My Aztec C has the Delco alternators and regulators. Everything was charging as it should but I was getting a horrible noise over the radios from the right side. I decided to replace the alternator myself with an overhauled one. All confident there were not going to be any problems I recowled the airplane and was going to go for a test flight. upon start up the regulator circuit breaker immediately popped . I tried them both and they both popped . I then turned off the new alternator and was able to get the left side to function normally . I then went ahead trying different things and after a couple minutes I apparently fried both regulators .
I happened to have a spare so I installed that and got normal charging on the left again.
I uncowled the plane and went at it thinking there must be a short somewhere . I checked the field wire and got continuity between that and ground. Ah ha I figured that was the problem. I followed the wire as far as I could and found a pretty big crack in the insulation . As this wire is running right with the big alternator wire with
Grounded shield I figured that was the problem. I repaired the wire by cutting it, using a butt splice then shirk wrapped it. Fixed I'm
Thinking... Check the wire and I still have continuity with ground. I then check the big wire to the alternator ( charge wire) and that too has continuity with ground. Even with it disconnected from the alternator. What is going on? Is this normal ? All I did was bolt on the exact same alternator that I had ? Why did my regulators burn up? Is the alternator bad? Do I have a short? I did not try the new alternator again after the repair because I don't have any more regulators !!!
I happened to have a spare so I installed that and got normal charging on the left again.
I uncowled the plane and went at it thinking there must be a short somewhere . I checked the field wire and got continuity between that and ground. Ah ha I figured that was the problem. I followed the wire as far as I could and found a pretty big crack in the insulation . As this wire is running right with the big alternator wire with
Grounded shield I figured that was the problem. I repaired the wire by cutting it, using a butt splice then shirk wrapped it. Fixed I'm
Thinking... Check the wire and I still have continuity with ground. I then check the big wire to the alternator ( charge wire) and that too has continuity with ground. Even with it disconnected from the alternator. What is going on? Is this normal ? All I did was bolt on the exact same alternator that I had ? Why did my regulators burn up? Is the alternator bad? Do I have a short? I did not try the new alternator again after the repair because I don't have any more regulators !!!
