Difference Between Voltage regulators

[djcdmv]

OK, I've searched threads for days and think my seatbelt warning light problem is coming from the voltage regulator. (headlights dim when light comes on, too).

Does anyone know the difference between the 2 VRs our host sells? The Valeo brand is $57.50 and the Hueco is $27.

I'm not that mechanically inclined, but I'm going to try to do it myself with Pelican Board help. Anything else I should do while I'll tackle this?

Thanks in advance!

[Por_sha911]

RU sure its not the alternator itself? My experience with a bad VR is overcharging as opposed to under. Have you put a voltmeter on the car and checked it?

[flatsixjunky]

My seat belt warning light also came on when I had a faulty VR. Is your battery overheating, have you had the smell?

Get a voltage meter and measure the battery:

Car off
Car idling at 2000 RPM.
Post numbers.

[joeblow]

Sorry to hijack but I am overcharging. I may have wired up the engine wrong too so I need to 2X check but I am 12.6V off, 15.5V idle and 16V 3000 RPM. Not good

Could this be an issue because I have a 76' vintage Marchal Alternator in my 71' with original VR? Obviously the alternator is working!

This should have nothing to do with the Blue Wire either as that would cause undercharging right?

Thanks!

[DonMo]

Joe, you are definitely overcharging. 12.6 off is good, over 15V is higher than normal.

Dave, just be careful and remove the wires from your battery, at least the positive. There are wires in there that are a little challenge to manage just read a bunch on pelican first then go after it slowly and you will be fine. There is a tool that helps taking the bolt off of the fan sprocket, you might want to find one, borrow or buy, I found one on flea bay, I am sure Pelican sells one.

[Bob Kontak]

When you have the fan out, or at least tilted back, check on top of your cylinders for debris and remove.

The job is tedious but not complex. One thing that I did not know - and slowed down my progress - is that the shroud around the fan fits on a peg in the engine case. The shroud has a slot - not a hole - and can be moved front to back on the peg. I pictured a hole only in the shroud and burned a lot of time trying to find that sweet spot where the shroud was fixed in all directions.
Also just replaced a Valeo in an 89 turbo and there was a torx type fastener that I did not anticipate. I cheated with an allen wrench that worked in the the torx fastener but that ain't the way to do it right.

No idea on if one regulator is better than the other. I have used Valeo with success.

[joeblow]

I am posting this here as well as a general post in case it might be easier for people to find.

Well I think I have a tech secret to share with the group. If you have an early car like me with the all metal VR this might work for you too.

First off I am in Costa Rica, which means doing the part replacement method adds 10-15 days a part to get here so troubleshooting is really the only way to go.

In my case my car was overcharging which in many senses is a good thing because it pretty much rules out a bad alternator.

My overcharge was also not maxed out meaning I was getting some regulation. Here are my numbers:
Nice new battery 12.8V standing (small Deka unit by the way).
Idle warmed up 15.5V
3000 RPMs 16V and that was the max it would go.
Then with heavy load (headlights, wipers, fresh air fan and such) 14.5V, still too high.

So even though it was not maxing out at say 19V it was definitely too high. So I decided to 2X check my wiring as this is a fresh restoration and a lot has changed. Wiring was fine and nice and clean as I just did all of this.

Next was to pull the VR and take a look inside. It was very clean looking but I gave it a good spray down with electrical contact cleaner anyway. I also took some 200 grit sandpaper and lightly sanded all the contact points (look just like points in the dizzy), top and bottom to make sure they were getting good contact. I then reassembled everything and tried again. Basically no change to say .25V lower.

So then I took the cover of the VR off again and fired up the car to see what was going on. The rocker was regulating but it seemed to struggle to get closed (off current). I used an insulated screwdriver to close the points and indeed the charge would stop. I also opened them and the charge would go way up.

So I have a working VR just out of range. So that was when I realized that the points are closed by an electromagnet which in this case was not pulling hard enough against the spring tension to close the charge. So I simply bent the tab which holds the spring (looks like it is designed to be adjustable). By slightly reducing the preloaded tension of the spring, I could vary the voltage output. So I set it at 13.6V idle and 14.5 at 3000 RPMs.

I have tested this hot and cold several times today, with load and without, and it is now 100% A-OK! No guarantees how long this will last but I am running and so far so good.

If you have a similar issue but are undercharging you might need to do the opposite and add some preload to the spring. Hope this helps!!

[JTL]

I bought this a while ago but ended up replacing the entire alt. It's brand new in a box if you are interested?

[Walt Fricke]

Careful, guys. Early cars (including the 2.7s) used an external regulator. It was a mechanical regulator (points, springs, coils, bendable tabs, etc) and you could remove the silver case which surrounded its working parts.

At some point (certainly by the 3.2s in '84) the regulator moved aboard the alternator itself, and became solid state (nothing to fix or adjust). This may be a mixed blessing - it is pretty hot in where it lives. And it is much harder to get at, though doable.

We had one go out on our 3.2. The alternator light never showed a problem, but again it never lit up with the key on but engine not running. This is the Sherlock Holmes symptom - who notices the dog which did not bark in the night?

I had one go out in my SC. Internal style. I had a voltmeter in the cigarette lighter socket, and it was showing 15V and then just HI. Otherwise no warning from the warning light.

I wired one wrong on my track car and got a sulpher smell from overcharging. Not to be fooled with, as I believe the outgassing is flammable - hydrogen and maybe more.

Walt