Regulator testing?

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Has anyone got an idiots guide to checking old regulators? Ive have about 8, all screw in terminal of them and would like to check them in some way before trying to fit onto the car?

[beero]

Try this, not exactly an idiots guide though.

http://home.comcast.net/~rhodes/generator.html

[silloyd]

You may also find the 'Lucas Generator and Control Box Tests' document helpful.

(BTW There's also a lot of other really useful stuff on http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/)

[chickenjohn]

Has anyone got an idiots guide to checking old regulators? Ive have about 8, all screw in terminal of them and would like to check them in some way before trying to fit onto the car?

David, I will give you the advice given to me by a classic car auto electrician friend of mine.

Don't fiddle with the settings of the regulators! You need to have both plenty of experience of doing this work already and a high quality (expensive!) Moving coil voltmeter to make these adjustments and end up with a working regulator. As said in the linked article:-

"Voltage Regulator-Electrical Setting

It is important that only a good quality MOVING COIL VOLTMETER (0-20
volts) is used when checking the regulator. The pulsing nature of the voltage will
prevent a digital voltmeter from settling on a single reading"


The test meters most restorers have are simply not up to the job!
The best way to test the regulators is simply to swap them all into your car one by one and test the voltage at the battery with the engine running and the charging light out. A healthy 14 to 15 volts at the battery terminals and you know the regulator is good and properly set. Leave it like that! If you have one that needs adjustment, best left to a classic specialist auto electrician with a quality moving coil volt meter.

[SUE482]

Put any of the 8 in and fit an alternator, no fuss, no problems and much better, that my opinion anyway.

[bmcecosse]

I agree with CJ - test on the car is pretty much the only way.

[minor65]

He'd be fitting 6 alternators then