Ample Power 150 KUBOTA/REGULATOR ISSUES

[daboulton]

My small one lung diesel runs a 160 amp alternator which charges my batteries. It has been completely rebuilt. This engine will stall out at about 130 amps on startup.I have had the technician install an industrial balmar regulator to replace the one provided with the initial installation. It regulated the out put 2 times and on the 3rd occasion the amps went to 150 at startup and the engine stalled. The alternator has since been serviced and there were no issues with it.
I have purchased a new Balmar regulator and will install it tomorrow. Are there any issues in installing the new Balmar since the last one (industrial no frills model) did not regulate the amperage. Any Ideas on the problem.
D'Arcy

[Rick R]

The alternator is overloading the engine. A couple of things to try:
- limit the alternator output by adjusting the regulator if that is possible
- Assuming you have more than one battery, separate the batteries so they are not all being charged at the same time.
- Allow the engine to warm up before putting a load on it
- Since this is a newly rebuilt engine, you may have to run it for a few hours for it to "loosen up" before it will produce full power.

[colemj]

The Balmar regulators allow you to set a delay and a soft start ramp up to full output. They also let you de-rate the alternator output to match the load wanted.

Mark

[daboulton]

Thanks..That's reassuring. The tech installed his Balmar (industrial) regulator while I was having my alternator checked out and it only regulated the alternator on two occasions...then the alternator went maximum power and doused the Kabota. Hopefully my new balmar regulator will work like it is designed to.

[colemj]

I don't understand what you mean when you said there was no field output so the regulator would not turn on. The regulator provides field output - it needs to be turned on to do so. The field is drawn from the 12V line connected to a constant power source (typically the battery), but the regulator is turned on through a switched 12V power source (commonly the ignition).

Is your regulator turning on with LED's showing? If so, it should power and control the alternator. If there truly is no voltage on the field wire when the regulator is operating, then perhaps the regulator is bad.

Is the sense wire connected?

Is there a tach, and does it work/

Does the alternator give full current when you (briefly) connect the field terminal to 12V?

Mark