Repairs How to remove voltage regulator on a 320?

[FrenchBread147]

Hello,

I could use some advice on how to remove the voltage regulator on my John Deere 320 (I think it's a 1992). I suspect it is bad because the battery light stays on constantly now and the battery does not appear to be charging. Researching shows that it's common for VR's to go bad, and using a multi-meter to check voltage at the battery (during multiple states) showed some odd voltage fluctuations.

I know the voltage regulator is under the dash, just below the throttle. I can easily remove the first bolt. However, the seconds one is in the back where there is not enough clearance for my ratchet to get in there. How should I do this? Do I have to remove the whole dash? Is there a trick to this? It's like they put the VR on the frame and then built the tractor around it... very frustrating.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Glyn Robinson]

I had to replace mine on my 320 last year. you do not have to remove the dash. there are two bolts under the battery that will loosen the dash enough where you can work. If i remember correctly. haha

 

[FrenchBread147]

I had to replace mine on my 320 last year. you do not have to remove the dash. there are two bolts under the battery that will loosen the dash enough where you can work. If i remember correctly. haha

Thank you! I replaced the voltage regulator and the light has been gone since. It's the first time in a month or so that I haven't seen the light on!

For anyone else who needs to do this repair, this is all I had to do. I removed the battery, and the the two bolts near the bottom of the battery tray. I then used a can of dog food (haha) to wedge into the bottom of the panel to keep it pushed out so I would have room for wrenching. It was still a total pain in the ***, but I didn't have to take anymore things apart so I'm pretty happy about that. I also cleaned the wiring harness with some electrical contact cleaner to make sure the connection is good.

However, the new voltage regular has a different design (even though I specifically ordered the official John Deer part: AM126304 specifically trying to avoid problems). The old bolts are way to short to attach the VR. It's not even close. They should really include some new bolts with it or make the design more compatible with the 320. Come on John Deere...

So I went to my closest hardware store (Ace) and got the longest M6 bolts they had, and I still couldn't mount it the same way.

I did figure out that if I flipped the VR around backwards, the bolts would then be long enough. I'm hoping the VR facing backwards won't be a problem? My only concern is that all those fins are obviously for helping to cool the VR and now its facing in towards the frame so a portion of the fins are up against the metal frame. I'm hoping that that it will run cool enough since it is located in a tight space no matter which way I mount it, and the metal frame could carry some of the heat away as well.

 

[Glyn Robinson]

glad you got it going. mounting the VR backwards will be fine as long as your wires are long enough so they won't be in a strain. fins being backwards won't matter as long as it air.