external voltage regulator (please help!!!)

[barm]

has any body done a conversion from a external voltage regulator to a internal voltage regulator, in my 83, i have had since 93, i have gone threw 6 alternators, and 10 external voltage regulator, also they keep frying my batteries, and i use a optimus gel pack battery, the problem is that my voltage is always fluctuating from 10.5- to i thinkl i have seen it as high 18.3 volts when it was really hot out,, it will be fine for hours, perfect at 14.4, and then all of a sudden it goes crazy, dose not matter what kind of load that is on the alternator,,,, but it seems to act up worse when there in no load on it at all. when it starts to mess up the idle fluctuates badly to..... i have replaced every cable i can think of, and find in the power line, even put on 2 gage double grounds. has any one else had this problem? i have also a 84, 87, and a 88 all with internal regulators and have never had this problem. if someone could please help, i'm sick of carrying a extra alternator and regulator in this car, is there something that i'm missing????

[takza]

I've replaced 1 alt, 2 batts, and 3 regulators in 55K miles at almost 250K. Your best bet might be an old OEM regulator from a recycler? My original might have lasted 200K miles.

Just had the reg go out on mine...stopped regulating and boiled the battery with 17 volts...so I replaced it and the regulator. AdvanceAP mechanical type replacing a solid state type.

[barm]

thanks for your reply, but i have tried both, the solid state regulators tend to regulate on the low side, 10. something, never seem to break 13.8 volts, if i use a old school mechanical one, the voltage range is much higher, starts in the high 13ths and goes up from there, so i'm ether overcharging or undercharging, but the mechanical ones seem to be the only ones that i will get the 14.4 for a length of time until it freaks out then voltage goes high. the solid state is opposite, it will stay in the 13ths until it freaks out and the voltage will drop low,,,,, it just dose not make any sense

[Petros]

Of the two Tercels I have owned, I think in the 400k combined mileage they had, I have only replaced one alternator (put in a used one from a parts car). This is with the internal regulator. I would say these are more reliable than your external regulator equipped car. Is there anything else that could cause these to fail? I mean some other component that will burn out the reg or alternator.

The wire harness is different on the internal regulator/alternator equipped cars, so are all the connectors. What you have to do is compare the differences in the wiring diagrams and cut and splice in the new wires and connectors into your wire harness. Get the wires and connectors from a "donor" car at a wrecking yard, that way the wire coding will match.

If I were in your shoes, I would also switch over. I have found the internal regualated alternators exceptionally reliable.

Good luck.