1956 is voltage regulator swap easy?

[Lee Green 56]

Quick question. Is swapping out a voltage regulator on my 12 volt 292 is as simple as just switching it out to a new one? Or, is there a process to it?

Thanks for your help.

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[Hernando Muñoz]

Check the instructions as it must show how to quickly short 2 terminals to "polarize" your generator.

 

[Tom Alpers]

Replacing the regulator does not require polarization of the generator. That said, if the car has been sitting for a long time and a new regulator is an effort to get a non-functioning charging system going again, it's possible it's not a regulator problem but that the generator needs to be polarized.

 

[Lee Green 56]

Replacing the regulator does not require polarization of the generator. That said, if the car has been sitting for a long time and a new regulator is an effort to get a non-functioning charging system going again, it's possible it's not a regulator problem but that the generator needs to be polarized.

My car runs great. Died on me Friday, not enough power to start it (new battery). Saturday afternoon it had a full charge, started easily & ran well. I have 12.3 volts at the battery @ 900 rpm & 12.4 volts @ 3,000 rpm.
Stumped as to why I lost the voltage on a short drive from my house

 

[swatson999]

When the generator last rebuilt? Could it be the brushes?

 

[Lee Green 56]

When the generator last rebuilt? Could it be the brushes?

My dad bought the car in 1974, I inherited it in 2013. To my knowledge it has never been rebuilt. I hope I can find someone local to rebuild it for me.

 

[swatson999]

Changing the VR is easy. If that doesn't fix it, and in fact, even if it does, it's probably time, have the generator serviced (new brushes and bearings).

 

[cokefirst]

It is more likely to be a generator problem than the regulator.

 

[Lee Green 56]

I found a shop in town who can rebuild it. He wants the generator & the regulator, off the car to test it. However, he said some parts are not available for the generator if they are broken.
"wish me luck"!!

 

[doug7740]

It depends on what parts are needed. Most of the time you only need the brushes, brush springs and bearings.



When I rebuilt my generator I purchased the parts from CASCO, but I'm sure that most T-Bird part suppliers have the overhaul kits.

Generator Overhaul Kit 12 Volt-classictbird.com

Kit - Generator Overhaul Contains: 2 - 10057 Springs, 1 - 10069B brush set, 1 - 10094 & 1 - 10095 bearings

www.classictbird.com

Since the polarization of the generator was mentioned in this thread, I thought I would let everyone know how to do it.

Polarizing A Generator​

Polarization is a procedure which matches the polarity for the generator and the voltage regulator. The majority of Thunderbirds are manufactured negative ground, except for the 1955 Thunderbird which was manufactured positive ground. The generator has to be setup for either polarity. The generator will charge either way, however the voltage regulator has only one polarity. After the installation of a battery, generator or voltage regulator follow these procedures.

The terminals on the voltage regulator are labeled ARM, FLD and BAT and this is where you will do the polarizing procedure. Both the generator and voltage regulator will have battery power, so don’t start the vehicle or turn the ignition on before polarizing them. You will need a small piece of 14 to 16 gauge wire with alligator clips on the ends.

Before starting the car take the short jumper wire and briefly touch the FLD terminal to the BAT terminal to polarize the generator. You can touch the terminals a few times and it will produce a soft light spark. Under no circumstances touch the FLD terminal or any other part of the regulator or you could damage the regulator.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Lee Green 56]

So, I took my generator & what I thought was the voltage regulator to the shop. Imagine my surprise when I was told I had brought the starter solenoid! Anyway, should have it back on Monday .

 

[74 Harley]

For future reference, 12.4 is not charging. Each cell of your battery produces 2.1 volts. At a minimum your battery should read 12.6.

 

[Lee Green 56]

For future reference, 12.4 is not charging. Each cell of your battery produces 2.1 volts. At a minimum your battery should read 12.6.

I am completely new at electrical stuff. So, when I got 12.4, it was straight from the battery as it was dying? Assuming the generator is rebuildable, how many volts should I have on my multimeter?

