Attention: TDR Forum Junkies With the anticipation of another fun summer I am mentally making a list of things to do or replace.
While cleaning out the glove box I found a couple of receipts for a regulator.
In hot weather 95+ I have had two electrical regulator failures.
I need to pick up another spare.
I have a friend with an 89 cummins and he has the same problem.
Seems like due to the location on the fire wall above the exhaust it gets to hot. Then in the warm weather you add the AC and towing load and "Blink" it's gone.
How can you tell? You will see your amp gauge a tad lower than usual and especially right after a start. 12V battery reading instead of the 14V charge reading.
Solution: Relocate your regulator or insulate it from the heat. A little peace of aluminum roof flashing can be cut with household scissors and you can attach it with the regulator mounting screws
to make a shield deflector.
None the less. Both times I lost mine it was a royal Pain and almost ruined a fishing trip in the high country. So I will always carry a spare.
Choices: I bought my Regulator at Napa. They have two choices regular and upgraded??? The last time I asked for the cheap and the counterman gave me the BS about the more expensive one being better. I explained that I bought that the last time and it died. He asked if I had the receipt. "NO" He then tells me to bring in the old one and he will refund my money. So thats what I did. But I still think it would be good to have a spare. I am to lazy to move the regulator. I hate cutting and splicing on something that important. I was even thinking of making a hole in the firewall and mounting it in the cab. Some folks have even moved it to the drivers side away from the exhaust and had good luck.
The other thing I do is to keep a spare serpentine belt. The first one I changed at 100Kmiles because the inner ribs had little cracks and I figured it was time. The replacement got the little cracks farely soon so I guess that wasn't a concern.
When You do change Your surpentine belt you will find a 3/8 square hole in the idler bracket. Your 3/8 ratchet will fit perfect and it make a better tool to unload the tension while you fumble with the belt. ASK ME HOW I KNOW? The first attempt I used a pry bar and must have bent the bracket. This caused the belt to ride ever so slightly to one side. It separated the belt at about 5K miles. The next belt did the same thing. I ended up replacing the whole Idler Assembly (bent) and it corrected the problem
Oh, by the by the belts come in two different lengths. I now have and carry both because I bought the wrong one while on vacation. I keep them both under the seat in the event I find some poor soul in the wilderness with a need for one
Maybe the Bush will consider this worthy of a FAC. If so, feel free to move it.
Thanks
Greg
While cleaning out the glove box I found a couple of receipts for a regulator.
In hot weather 95+ I have had two electrical regulator failures.
I need to pick up another spare.
I have a friend with an 89 cummins and he has the same problem.
Seems like due to the location on the fire wall above the exhaust it gets to hot. Then in the warm weather you add the AC and towing load and "Blink" it's gone.
How can you tell? You will see your amp gauge a tad lower than usual and especially right after a start. 12V battery reading instead of the 14V charge reading.
Solution: Relocate your regulator or insulate it from the heat. A little peace of aluminum roof flashing can be cut with household scissors and you can attach it with the regulator mounting screws
to make a shield deflector.
None the less. Both times I lost mine it was a royal Pain and almost ruined a fishing trip in the high country. So I will always carry a spare.
Choices: I bought my Regulator at Napa. They have two choices regular and upgraded??? The last time I asked for the cheap and the counterman gave me the BS about the more expensive one being better. I explained that I bought that the last time and it died. He asked if I had the receipt. "NO" He then tells me to bring in the old one and he will refund my money. So thats what I did. But I still think it would be good to have a spare. I am to lazy to move the regulator. I hate cutting and splicing on something that important. I was even thinking of making a hole in the firewall and mounting it in the cab. Some folks have even moved it to the drivers side away from the exhaust and had good luck.
The other thing I do is to keep a spare serpentine belt. The first one I changed at 100Kmiles because the inner ribs had little cracks and I figured it was time. The replacement got the little cracks farely soon so I guess that wasn't a concern.
When You do change Your surpentine belt you will find a 3/8 square hole in the idler bracket. Your 3/8 ratchet will fit perfect and it make a better tool to unload the tension while you fumble with the belt. ASK ME HOW I KNOW? The first attempt I used a pry bar and must have bent the bracket. This caused the belt to ride ever so slightly to one side. It separated the belt at about 5K miles. The next belt did the same thing. I ended up replacing the whole Idler Assembly (bent) and it corrected the problem
Oh, by the by the belts come in two different lengths. I now have and carry both because I bought the wrong one while on vacation. I keep them both under the seat in the event I find some poor soul in the wilderness with a need for one
Maybe the Bush will consider this worthy of a FAC. If so, feel free to move it.
Thanks
Greg
