Overcharging Briggs

[North Gower Al]

I have a craftsman mower with a 20.5 hp Briggs Intek V twin that is trying to cook the battery. The battery is new and I put it on my charger before I installed it in the tractor. When the tractor is running the battery shows 16.5 volts and the ammeter shows about 5 Amps charge. The charge rate does not slow down after running a while. The schematic for the tractor does not show a voltage regulator, only a diode. Here's the question, can I wire in a voltage regulator from a different engine ( one of the AC leads from the alternator and the other from the frame)? If it any idea what is wrong with the existing setup?

Thanks
North Gower Al

 

[T.R.K.]

I don't think wiring in a voltage regulator will help. You would have to change both the stator under the flywheel and also add the correct
voltage regulator for the new stator to your engine. (The size of the magnets on the flywheel make a difference too. Smaller magnets = less
output.

If its like the one I worked on today, your current stator probably has a red and a white wire coming from it. The red wire has the diode
and the white wire is AC output for the headlights. (The headlights can't tell the difference between AC and DC and may actually be brighter
on AC.)

I recall trying once to cut out the diode on one of those stators and hook the wires to a voltage regulator and it did not work.