<VV> voltage regulator Answers

[Frank DuVal]

When you buy an NOS regulator, it may have been sitting for years. When 
it was new, the contact points were shiny. Age may have dulled them. And 
dull does not conduct well.

The BEST method to clean the contacts is just white paper. NOT sandpaper 
or a file. You do not want to destroy or reshape the contacts, just 
remove the oxidation.

Pull white paper through the contact points while holding them closed. 
Not enough pressure to bend the arm, as this changes the settings. Some 
points may have contacts that you need to hold up while sliding the 
paper through them. If the paper turns black, you are cleaning. Continue 
until the paper only turns slightly dark. If the regulator is installed 
on the car, disconnect the battery. The white paper can be 20lb copy 
paper, card stock, what ever you have handy. Just not paper with print 
on it.

Only if this fails to bring the regulator to life should one graduate to 
harsher methods-point files and sandpaper.

BTW, one does not "ground A to B", one touches a wire from A to B, no 
connection to ground. Some regulators are marked Bat and Gen instead of 
A and B (armature and battery). I know you did it right, I just wanted 
to clarify for others reading the procedure. Also, this polarizes the 
generator, not the regulator. The regulator does not hold a magnetic charge.

Frank DuVal


On 4/17/2013 3:21 PM, Ramon Rodriguez III wrote:
> Hi guys.  My buddy Ben's 62 isn't charging.  It's probably important to
> mention that up until now this car has not been running since before he
> bought it.  He picked up a voltage regulator (Carquest VR30) at the NJACE
> auction brand new in the box and I installed it today.
>
> I did the polarization procedure, ground A to B I think it was.
>
> The generator charges fine when I ground the "F" field terminal so I know
> that works.
>
> I don't have a radio noise suppressor on it but I'm pretty sure that
> doesn't matter.
>
> Any chance this is the wrong regulator and it won't work with the Corvair?
>   Since it's not a Delco I assume the mention in the shop manual of checking
> to make sure it is the Corvair unit doesn't apply.
>
> I opened up the new regulator and it is beautiful inside... it looks like
> it was manufactured yesterday.  No sign of corrosion or damage of any kind.
>
>
> I didn't actually measure the air gaps because my feeler gauge is out on
> loan.  This is not an adjustable unit anyway (I guess you could try to bend
> the brackets maybe).
>
> If any of you are able to explain to me exactly how the regulator works and
> what each component does I believe I know enough to understand it, if I
> understood how it works I could probably figure out some tests to do.  I'd
> really love to have someone fully explain these mystery boxes to me so I
> could check out all the old ones I have on a shelf and maybe get some
> working spares out of it.
>
> At this point I guess I'll go out and swap on the regulator from Missy's 63
> to verify the problem is internal to the regulator..  I'll report back in a
> little while.
>
> Ray Rodriguez III
> Certifiable Vair Nut
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