Alternator overcharging, not the regulator!, Have tried 4 regulators and still over. Options

[ken914]

My alternator keeps kicking out 16 volts! I have tried 4 regulators, I have checked the output in multiple locations and with multiple volt meters to confirm. It is definately putting out too much juice, but I don't know what to check next. The car is a '70 /6 wiht a 3.0SC. Regulator is on the panel. I don't think it is an alternator with the internal regulator, but other than having a regulator on the panel I don't know how I would know.

Any ideas of what to do to fix this?

Thanks for any help!

[brp914]

been a few years, but I'll try to recollect amperes law:

when a coil of wire moves past a magnet a voltage will be generated on the wire. the faster the coil moves, and the stronger the magnet, the more voltage. this is how a generator works, and why generators are not used in cars. you can also make a magnet by wrapping a wire around a ferromagnetic core and applying a voltage to it. the more voltage you put on this coil, the stronger the magnet will become. this is the 3rd wire you refer to and is known as the "field". by modulating the voltage of field, you can account for the varying speed of the moving coil, thereby keeping its output voltage constant. the field voltage should be changing with engine speed. sorry if this too trivial for all you EE's