63, voltage regulator, date

[John A.]

HI,
I have what I think is the original voltage regulator, but it is PN 119515, dated 3B. The judging manual indicates that only "late" 63 cars had this part number and that the PN for early/late cars was, voltage regulator, 119512.
My car is a late April car so I think I have the original voltage regulator. Can anyone help clear this up for me?
Thanks, John

[Kenneth S.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date


Ken

[Harry S.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

I think your 515 is February 1973.

[Peter L.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

John - I thought the NCRS Pocket Guide has something more specific on when the 515s usage began of 63s than what you indicated is in the 63 TIM&JG; but I can't find mine. Hopefully, someone can find theirs and check it and post the info on the DB. Pete

[Jack H.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

This is one you may have to 'go to the mountain' on (ask the NTL). I don't have copies here of '63 and '64 AIM books, but you can get an 'approximate' time for the '512->515 transition by going to the relative pages where the voltage regulator is called out, then looking at the Revision history block.

That should state the AIM date when the '512 regulator was dropped and the '515 regulator was adopted. Now, that date will NOT establish when the change in production actually happened! It simply tells you when designers approved the change to production.

Typically, the assy line continued to use up the on-hand inventory of the earlier version of the part and production went out the door in 'mixed' mode until all the old parts were exhausted. So, one car might differ from the one before/after it for some period of time. That's why contacting the NTL is in your interest here because he should be able to tell you what's considered 'typical' of factory production.

The '512 regulators aren't that easy to come by. I know I've seen 'D' and 'E' dated originals (April and May). But, getting the effective AIM date will establish the 'earliest' possible occurance. Then, contacting the NTL should give you insight as to what's consider 'typical' in terms of factory production...

[Michael H.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

HI,
I have what I think is the original voltage regulator, but it is PN 119515, dated 3B. The judging manual indicates that only "late" 63 cars had this part number and that the PN for early/late cars was, voltage regulator, 119512.
My car is a late April car so I think I have the original voltage regulator. Can anyone help clear this up for me?
Thanks, John

John,

I'm still not convinced that the 1119515 regulator was ever factory installed on any 63's.
There's absolutely no mention of the change from 1119512 to 1119515 in the assembly manual and the last revision on that page for a different item was 15 August 63.
If the 515 was scheduled for 63, it would be shown on the page. (sect 6, sheet C8)

And, it wasn't typical of GM to substitute a part but keep it a secret. The accounting dept wouldn't have been at all impressed.

There are/were a LOT of very late unrestored cars on record in the 19,xxx and 20,xxx VIN range that still have their 512 regulators.
Lot of folks found/installed NOS 515 voltage regulators with date codes that would seem to fit mid/late production cars but I would guess these are from 1973, not 1963, as previously mentioned.

The 1963 only 1119512 regulator was discontinued in service and replaced by the 1119515 in January of 64.

[John A.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

Thanks Guys!!!
Now I need to find a 512 voltage regulator with a 3B, 3C date code.
I know Pirkle doesn't have one. Any ideas on where one can be found?
Thanks, John

[John D.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

My driver 63 was in the 19, 400 range and had 50,000 miles on it when I sold the car. Original 340HP engine with a fake fuel unit. Car had it's original 512 regulator.
To John Armour: Get a hold of Andy Cannizzo for the 512. andy3651@aol.com
I

[Jack H.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

I have a fuzzy recollection of having gone hunting for this (512 -> 515) change over date, Michael... If memory serves there wasn't a telltale in the '63 AIM. I can't recall if there was mention or not in the '64 AIM.

If not, that would suggest, the effective date was the release of the '64 AIM sheet... Typically, year 'next' drawings were released in the 'April to July' time frame to ready the plant for model year change over.

So, if production folks knew there was a replacement V-Reg coming and that it was downward compatible with the existing part, they'd probably have been in a mode of 'order no more 512's' and 'use up what we've got on hand'....

I know I've seen '3D' and '3E' dated 512's and MAYBE a '3F'. But, I can't recall seeing any dated later than that.

