All lights flashing very very bright!!

[5-90]

Correct - that's the "self-exciting" version I mentioned.

With the regulator plug, the alternator is getting feedback from the power system to see if the field voltage needs to be changed. With a "one-wire," the feedback loop is internal, and that's how they do away with the secondary "sense" circuit. One-wire jobs are common in industrial applications, hot-rodding, and "custom conversions" - where the idea is to simplify things.

You should be able to get a rubber plug that will close up the hole where the regulator plug used to go - ask the shop for it.

5-90

 

[85xjwoody]

Thanks again 5-90. You have helped me alot with this and I appreciate it. I will be picking it up next week when the paycheck comes. I just hope it doesn't overload anything in my electrical. Never delt with going to a higher amp alternator before. I will be upgrading my battery, battery cables, and wiring going to the starter and block. I still have to figure out why my headlights went out also. Got the high beams to work but not the lows. Thanks again for the help.

Kim.

 

[5-90]

You won't kill anything with the higher output - the regulator is there (either externally- or internally-controlled) to make sure that only enough current is gonig out to meet requirements. The regulator monitors output voltage, and adjusts the power into the field coils to increase or decrease current output (if that doesn't make sense, look up Ohm's Law and Watt's Law, and study them. It will become clear...)

In short, you aren't changing the "constant" output of the system, you are changing the "potential" output of the system - and by increasing the potential, you are making more power avaiilable for your use.

All of my vehciles end up with "oversized" batteries and "oversized" alternators before too much time passes, and I've not had any trouble directly attributable to that.

As far as the headlamps, check out your dimmer switch. I may be able to dig up wiring for your 85 - what you'd be doing is checking for output voltage to the headlamps with the dimmer in "dip" or "full" beam settings. I'd suspect you lost the "dip" beams at the dimmer - or you (by something resembling a miracle!) managed to lose both "dip" beam filaments at the same time (I think I've seen that happen about twice in 25 years - and I still don't know how it happened. Law of Averages?)

Oh - if you're willing to supply measurements (since I don't have them outside of 87-90 yet,) I also make battery cables... [email protected]

5-90

 

[85xjwoody]

I don't think it has anything to do with my dimmer switch. On Memorial weekend Friday night we wheeled pretty hard and went through some water but drove for another hour and a half back to camp and nothing was wrong at all. Then on Saturday evening after I fixed other things I go to start it up and it runs fine, go to turn on the headlights and no lights.
There was a short on my negative wire that goes to the block behind my alternator from my battery. We patched it up the best we could and still no lights.(I know that didn't have anything to do with the headlights coming back on) So as I was inside the jeep trying to figure out what the problem was a friend of mine started to mess with some wires and got my high beams to work but no low beams. So we started down the trail to find my rear axle bind up on me from a broken pinion shaft. Got it on a trailer and home. That is when I found out about the voltage regulator problem.
I don't know what happened at what point but I think that something shorted and blew my low beams out on my headlights. I will have to get a new headlight and see if that works. Sorry so long but had to explain what led up to all of this.
I will be getting some wiring for everything along with a yellow top Optima from a friends audio company to give them some local business. What guage wire do you suggest I use? I will be running a winch in the next year so I would like do this right this time so I don't have to upgrade later. Thanks again for the help 5-90.

Kim.