The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Voltage Regulator Change

I could use some guidance on what type of regulator to use on my 50. I was hoping to get a 12V one that uses the same mounting holes as original. I am also in process of changing to 12V system but planned to keep the generator set-up. Regulators are listed by year and amp rating but unsure what to pick.

If anyone has comments on the 12V with generator, I would be open to that too as far as reliability, etc. thanks

There are two kinds of regulators for a stovebolt- - - -"Delco" and "WRONG"! As far as I can remember, the mounting bolt holes on 6V and 12V Delco regulators have the same spacing. Just about any 12V negative ground Delco regulator in the 30-35 amp range will work OK, and they don't have to be part-numbered for Chevy, necessarily. Olds, Buick, Cadillac, Pontiac, International truck, and Hudson all ran Delco systems, as well as a few foreign cars like Triumph. Ditto for generators. If the generator fits the mounting bracket and is in good condition, the generator and regulator can be adjusted to function well together. Unless you're intending to assemble a numbers-correct concours restoration, just make the generator and regulator work as a team- - - -the original application isn't terribly important. I've been tinkering with these charging systems since the early 1960's and spent 30-something years teaching automotive electricity to a bunch of inner-city thugs and gangbangers. Some of them are running their own shops now!
Jerry

Careful with the Triumphs though. Every one that I have worked on was positive ground.

Chad

Yep, and the Limeys drive on the wrong side of the road, too!

Jerry

I was told on another site that Rock Auto sells new Delco regulators. I was very surprised by that. I wouldn't touch any of the others.

As posted by truckernix: an AC Delco 12v voltage regulator at Rockauto.com.

Now THAT is something one can proudly hang one's hat upon. Even if it were only one ne'er-do-well saved, its worth all of the hassle.
Carl

I've got two basic kinds of "graduates" from my program- - - - -the ones who made it through the Ford ASSET and General Motors ASEP programs, or attended Nashville Auto-Diesel College or the other private automotive schools, and the ones who are alumni of Riverbend Prison in Nashville Tennessee. Keeping in touch with both groups can come in pretty handy at times! Then there's the ones who didn't make it- - - -like the kid who was shot dead by an undercover cop posing as a pizza delivery driver. He had robbed three drivers at gunpoint previously that night by calling in an order to the same abandoned house! Too bad- - - -the kid was very skilled and intelligent when he chose to do things the right way!
Jerry

Thank you for the detail. I didnt realize either was adjustable. How so? Also, if I decided to change to an alternator down the road, do I need to change the regulator then too?

Alternators usually have their own built-in voltage regulator, at least the Delco 10-SI that's the most popular swap does. That eliminates the need for a firewall-mounted regulator, although some folks use a shelled-out regulator housing simply for the original appearance, with wiring routed through the empty case. That's also a handy place to put an auxiliary fuse panel, with the accessory wires hidden behind the dummy regulator.

The generator is a "dumb" unit- - - -it's either on or off, with no way to change its output other than with the remotely-mounted regulator. That unit controls voltage and current, and also disconnects the generator from the battery anytime generator voltage is lower than the battery to prevent the battery from discharging itself through the generator when the engine stops. All these functions can be adjusted by someone who knows what he's doing and who has the right test equipment, mostly by changing the spring tension on the vibrating points. It's very important to have a good ground wire running between the regulator base and the generator housing.

A generator running at full output with no control of the field coil circuit can destroy itself with overcurrent when charging a very low battery, or it can destroy a fully-charged battery with over-voltage. Maximum current and voltage output is controlled by the regulator inserting resistance into the field coil ground several times a second as the points vibrate. The generator/battery connection is made and broken by a relay directly behind the BAT wire of the regulator that's either open or closed- - - -it's not supposed to vibrate. Regulator points vibrate with a slight wiping action to self-clean, so never use anything abrasive like a file or sandpaper to clean them- - - -the scratches will make the points stick. I use a piece of business card or a thin strip of heavy paper cut from an index card if it's necessary to burnish the points inside a regulator.
Jerry

Hey Jerry looking for your help
Just finished wiring my 50 truck
It still has the foot stomper starter and generator
From what I recall years ago it had a 12v battery and when I replaced the old ignition coil it was 12 v

The truck runs and drives great but doesn't charge the battery
The voltage regulator is missing the cover so I was looking to replace it with a ac delco
Should this be a 12 v unit?
Thanks a bunch

I'm not Jerry, but, yes you need a 12 volt regulator if you are staying with a 12 volt system.

Yes, definitely. The battery, generator, and regulator all need to match, voltage-wise. It's not absolutely necessary for the regulator to be a dedicated Chevy unit, however. I've used Olds, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac, etc. regulators interchangeably, as long as they're the right ground polarity. Some of the later-model Delco units used a 2-contact voltage control unit which needs a special generator output test procedure. Just grounding the field terminal like is done on single unit regulators can damage the circuitry, so if you want to check generator max output, disconnect the field wire at the regulator and ground it instead of using a jumper wire. There are usually several Delco regulators on Ebay, both new and used ones.
Jerry