Can I use electronic regulator

[olddman]

I have another electrical question for you. Have a 1965 Dodge Dart GT. It has electronic ignition and a dual field alternator with electronic regulator. Alternator has gone bad and I am about to replace it. Can I use a single field alternator with a electronic regulator?
Purchased a electronic regulator that looks like the mechanical one that is rated at 65 amps. The regulator has two pins, field and ignition (like the original). Would have to change the wiring a little, but not much of a problem.
What do you think?

 

[67Dart273]

Here's the deal

The 69/ earlier regulator was of course originally electro/ mechanical. You can easily tell by looking at the bottom. If there are two wirewound resistors on the bottom, that's what you have

The vast majority of aftermarket replacement 69/ earlier regulators are already electronic

The above series will work with ANY alternator, either grounded (early) or isolated (late 70/ later) field setup. You only need to ground either field connection on the later alternators, and hook it up

IT IS BETTER to use a 70's "square back" alternator rather than the roundback type, as the later alternator has better output at low RPM

The later, better squareback on left, early, "roundback" on right

Below is a 70 -- ? "roundback" isolated field, what you are calling a "dual field" These do not have as good low RPM characteristics as the "squareback"

On the left is a "hack rebuilder's delight." This is an older (69 / earlier) that has been hacked / converted to an isolated field, except this one has been converted BACK. In this photo the insulated brush is at the top, the original grounded brush (installed) is at left, and the "hack" brush position (vacant) is at right. The problem with these is several:

Being a roundback, inferior low RPM characteristics

Because the brush holder is not standard, you can't easily get a brush set, and the usually cheap insulators do fail. Hell, I've seen these come with the "hacked" brush already grounded!!!!
Worse, if someone "who doesn't realize" installs the original brush, AND tries to use it as an isolated field, AND gets the blue field power hooked to the grounde brush -- you have just melted your ignition harness

Any Mopar regulator that looks like this will work with any Mopar alternator, you just need one grounded brush

NAPA and Standard Motor Products sells one that looks like this, also same as 69

This is the factory 70 / later electronic regulator. For this you MUST have a 70/ later isolated field alternator

 

[68gtxman]

Like 67Dart273 said! rayer: Nuff said!

 

[KitCarlson]

Make it a sticky.

 

[olddman]

Thanks for the info 67dart273. Had done some reading and a lot of looking at wiring diagrams and had about decided that I could hook up either type of alternator to the old school two post regulator (like the black one in your photo).
Had not read anything about the better charging at low rpm for the "squareback" alternator. Will go ahead and get one of those to use instead of the "roundback". Also have already wired for "dual field" style alternator.
Am I correct in saying that the post 70's alternator has two fields and the pre 69's only have only one field is incorrect? They both have two fields, it is just a matter of how they are grounded? Pre 69 grounded to case, post 70 grounded through the regulator?

 

[67Dart273]

They both have two fields, it is just a matter of how they are grounded? Pre 69 grounded to case, post 70 grounded through the regulator?

Exactly right. This is the same as the old "A" or "B" circuit DC generator, and I can never remember, LOL, without looking it up, which is "A" and which is "B"

But you have it. The 69/ earlier regulator FEEDS power to the field

The 70/ later regulator "controls the ground" leg so to speak.