Did I damage my voltage regulator

[Gordon W.]

Please have patience, I am trying to learn...(this is a 61 model with generator)

I was screwing around under the dash with the car running and shorted the blue wire that goes to the temp sending unit against the dash. I noticed when I did that the ammeter spiked to +30.

Now, not sure if this is coincidental or not but last night I took the car out with a friend and on the way back home the headlights and dash lights/clock light all got super bright and the ammeter pegged to +30 again. At the next redlight everything went back to normal with the lights at their normal dimness and the gauge back to 0.

I don't know squat about voltage regulators or how they might go bad, but I get the sense that mine might be on the way out from doing some archive reading on here.

My immediate questions are:

1. Did I damage the VR with the short against the dash or is it coincidental?
2. Am I correct in assuming that a voltage spike like what I saw should never happen and that the VR is at fault?
3. Is the car safe to drive this weekend before I can send out the VR to Wilton for solid state conversion?

Thank you.

[Domenic T.]

Re: Did I damage my voltage regulator

Gordon,
I may be able to help on one here but before you get a new regulator remove the cover and with the battery negetive disconnected take some fine sand paper (400) and polish the contacts. Close any that are open with your fingers when doing it to get them even. Then clean the points with a business card to get the dust off.
That usually works for me and I think if you damaged it badly it would not be working as you described.

They are rugged inside and the fine wires that energize the magnets usually get spared as the heavy wires cary the load. You will see a adjustment screw and if you get brave put a volt meter across the battery with the engine running and adjust the running voltage to the book specs (I think 13.2 or so would work for a start if you do not have the manual).

It won't take long to do this and it has worked for me over and over.

DOM

[Gordon W.]

Re: Did I damage my voltage regulator

Domenic, thanks for taking the time to reply.

As it turns out I bought a replacement VR today from Napa (Echlin p/n VR122 - $80) and everything works again as it should.

I think the answers to my questions #2 and #3 were yes and no respectively. I still wonder about #1 - whether I caused this or if it was coincidental. Sure would like to know.

I will try polishing the contacts as you suggested and see if I can make this old one work again to keep as a spare. I'm all for learning new things and I've already learned more than I expected about VRs in the last 48 hrs from reading archived posts.

Thanks again.