VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1971-1979 Where's the regulator??

My brother and I are "harvesting" a '79 Caprice for the engine and whatever else is worth taking. It has a 3 wire alternator which must mean that there's a regulator lurking somewhere under the hood? Under the dash? We got the main light and engine harness out pretty much intact (except for cutting the wires running down to the starter.) All of the wires ran to the BIG plug next to the brake booster. It's a real rats nest under the dash, but I haven't found a regulator yet. Thanks for any help here!

I could be totally wrong but it just seems that '79 would be a little modern for anything such as a regulator. Im suprised it wouldnt be built in, into the alternator. Your traditional regulator and generator system would have been "off the scene" WAY before '79. Atleast i would have thought. Again, *i could be wrong*

if the two wire plug goes in the back of the alternator there is a regulator on the radiator support, if the two wire plug goes in the side near the back of the alternator it has a built in regulator. AL

The 79 GM vehicles used an internal regulator. I think that GM went to internal regulators in 1973. Don

Thanks! I'll have to study the harness to see where the two "plug in" wires go.

One goes to the guage or light in the dash and the other is a "sense" wire for the regulator to base output on.