voltage regulator problems

maxwell99

Well-known Member
I have a 1957 TO35, 12 volt
last year i installed a SWR brand voltage regulator on the tractor and it has worked fine up until today,

as i was using the tractor today, i noticed the amp meter was not moving, so i turned on the lights and the needle when negitive, but when i raised the rpm's the needle did not go back positive.

so i tapped on the voltage regulator box, but no response. These regulators cost about $60 bucks and should last longer than 1 year.

i will go back to my supplier, autozone, but most electrical parts are not Warrantied.

any suggestions, I will check generator output first, before i start tearing into it.

i almost got used to having a hot well charged battery each time i started the tractor.

That feeling grows on you.

guess all voltage regulators are just cheap foreign made junk, as no one uses them, but us old school guys.

the tractor is shedded all of the time, so setting out in the weather is not the cause of the poor performance of the regulators.

last one did the same thing, installed this one 3/12 and it worked great from the get go, up until today.

any suggestions or brand regulators to buy. ??????????????
 
Yeah, now to find a link...

http://stores.ebay.com/Triodiode-DC-Electric-And-Tractor/Alternators-And-Kits-/_i.html?_fsub=2

He use to own a TO-20.
 
I would definitely suggest in purchasing parts from another source than autozone. They sell the most inferior parts I have ever dealt with. I do understand that no matter the brand some parts will give up early. 7 years ago I bought a clutch kit from them for my pick-up,The kit was $500.I got it home and their "new" disc had less material than my factory original disc with well over 100,000 miles. I have never bought parts there since. This was the last straw not my first experience with them. Napa will have a higher quality regulator.
 
Just make sure that when you get the box it"s not stamped "Made in China". I remember when I was in Korea, I went on an industry tour.
Got over to a building making fishing rods.
In one building with cafeteria tables in a line,
Garcia on one table, Shakespeare, Mitchell, Zebco, Penn, Berkley, and a dozen more all in one buiding.
So, Thank God for the FTC and having to print country of manufacture on a box. If it is printed "Made in China" What are the chances it was made in a different factory?
All Napa, AC/Delco and a few others are good for is printing the pretty box that your paying for.
Since being delayed is a bit of a bother, perhaps purchasing two might be in order?
 
Go to Oreillys and get a Borg Warner Select regulator. The select series stuff is built to exceed OE specs and they are guaranteed for life. I believe the regular series Borg Warner is guaranteed for life also. I have one on my MF 175. I tried a cheaper one and it wouldn"t even charge. I installed a select one and 2 years later it has given no problems. I think the number you need is R195 but you might want to have them double check that. I installed one on a friends 35 a few months ago.
 
Jason,
thanks for the reminder,
the voltage regulator i have is a Borg Warner, BWD is the brand, R220 is the model number.

so i guess i did buy it at O'Reilly's, not Autozone. if so, it should have a 1 year warranty,

hopefully i can just get another one and be on my way for spring gardening.

i really hoped this one was going to last longer than a year. I do not know of anything that i am doing that could effect the regulator life cycle.

However, I did top off the charge on the battery the other day, i did not disconnect the battery cables when i did this,

could charging the battery without disconnecting the battery cables ruin my voltage regulator?
 
Bruce, I am interested with your experience with different manufacturing companies, who would you suggest has the highest level of quality of parts available to us for our old tractors.
 
I'm pretty sure it will have a lifetime replacement on it. Most Borg Warner parts at Oreillys do have lifetime replacement.
 
In regards to what? Electrical components?
Many, many years ago there was a Japanese company called "Sony". Now this company started with the top of the line components, competition forced the prices lower which in turn forced the quality down. Sony saw sales dropping and was on their way out the door permanently. Sony decided to once again start building quality items and raised the prices to match. However, in keeping with the competition, they also produced the lesser priced items. Consequently with Sony, you get what you pay for.
Now, Japan sells Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, Nissan and the list goes on. China sells "Made in China". What company makes "Made in China"?
Thusly with no name recognition it would stand to reason, at least to me, that the same regulator sold by Napa, A/C Delco, Borg warner, or what ever box it falls out of, that is stamped "Made in China" would be made at the same factory. BUILT TO OUR STANDARDS" No, not really, they all are. Just the higher price that is charged pays for the second one under the same warranty. Or the third, fourth...
it"s just a law of averages. How long before you grow weary of replacing the same part before you pick on another box from another supplier with the same part? Next time, next box, no warranty.
So, what brand do I use for electrical?
That is a very good question. I can say it varies with whatever I am working on. China is China. I don"t feel the need to pay for the pretty box. Some people do. I have my suppliers and when they sell me a China part, I look at them like they are out of their mind. This is usually followed with the statement of "your charging how much for this?"
Now either the price drips or the door is not too far away. If I am forced to buy China, I see no sense of paying for the box.
China is still China.
 
I just checked and the R220 Borg Warner regulator does have lifetime replacement. So I would take it off and go get me a replacement.
 
I apologize for the generalization but yes I was referring to electrical components. I have been lucky finding quality rebuilders for starters and generators and most other major items. To be honest I have never checked my parts from Napa but also have never had a Napa part fail, ever. Luck I guess. Other parts houses I do check for country of origin on their parts. The biggest problem I do have is finding ammeter guages that will last for more than a few months. Thanks.
 
I am currently as i type, holding at my own hand and viewing with my own eyes a Borg Warner parts box. It has the Borg Warner name and logo on the box. It ALSO has the BWD Automotive Corporation logo on it too. In small print it says:
" Borg Warner Corporation Registered TradeMark LICENSED to BWD Automotive Corportion."

this particular box i bought about 10 years ago. I have a more recent BWD box (not in my immediate possesion) that IIRC makes NO reference whatsoever to Borg Warner.

The reason i bring this up is that at a local parts chain the computer shows in stock a Borg Warner part but when the part is presented at the counter it is BWD.

A couple of years ago a google search of "BWD" produced no results whatsoever suggesting of any relationship between Borg Warner and BWD but i have not checked recently.
 
Here's another tricky one:
An aftermarket auto parts supplier OEM. Logo is "OEM" printed vertically on the box. Horzontially (like a Xword puzzle) is Original Equipmetnt reManufactured.

Note the "re" in front of the "M" of Manufactured.
 
I just called up O'Reilly's this afternoon, they will have me a new one on the way.

should be here in the morning.

good: life time warranty

bad: why did it only last, less than a year, i am a busy retired dude, do not want to spend all my time changing voltage regulators.
 
Probably nneed to try a different brand. Which different brand??? IDK.
Repop parts, among nearly all makes and models of vintage tin is a crap shoot. That's why exchange of information ND DETAILS among many collectors/owners is so important.
 
Something u never indicated is what kind of a 12v generator or alternator does it have.

To really get to the bottom of this problem will require the regulator to be disassembled and inspected. FORENSICS!!! It's the bottom line.
 
generator is a 12 volt delco orginal equipmet with gear tach drive on the rear.

if i open the voltage regulator that might give the vendor cause to not honor my warrenty.
 

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