Voltage Regulator Issue

I have a 1957 TO-35 with 12 volt electrical system.
My generator works good, but I continue to have problems with the voltage regulators I buy.

the last one I bought, I thought would solve my problem, its a Borg Warner, US made, installed it last summer, polarized it and was good to go for the rest the year.

But after the tractor sets in the barn most all winter being used very little,

I noticed yesterday the needle on the amp meter was not moving, so I used a small plastic handle screwdriver to tap on the outside case of the regulator, the needle started to move toward the plus side, turned the lights on, needle when back passed 0 then came back to the plus side. system worked good yesterday,

Today, I get back on the tractor and it's not working again. So back to the small screwdriver with a few taps and working again.

does anyone else have problems with their voltage regulators, is there anything else I can do to correct this problem?

is there a better voltage regulator out there, parts store thought a lot of this one? the original one last for many years, was very heavy built, but these I have been buying are not a heavy built.

Thanks, Fred

I would try opening it up, looking everything over, like the alignment of the contact points and the hinge mechanisms to be sure everything moves freely and smoothly.

Then clean the contacts, no filing or sanding! I use contact cleaner and a plain paper business card for a blotter.

Check for signs of moisture inside the cover, be sure the gasket is sealing water/dirt tight.

Thanks,
Will do.

Maybe you're trying to stay original, but I put a Delco 3 wire alternator on my TO35. A 63amp alternator cost me about the same price as a regulator would have. For me it was a no brainer because I was not sure if my generator was even working and my main focus is functionality, not originality.

Do you have a battery tester? The kind you connect to battery and it will show the amps while running. It may be that the battery is full charged. My 40's & 35 doesn't show that it's charging very little. I can put the tester on it and it will show about 13 amps. Never had a dead battery. If it charges a lot most the time your battery will over charge and boil the acid out.When running with the lights on it will only keep amp hand at 0 and keep charging 12 amps. This way it only keeps battery up and not lose anything.

is there a better voltage regulator out there, parts store thought a lot of this one?
Thanks, Fred

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Does anyone offer a solid-state regulator for your application? It's common these days for point style regulators to have problems with the contact surfaces on the points corroding and sticking together. A solid-state regulator has no moving parts and is more reliable.
I've had good luck with the Wells brand, sold by Autozone under there Duralast label, on '60's era Chevelles. You might see if there's a direct substitution for the Delco part number that came on your tractor.
If not, maybe one from a '70's era Volkswagen would work, I know that they used 12V generators.
Just some ideas for you.
BillL

EDIT: Found this site that sells USA made original-style regulators- http://brillman.com/store/delco-type-r198-12-volt-voltage-regulator-premium-quality-usa.html