illuminations

[timmytim]

does the volt. reg. and alt have to match?

[Dragon]

If you go from a 38 to a 65 I would make sure. The regulator is called a voltage regulator but is in reality a current and voltage regulator. It allows a trickle voltage to flow through the field windings and this turns on the alternator because a magnetic field gets built. The voltage coil is clamped at about 14.4 volts.

This is done to charge the battery. You have to be higher than the battery voltage to charge a battery. You can charge with just 1 amp a 10,000 amp -52 volt battery string. You use 54.4 volts. At 1 amp it would take days though. So now the current side comes in the stator windings get a current flowing through them then the current of the alternator goes up.

The more voltage through the current section the higher the output current.

The last function of a regulator is to not let too much current and voltage flow at low rpm. That would cause severe heating of the windings and lead to a melt down.

According to O'reilly's website the same regulator is for 38 to 61.