Latest update:
Thanks much for all the replys but I think that I am getting to the end of the
saga. Unless I am terribly deceived my problem is a very wasted regulator
contact point. In Section M (Electrical Equipment) on page 33 of my "Service
Instruction Manual" Third Edition, Sixth Printing, figure 36 shows Control Box
RB106-2.
The Regulator Moving Contact looked to be fused together with the opposing
Fixed Contact with nasty looking burn marks all around. The fixed contact was
like on a 45 degree angle instead of parallel to the other contact point and I
didn't actually test but I doubt if there was any conductivity happening
across the contact for quite some time. I was able to remove the moving
contact and clean it up some but it is still pretty badly pitted. The moving
contact I wasn't able to even loosen the locking nut to remove as it is some
real soft brass and it is like welded on to the arm. I decided to clean it up
the best I could with it still on there.
I am getting another regulator from Ebay that I won today so I am planning to
first try just swapping the points and if that doesn't work out just swap the
entire regulator. The rest of the control box looks fine and I have spent
some time cleaning up the connections on the one I have so I'd rather keep
that, especially if the one that I am getting doesn't have the screw in
connectors. What I am curious about though is that the battery seems to be
overcharged since I took it down to the auto store to have it tested. I was
really hoping it was a bad battery but it was only a year and a half old and
they put it in some super duper orgasmatronic contraption that not only tested
it but put some fast 50 minute charge on it. When I got it home it measured
18 volts at the battery. When I disconnected the positive ground the car
would stop running so it became obvious that it was running directly off the
battery. What was interesting was I followed the procedure for testing the
regulator and the generator by connecting the wires a1 to a and putting the
volt meter on D and E on the control box (before I cleaned up the contacts)
and the voltage showed a 3-4 and then would spike up very occasionaly and very
quickly to like 14 or 15. After I cleaned up the contacts and now have a big
gap there, instead of what I presume was a non-conductive fuse, it shows a
much healthier voltage but the contacts never close and I don't see the moving
arm actually move. What is wierd though is that I took it for a couple of 15
to 20 minute drives today and the battery voltage still measures at around 17
volts so maybe the regulator is doing its thing in NOT charging an overcharged
battery. How it could have gotten this overcharged in only 50 minutes is
amazing to me.
In any case my working theory as of now, and I will be sure to correct this if
it turns out to be wrong is that the bad contacts on the regulator was forcing
the car to run directly off the battery in addition I suppose to the missing
screw on the generator bracket which may well have kept less tension on the
belt which would satisfy my ignition demands for the first xx minutes of my
rides but then as the battery wore down I would get the 'running out of juice'
which I felt as 'running out of gas' symptoms as the battery wore down.
Especially since daylight savings time and I have been driving around after
work with lights and heater on.
I will keep you all posted.
Thanks very much.
Jim Lee
1959 TR3A
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