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Alternator w/ or w/o regulator?

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Fur my 81 Gl wagon. manual tranny.

 

I am tracing down some engine electrical issues and was wondering your thoughts on eliminating the external voltage regulator and going with an alt that has an internal one. Good idea or bad?

OE has been doing it for many many years. Its a common conversion on older (read pre alternator) cars. i see no harm in it, just get the wiring right. It does eliminate the possability of just replacing a bad regulator.

 

nipper

 

PS why would you want to do this?

  • Author

No real reason in particular. Just wondering if there was any benefit.

Basically None... but just in Case your Alt has a Regulator Damage, is Easier to Fix it up without takin` the Whole Alt appart.

Also, you can "Manually" Set the Average amps. in Idle... but it can be Dangerous... Overvoltage can Fry a Radio, Headlight lamps... Etc...

Basically None... but just in Case your Alt has a Regulator Damage, is Easier to Fix it up without takin` the Whole Alt appart.

 

Also, you can "Manually" Set the Average amps. in Idle... but it can be Dangerous... Overvoltage can Fry a Radio, Headlight lamps... Etc...

 

personally i like external regulators, but those days are long gone. I hate to replace an altenator just because a regulator went bad, or a diode burned out, but those days are long gone.

 

nipper

  • Author

When chasing down electrical gremlins, you can bench test an alternator with a bad reguator. You can't bench test a regulator.

 

At least that's what I'm told.

When chasing down electrical gremlins, you can bench test an alternator with a bad reguator. You can't bench test a regulator.

 

At least that's what I'm told.

 

no your test it on the car.

 

nipper

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