VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 6 volt Regulator Adjustment

I am looking for some help to adjust the generator output on a 36 Sports Coupe. It is fitted with the 3 terminal regulator. The generator output appears not to be regulated as the faster you go the more amps it shows. At 55 mph the amp guage is pegged and with the headlights on it shows about 15 amps. Seems to me that the generator is working well but the regulator is not working correctly for some reason. Any ideas guys

A voltagle regulator wasn't used in 1936. There was a "cut-out" on the top of the generator. The first voltage regulator used was in mid-1937 as I remember, and it was a four post regulator, not a three post. Check your 1936 shop manual. :eek: :confused:

Hi Junkyard Dog, you may not have noticed but I am in Australia where the 36 Chev came out with a 3 terminal regulator, not the cut out on top of the generator as you describe. I should also add to my original post that the voltage is correct and that the battery is new and fully charged. I am worried that the generator will overheat as I have never seen one of these generators putting out this amperage. From what I have seen they are usually just charging a couple of amps when the headlights are on, not 15 amps like this one. The charge does not drop back from pegging the needle after 2 hours at 55 mph. :confused:

Hey Roadster36: Nope, I didn't notice that you are in Australia. Big difference between what was used in your country and what was used in the USA in 1936. That said, it sounds like your regualtor is shot because you are correct, your generator should only be putting out a few amps, not 15 all of the time. At that rate the armature may eventually start throwing solder. At first start up, your amp gauge should be reading higher, and then as the car is driven the amp gauge should slowly drop back to just a few amps charging rate. Have you tried another regulator? Also, just for the heck of it, try repolarizing your generator to see what happens. Good luck my friend! :confused: :confused:

the US cars used that style reg. in 1938-39 only.Chevrolet reffered to it as a voltage control.My 1939 shop manual has the instructions for adjusting it. It"s about four pages long.One thing you could try first is removing the cover and check to see if any of the contacts are stuck together.you also could run a file thru them(metat file).As a temporary fix you could adjust the third brush so the generator puts out fewer amps.When a voltage control is used the gen. third brush is set at maxium amps. and then the volt, control regulates the amps from there. This would protect th generator from burning out for now.

Thanks for the help, I always find these regulators a bit of a mystery. I'll try another one and see what happens. As a matter of interest, the car does not have the 3rd brush adjustable generator. The regulator has 2 coils, one for volatage and the other for amperage I think.

Thanks again

Ken
36 Std Sports Roadster
37 Master Deluxe
36 Std Sports Coupe

Sounds as if your car was up-dated with a 1940 and up generator and regulator thru the years.
this was common as you were able to get much higher out put this way .I know the down under cars did not always have the same electrial systems as the US cars but two brush generators were rare in 1936.

This is not an update, 36 Chevs came out with a regulator in Australia, strangely enough the 37's didn't have a regulator but used the adjustable 3rd brush.

Ken