best brand/place to buy electronic voltage regulator

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22dog22

22dog22

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looking for a very good brand/ place to get a new electronic voltage regulator , 69 cuda have switched from the mechanical regulator and rewired for the 2 pole altenator, and took out the amp. gauge installed voltage gauge, the charge needle pulses and I think it is over charging the battery gauge show over 14 volts as I drive and the battery is fully charged, and see a little battery acid running down the side of the battery
 
It may not be (and probably isn't) the regulator. It is more likely bad connections in the harness/ ground path. I've posted this a skillzillion times
 
I have found made in USA regulators at Autozone for a reasonable price but I agree, I would suspect something else.
 
I have checked the wiring, added addional ground wires because I know of these problems, [ have read many of the posts on here], I just got the car on the road and just started to drive it, I bought the voltage regulator used with the plug, from someone on here so I am looking to rule that out, also the alternator is a new unit rated at 100amps [thinking maybe a bad diode], I will give Auto Zone a try.

thank you, Dave
 
I had several early A bodies I was piecing together and getting running 2-3 yrs. ago. all had the single wire alt. I bought new, 3 early style VR from Rock Auto. I tried ch on said car. each would gave me different reading as to volt output, same car.!! no doubt the 50 year old wiring was causing some v. loss, but I was amazed thet I got some pretty different reading as I changed from 1 new VR to another..
 
I went to a electronic look-a-like on my 66. A bad ground betreen the regulator case and the firewall caused a overcharge. It boiled the battery, burned out light bulbs and caused a big mess. The sheet metal screws that hold the regulator to the firewall were loose and wouldn't stay tight. A sheet metal screw is only good for a few in and out cycles before the threads turn to slop.
 
In my experience over voltage comes from these areas, not necessarily in order:

1: Number ONE is voltage drop in the harness, and next is poor ground between battery NEG and VR case

2: Rare but a bad battery can seemingly cause this

3: The VR itself can be "off" but this is pretty rare. VR seems to either work or not

I would start by checking harness drop which is easy:

Turn key to run, engine off. Get your voltmeter connected as close as you can electrically to the VR blue wire. Usually this is the keyswitch side of the ballast.

Hook your other meter lead to the battery POS. You should read VERY little voltage, and more than .3V means you need to start looking "I would bet" you will find some drop here. If you are having intermittent issues, wiggle the key from off to run and off to run and recheck voltage.........you might see it change the reading!!! each time

GROUND........make this check with engine running, once with loads all turned off, and again with headlights, etc turned on

Stab one probe into the VR case mounting flange, and the other into the NEG battery terminal. You should read almost nothing, and zero would be perfect.

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A DIFFERENT WAY to check and confirm this ALSO will show you if the VR is at proper voltage. With engine warm and battery charged back up and normalized, hook one meter lead to the VR "blue" (keyswitch side of ballast) and the other to battery NEG post.

With engine running, this should read the VR setpoint, which should be 13.8--14.2, and not below 13.5, and not above 14.5

If that is correct, the VR is fine
 
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