets that this regulator can't process right. I've just been leaving the lights on so it's at an ok charging level but I look a bit stupid with all the lights on in the day time. 

 

Any ideas? I stole the rectifier from one of my good horses from a K341 engine to test, and it charges normally, but then my rpm gauge that counts stator pulses doesn't work. Kinda want to keep the gauge, just not sure what is so different here.

Edited November 8, 2020 by BrianX128

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,391]

46 minutes ago, BrianX128 said:

I have an old 12HP K series I transplanted onto a shell of a C161 that was literally spare parts put together to build a mower essentially to do the tilling / snow blowing / dirty work. It's ugly.

 

 

Given that, none of the parts really match, the flywheel isn't from the 12hp engine but it had the same looking magnets. I didn't have a "rectifier" but I did have the voltage regulator from at KT series engine that still takes 2 ac charges and throws DC out the other terminal. It all works, I know it charges but since assembling everything this spring I put a voltage gauge on because I switched to an electric fuel pump and added some lights for winter when it's snow blowing / plowing time. Now I realized that at idle it was at 13.8 \ 14v, but at wide open throttle with no lights on it's at 17v and with the lights on it's at 14.4v. I tested to make sure the gauge was accurate with a good volt meter and it is. I'm guessing there is something different about the two charging systems but I'm baffled as to what because the KT17 the regulator came from charged right at 13.5 with this regulator lights on or not and it had an electric fuel pump also. Nothing different here, unless there is something about the stator / number of pulses coming from the magnets that this regulator can't process right. I've just been leaving the lights on so it's at an ok charging level but I look a bit stupid with all the lights on in the day time. 

 

Any ideas? I stole the rectifier from one of my good horses from a K341 engine to test, and it charges normally, but then my rpm gauge that counts stator pulses doesn't work. Kinda want to keep the gauge, just not sure what is so different here.

 

The tach gets it's signal from one of the AC regulator terminals? Try the other AC terminal. One of the AC leads is connected to the DC+ inside the regulator. Just a guess as to why it is not working.

Are the regulator terminals all located in the same position on all the regulators? The 10 amp version and 15 amp version should be different.

Garry

[Jayzauto 89]

It' CRITICAL that the Voltage Regulator be grounded...... I realize this is tossed together, and not sure where you have the regulator mounted.  I always run a ground wire from the regulator hosing to the engine mounting block bolts.  Sounds like you may have a poor ground reference causing the higher charging voltage,

 

GLuck, Jay

[BrianX128 107]

The rectifier doesn't work on either AC lead for the rpm gauge, one side does nothing and the other side red lines no matter what. 

 

I want to say the regulator is grounded, but this thing has plenty of surface rust. It honestly needs sanded down and painted this winter, there's no rot anywhere it's surprisingly sturdy just lots of faded stuff. The regulator is mounted where the finned rectifier was, I'll sand things down and make sure it's grounded when I put it back on and see if that changes anything.