Excessive Voltage

My 76 is making 17 volts, I have a new battery, new solonoid and new voltage regulator. What do I need to do to get the voltage back down where it should be?

 

16.8V on battery that need charging is normal. A new battery does not mean it is fully charged. Monitor the charge rate for a while and see if it drops back to 14.8 or so.

 

Maybe your regulator is not hooked up correctly. With no regulator your alternator will charge at about 18 volts.

 

Six or V8? The sixes use a Delco 10SI alternator, and the voltage regulator is inside the alternator. A V8 uses the Motorcraft alternator and an external regulator. It's hard to wire the Delco 10SI wrong, but the V8's external regulator could be connected wrong. Seems unlikely though.

There is an acceptable voltage range for the Motorcraft in the 1976 TSM here Jeep® 1976 TSM online - charging system is in section 3. The peak allowable voltage for the Motorcraft is 14.8 volts. I would check that your meter is accurate by comparing the reading to a second meter. If it is, you can read and follow the troubleshooting instructions for overcharging in the TSM.

 

BTW welcome from Boston! First post!

 

Sometime a poor connection on the voltage sensing circuit will fool the reg into thinking the battery is low, and it overcharges.

 

Thanks for the help, will be digging into it tomorrow

 

What did you find on this problem Bryon?

 

It seems my multimeter is bad , borrowed a buddies and I'm reading 14.8 , feel like a dumbass ,but I appreciate all the information ,thank you .I'm sure i'll have a lot more questions the more I dig it to this jeep.