BJ60 alt. output, glow issue

[fe sus]

What should I be getting from my stock BJ60 alternator as far as output? Last night I noticed my volt meter dropped from where it normally sits (~14V). I hooked a multimeter up to the alt this am and all it's putting out is 12.4V at idle... is that where it should be? I'm going to put in some new brushes later but thought I'd ask what the output ought to be. My glow system seems to have also simultaneously shitthebed... not sure if the two are related. I put in my spare glow relay and there was no change. When I turn the key the relay clicks and the glow light flashes once but that's it. As with my last diesel, I'm going manual... any thought/suggestions would be appreciated.

[lynchmob]

check your fusible links at the battery

[fe sus]

The glow system has been bypassed! Woohoo! I'm still reading an even 12V on the dash... but I think the link at the driver's side battery may be toast. Lemme go play with it...

[MrMoMo]

If the brushes don't do it, and it's not the regulator, it's likely the diodes. If it kills your batteries overnight, it's the positive side diodes, if it doesn't charge at all and doesn't kill your batteries, it's the negative side diodes.

Is your charge light on? (all the time, or at idle?)

[fe sus]

No charge light... the voltmeter on the dash stays right in the middle...

[fe sus]

So the batteries were just about toast this am. I charged them and put them back in the rig. I also took apart the fusable link and cleaned it. Same voltage on either side, just about 12.4V... I think brushes might do the trick?

[fe sus]

Alt seems good, batteries seem good but they won't charge. Drove for a few hours as it got dark tonight and the meter on the dash slowly faded away... I think the alternator was keeping the lights on (barely) as I made it home. Regulator?

[lynchmob]

Did you get the alternator tested? Just wondering what makes you think its good.

Sounds like the regulator is not kicking in. Mine behaved the same way when I had a bad fusible link (which you checked). Not sure if its relevant, but maybe check your fuses too. There should be an "Engine" fuse that may cause this - not sure how you have it all wired up.

When I was going though a similar process myself - I had my alt tested and found it was bad. Then when I put it together with a new alt it still behaved like yours. I found the bad fusible link and after fixing that I was back to normal. No power to the regulator so it never started charging.

[fe sus]

I replaced the alternator with a re-built spare I picked up a while back and it seems to be charging just fine... my guess is a bad voltage regulator. Being short on time I couldn't wait to order one and they aren't readily available here in the states. Solution? Swap out entire Alt. I did notice the replacement had it's oil feed coming to the center rear of the lat and the other had it on the side... perhaps different years. Anyway. It's in. Now to drive around a bit...