I have serious doubts about this voltage regulator business. In any set of
points, the metal migrates from one side of the points to the other. Reverse
the poles and you reverse the direction that the metal migrates. So you get a
hickey on the inboard side of the contact instead of the outboard side. What
difference can this make for the life of the part? I reversed the polarity on
my Plus 4 three years ago, and the voltage regulator is still working just fine
and has NO visible pitting. I also added a 1" battery strap from my starter to
the frame, with a clean contact, and cleaned up the connection to the battery
from the frame. What a difference in cranking power. (All this for an
electronic fuel guage that I still can't get to show "E" or "F". I use a stick
instead.) I think all that talk about rusting frames because of reversed
polarity or bipolarity or whatever is, to use a family expression, "hooey".
Chip Brown
Vandergraaf, Chuck wrote:
> Don,
>
> Thanks for this information; it is very helpful to those of us who are
> contemplating switching over to negative ground (or earth). I have four
> questions:
>
> 1. if the only vulnerable part is the voltage regulator (my '52 does not
> have a radio), can I substitute a proper voltage regulator, i.e., one
> designed for negative ground?
> 2. I've heard that one of the reasons for accelerated rusting of LBCs is
> that they came with positive ground. Is there any truth to this rumour? I
> somehow doubt it, considering the number of rusted Hyundais, Toyotae and
> Hondae I have seen.
> 3. what is the advantage to switching over to negative ground?
> 4. isn't the engine already grounded through the bolts that hold the engine
> to the frame or is the resistance through the bolts too high?
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Chuck Vandergraaf
> '52 +4
> Pinawa, MB
>
> > ----------
> > From: DGreimel@aol.com[SMTP:DGreimel@aol.com]
> > Reply To: DGreimel@aol.com
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 4:52 AM
> > To: morgans@autox.team.net
> > Subject: Re: Cleaning cream switches and Indicator switch
> >
> > Ben:
> > Your Morgan was never a 6 volt car. The British stuff has all been 12v
> > Positive Earth since the beginning of time. Your Mog had two 6 volt
> > batteries
> > wired in series. Installing the battery with Neg earth will cause only
> > two
> > problems. It will shorten the life of your voltage regulator due to its
> > use
> > of different metals on the contacts which is designed to reduce metal
> > transfer and it will waste your transistor radio. Otherwise the
> > everything
> > would function normally. The most likely cause of your hot cable is that
> > the
> > battery is grounded to the frame and there is no ground strap between the
> > frame and the engine, which of course is sitting on rubber mounts.
> > I once say a Morgan in which the choke cable turned red hot while
> > cranking.
> > The owner had replaced the battery, generator and starter in his attempt
> > to
> > cure the slow cranking problem. A ground strap across an engine mount
> > fixed
> > it for $.50.
> > Happy Moggin.
> > Don Greimel
> >
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