They don’t make voltage regulators the way they used to

Question:

In the May issue reader Hal May said that sometimes it takes a lot of revving to get a generator charging in his 1957 Lincoln Mk Il and you said he might be having problems with his voltage regulator.

I have a 1957 T-bird with a very similar problem. What I have found is the voltage regulators you can now purchase do not seem to be high quality. My T-bird has had problems where it wouldn’t charge unless you really revved up the engine. Once you got the gen light to go out, it worked normally. However, eventually it quit charging altogether.

I pulled out some class notes from the ‘60s and proceeded to see if the regulator was the problem. What I found was the cutout relay wouldn’t close. I went through the adjustment procedure and it would close about seven times out of 10. If I helped it, it would stay closed until low rpm and load caused it to open. It was a crapshoot as to whether it would close on its own. I replaced the regulator and solved the problem.

About three or four years later, the problem resurfaced. I found the same thing except the cutout relay on this regulator wouldn’t close on its own most of the time. I ruled out a wiring problem because I had replaced all the wiring when I had the engine out to rebuild it. I had also rebuilt the generator while the engine was out. I took this regulator apart to see if I could pinpoint a problem, but nothing was obvious.

Fast-forward about five or six years and I’m coming back from a car show on the coast and the generator light pops on. Since I was traveling in daylight I kept going. Before I got home the light went out.

The next day extensive testing found no problem. However, I’m pretty sure this regulator was on its way out. I replaced it for peace of mind about two years ago. This time I got a NAPA regulator instead of one from the T-bird suppliers. I hadn’t used a NAPA regulator before since the cover is larger than the stock regulator. I did repaint the cover black and add a Ford decal so you have to know your stuff to know it isn’t stock.

Bottom line, I feel that the regulators you can now purchase have the absolute least turns of wire they can get by with. The general quality just isn’t up to the standards that were followed when these cars were new. I do know you can expect to replace them about every five years or so. At least that has been my experience over the last 20 years with my T-bird.

Answer:

Thanks for the insight into the problem,

I have not had that many problems with voltage regulators, but then I always try to use NOS (New Old Stock) or name brand parts whenever possible. There is no doubt that some after-market components— especially those made overseas and sold at discount prices— are not high quality, and not even close to being as reliable and durable as the original correct parts were.

One other important thing to consider with voltage regulators is whether they are properly grounded. Most of the time voltage regulators on old cars were grounded where they attached to the body or frame. Sometimes the fasteners get corroded or come loose, and after you have done a repaint on the car the grounding at the point of attachment may be lost due to the new paint. In that case, make sure at least one ear on the chassis of the regulator is cleaned to bright metal, and then scrape away the paint on the body under the mounting point so there is a good ground. :