Two things go together

30. Mar, 2010 11 Comments

Many times we have customers come in and ask about the charging system on their car. Early versions of the MGB, MG, Triumph, Rootes Group cars, Morris, Austin, Austin Healey and most other British cars that were built up until the mid sixties, had a generator type system used to charge the battery.

It didn’t matter whether the system was a 6 or twelve volt, or whether it was positive or negative ground, the cars used a generator as the basis for the system. The key to the success of the system was the voltage regulator. This unit worked in conjunction with the generator and was polarized to match the necessary polarity of the system, ie. positive or negative ground.

Though the system was not the most sophisticated, it worked and worked quite well. Until the advent of the alternator’s use in the cars, the generator was the peak of technology. The generator itself had few moving parts, it was driven by a belt off the crankshaft, it had a cooling fan in front and a set of brushes in the back. These brushes were the only real wear point. The armature, or main field windings could breakdown with age. But one of the main flaws in the system was the voltage regulator. The heart of this part of the system was a set of points that control the output of the generator. These points can stick open, they can stick shut, in either position, they can either cause the system not to work, or to work too good and over charge the battery.

There are several things to look for, and to understand about this system. If you have questions, please contact us and we can help you with any issues you might have. The important thing to understand for now is that as a general rule never replace the generator on your car without changing the voltage regulator at the same time. In most cases the regulator is only a few dollars more, and can save many more dollars in the long run.