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I'm beginning to think that my '65 charging circuit is faulty and I believe that the voltage regulator is the problem. With the engine running I measured 13.5 volts across the battery up to about 1800 rpm. After that the voltage crept up to around 15 volts as rpm reached 2000. At higher rpm it spiked at 16.5 which I think is much too high. Might be why I've gone through 3 ignition coils in the last couple of years. All that said I would just replace the VC but it doesn't appear to be stock and the wiring does not match the factory schematic. Before I get in to it I would appreciate some input on the voltage readings.
That's too high, typically 'all out' the alternator will crank between 13.8V and 14.2V....nearly 17V is clearly incorrect. First thing to check is your non factory wiring... Once you get that straight you can proceed.
A cheap check is to pay $28 for a Wells VR-715 solid-state voltage regulator and swap it in and recheck things... Not normally a troubleshooter by parts swapping...but this is easy and cheap every auto parts store has them. If you like what you see then you can install the device under the stock cover.
The main restorer of vintage V/Rs has thrown in the towel, the repros are awful and NOS versions will cost you your first-born child...
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; 09-23-2017 at 10:28 AM.
Any chance you can put up a picture of the wiring?
Now I'm really confused. It appears that I have an externally regulated alternator but modifications have been done to the wiring at the regulator i.e., harness capped and only idiot light wire running to regulator. Thought this was the setup when an internally regulated alternator modification is installed. See pics.
You've got an externally regulated alternator. The VR has effectively been bypassed. So now the regulator is out of the picture and your alternator is full-fielded or close to it.
An easy fix from the photos I see, if nothing else has been messed with. You need to get rid of that plug that the VR plug is going into and plug that thing back into the VR. But you also need to run the missing hot lead from the horn relay to the empty hole in the VR plug.
As for nothing else being messed with, when you say idiot light wire, what do you mean? I don't believe any C2s had idiot lights for the charging system. Can you say where that wire starts and ends? Aside from the four wire plug, the VR should only have a ground wire.
You've got an externally regulated alternator. The VR has effectively been bypassed. So now the regulator is out of the picture and your alternator is full-fielded or close to it.
An easy fix from the photos I see, if nothing else has been messed with. You need to get rid of that plug that the VR plug is going into and plug that thing back into the VR. But you also need to run the missing hot lead from the horn relay to the empty hole in the VR plug.
As for nothing else being messed with, when you say idiot light wire, what do you mean? I don't believe any C2s had idiot lights for the charging system. Can you say where that wire starts and ends? Aside from the four wire plug, the VR should only have a ground wire.
Nice diagnosis....and no idiot lights in midyears...
Nice diagnosis....and no idiot lights in midyears...
My mistake on the idiot light. I think it's the missing power wire that needs to go back into the harness. For some reason it's attached to the regulator. Anyway, I have a project for tomorrow. Thanks for all the help gentlemen.
09-23-2017, 09:26 AM
C2 voltage regulator problem?