[Jack H.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

Where to find? Well, these puppy dogs are reasonably rare. As I walk the scrap yards, I USED to find 2-3 a year. Now, my hit rate is lower, perhaps one a year or one every two years.

So, I'd be patient if I were you... The '515 you have 'works' and gets you partial credit (service replacement with wrong Configuration and wrong Date). So, I'd live with the 40% originality deduction until you find the right part at the right price!

[Wayne M.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

..... So, if production folks knew there was a replacement V-Reg coming and that it was downward compatible with the existing part, they'd probably have been in a mode of 'order no more 512's' and 'use up what we've got on hand'....

I know I've seen '3D' and '3E' dated 512's and MAYBE a '3F'. But, I can't recall seeing any dated later than that.

FWIW, the Oct 1, 1964 revsion of parts history for Chev P&A catalog shows the 1119512 requirements are to use 1119515 as of 1-64.

So if we interpret that to mean inventory went dry by that January date, there's still the possibility that production ended in the period for which you've seen the dates, and it just took another 7 months to empty the shelves.

[Jeff A.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

I am not convinced that the 515 was not used early in 1963 GM cars.
I have been carefully inspecting 1963 regulators on original cars.
At first I thought that only late 63 cars used the 515, cause all my 512's were exclusively early units.
Then just today I found another 1963 515 regulator with a 3C date code.
I know for a fact that this was original to this car (not a Corvette) with an assembly date of 03C in a large junk yard - car was crashed in the 60's and still wearing bias ply tires

I have over 200 early regulators in my collection.
the date breakdowns are pretty even from year to year.
(ie: fairly equal numbers of 1969 as compared to 65-66-67-71

My 3-date 515's seem to be a lot more common then the 3-date 512's.
As a point of interest - - In the early days of junking - I did not pull regulators off of 1973 cars. I was only interested in the late 50's and 60's stuff.

[Jack H.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

Nor should you be! It's common knowledge that the 515 was used by almost ALL of the rest of GM's stable in the 1963 model year. Heck, you won't find the '512 called out in any other 1963 Chevy passenger car AIM where the vehicle was Delcotron equipped EXCEPT Corvette...

The other car lines began the transition from generator to alternator in the 1962 model year where for whatever reasons, some cars (Corvette, Corvair, Etc.) held back in their migration from generator to alternator for a year or more. That's why it's not all that easy to find a correctly dated '512 in the scrap yards!

Many of the 1962 GM vehicles that sported alternators were equipped with '515 predecessor regulators ('507, '512, Etc.). But, we from Corvettedom tend to think of alternators as being '63 and up technology, so we're not looking at '62 scrap yard cars unless there's some other reason driving us...

Essentially, with a '512 regulator in your sights dated correct for a Corvette, you're looking for a vehicle who's factory original regulator was replaced under warranty OR that particular car plant had a LARGE inventory position of '512 regulators left over from their '62 build.

By 1973, most of the GM line had converted to Delcotrons with integral voltage regulators (solid state), so the lion's share you'll find in the yards with this era of dating on them are service channel replacement units.

Bottom line, I guess I don't understand your 'disconnect'. If your main source is scrap yard cars, you're going to find the '512 regulator (especially one dated correct to match a '63 Corvette) a rather rare bird to stumble onto. AND, you're going to find LOTS of '515 regulators with late 1962 and early 1963 date codes on them because they're out there...

[Jeff A.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

OK - That makes sense.
Never really found Corvettes in the junk yards - usually passenger cars or the occasional Camaro, or Chevelle.
Out of the 30 or so 1963 dated regulators I have - only 4 are the 512's.

Then likely I got those few 512's from Corvairs.
Thanks for clearing that up.

[Michael H.]

Re: 63, voltage regulator, date

Then likely I got those few 512's from Corvairs.
Thanks for clearing that up.

I don't think Corvair used either 512 or 515 in 63. Corvair used a generator through 64, if I rememmber correctly.

I seriously doubt if mid production 63 Corvettes ever left the assembly plant with a 515 regulator. I'm not sure if any late 63 Corvettes did either.

Did the part number for the regulator in the 63 passenger car AIM change to 515?