 

[74 Harley]

If your car is running, the charging system should be above 13 volts, up to mid 14s if your charging a low battery. 13.2-13.6 is considered normal on older cars.

 

[doug7740]

I am completely new at electrical stuff. So, when I got 12.4, it was straight from the battery as it was dying? Assuming the generator is rebuildable, how many volts should I have on my multimeter?

The charging system consists of the battery and cables, the alternator or generator, and an external voltage regulator. The function of the battery is to spin the starter motor to start the engine. Once that’s done, the alternator takes over, satisfying the car’s electrical demands and keeping the battery charged. The battery then acts primarily as a filter, keeping voltage spikes from damaging the car’s electronics. The voltage regulator rapidly switches the alternator in and out of the charging circuit to provide the car with the correct voltage.

In 1955, the electrical system of the Thunderbird was 6 volt positive ground. In 1956, the Thunderbird electrical system was changed to 12 volt negative ground. On the 12 volt system there are two important numbers to remember, they are 12.6 volts and 13.5 volts.

12.6 Volts: If you think your car has a 12 volt battery, it doesn’t. The 12 volt battery actually has six individual 2.1 volt cells (one under each fill cap). Thus, when fully charged, the battery should have a resting voltage of 12.6 volts. If with the engine off, the resting voltage is less than 12.6 volts, the battery is low and needs to be recharged. Of course, it begs the question of why the battery is low. It could be that the alternator isn’t working, or that the battery has reached the end of its useful life.

13.5 Volts: With the engine running, the alternator should output a charging voltage that’s about a volt higher than the resting voltage, or about 13.5 volts. The exact charging voltage may be as low as 13.2 volts or as high as 14.2 volts.

If your Thunderbird is a 1955, with a 6 volt, positive ground system, the resting voltage is 6.3 volts and the charging voltage should be about 7.1 volts. The exact charging voltage may be as low as 6.6 volts or as high as 7.1 volts.

Take a multi-meter and set it to measure DC voltage, then measure the voltage across the positive and negative battery terminals with the engine off. On a 12 volt system, a fully charged battery should read a resting voltage of 12.6 volts. After you start the car you should see a charging voltage of about a volt higher than resting voltage. If the reading doesn’t increase by about a volt or if it stays at the resting voltage, it means that the alternator isn’t recharging the battery. This could be because the alternator is defective, the regulator is defective, or the wiring between them has failed. In any case, if you drive the car, the battery will run down. If the battery runs down enough that the ignition stops firing, the engine will stall. It’s really important that you don’t simply jump-start a car with a dead battery without checking to see if the alternator is charging.

A basic charging system health test: Use a multi-meter to measure the resting and charging voltages as described above. Then, with the engine running, gradually increase the electrical load by turning on the headlights and the blower fan. Then increase the engine RPM to about 3500 as you watch the reading on the multi-meter. If the voltage stays about a volt higher than resting voltage, then the car’s charging system is functioning. But if the voltage drops or increases dramatically at any point, there’s a problem with the alternator or the voltage regulator.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Lee Green 56]

I installed my rebuilt generator, still 12.2 @ the battery at idle. After looking at my regulator, I noticed one wire barely hanging on. I re attached it, now I have 12.7 at idle & 13.0 @ 2,000 rpm.

 

[Lee Green 56]

Doug7740-I unhook the positive cable from the battery, something my dad did when he parked it. Do I need to polarize the voltage regulator everything I hook it up to go for a drive?

 

[Tom Alpers]

You don't need to polarize it ever in normal use. It automatically disconnects itself from the battery internally in the voltage regulator when the car is off. You should be getting closer to 14.3 volts at 2000 rpm. Your voltage regulator needs adjustment to achieve that.

 

[74 Harley]

In your photo it looks like the condenser needs to be replaced as well.

 

[Lee Green 56]

Condensor? I thought that was a radio noise suppressor. (Im new to working on electrical). I will get that done.