ejparrott Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 This Series 2 I'm working on, is nearing completion now, or MoT readiness to be honest, and I'm justing getting to the finishing off of the electrics. The original engine has been replaced by a 19J, with the associated alternator. All original wiring has been removed, and I've done a budget re-wire for the owner, that is using the minimum number of correct coloured wires and , making do, with some rolls I've got for the rest, with a view to replacing them at a later date when he's back in employment and can afford the right colours. Anyway, do I need a voltage regulator? I bought one to make up an LR Series order to £50, to get free postage, so I've got one here anyways. As its a Series 2, it currently has an ammeter (which I'm not connecting back up) and a fuel gauge on the dash, no water temp, which we're doing with an aftermarket gauge anyway at the moment. Do I acctually need to fit it as the alternator regulates the voltage anyway, unlike her original dynamo. Second question, if I do need to fit it, which way round do I connect it? It has 2 pairs of terminals, one pair to fit a female spade, one pair to fit a male spade. Its marked for 'top', then an arrow pointing to top, then a 'B', which may or may not be indicating the pair of terminals for the female spades. Any takers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Doesn't it provide 10V to the gauges? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 If you mean the instrument cluster regulator (which I think you do) then yes it's needed. If you mean the Dynamo regulator then no it's not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 Sorry, instrument cluster yes, the one for the fuel gauge. Dynamo removed and replaced with alternator when the 19J was fitted. Which way around is it connected though, or doesn't it matter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve b Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 if the gauge(s) in the dash are original S11 and the sender(s) are too then it is not voltage stabilised - this didn't happen 'til late 11A on - hence the fuel gauge dancing around when offroad Cheers Steveb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 As far as I'm aware, its her original '66 gauge, and her original '66 sender unit...its certainly not the same sender as in my Series 3, this one has a large rectanuglar block on top if, with I think three male spades, although there was only wiring on one of them. Just had a look and the II and IIa positive earth drawings show no stabiliser as you say, just a current-voltage regualtor after the dynamo. Unfortunatly she was converted to negative earth and alternator a long time ago, so things are slighty different from when she was built. What would happen if, as I take it the guages are 10v, I didn't use a regualtor when I should be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve b Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 The gauges would read a bit higher than they should , whatever transducer is connected to the gauge will be a varying resistance to give the needle reading its matching position I'm pretty sure iirc the unstabilised fuel gauge needle is a sort of arrow point , that goes to its level immediately when ign on ,and the later VS gauge is a sort of blunt point that rises slowly to its level when ign on cheers Steveb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 Now blunt point rising slowly sounds exactly like my SIII, I'll have a look at the II tomorrow and see if its sharp or blunt. Thanks very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secondjeremy Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 There are 2 different regualtors you're talking about. The original Land Rover dynamo charging system had a charging regulator which controlled the dynamo and was mounted on the top of the bulkhead in the engine bay rouhly above the steeering column. This cannot be used with an alternator and its up to you if you try and conncet parts of its function into the circuit or just bypass it altogether. Personally I'd feed the alternator output straight to the battery as there's no point in passingthe heavier current through the dash wiring - which may not be heavy enough anyway. Then - the gauges. With the advent of the black dash S2a in about 1967 Land Rover introduced the slow-reading gauges which had been first seen on other vehicles several years before. These functioned at a reduced voltage (about 10 volts) for stability reasons - produced by the voltage regualtor. This system is recogniseable by the replacement of the ammeter in the segmental gauge by the temperature gauge - so if the vehicle is working on has an ammeter (and a fast-reading fuel gauge (with a tank unit with a raised top rather than a flat pressed steel top) there is no need for the volatge regulator for the gauges as the coil arrangement inside the unit does the job instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 Sounds like we're sorted then.... whoever it was that converted it from dynamo to alternator fitted the regulator on the bulkhead exactly as you say...took that off, it apparently never worked properly anyway, requiring a cover off and prod to get it to charge. Anyway, thats gone, completely, not a bit of it still in use, not even wiring, its all new, alternator back to battery as you say, and there's not a scrap of '66 wiring left in the dash or anywhere.. We have an ammeter, which fits with her being a '66, and the dash is green as the rest of her. Also (I couldn't wait until tomorrow so I got the torch out!) we have an ammeter with a pointy arrow head. The fuel gauge doesn't, but its only just sat on the stop, i think 10thou shorter and it'd miss the stop, so I reckon the arrow head has snapped off. So, on the basis that two good folks have given me indentifiers as to it being an early fast-reading gauge, looks like we won't be fitting the regulator! With luck, I'll get power to it tomorrow, and I'll let you know what happens, see how we get on in the morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve b Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 The tank sender is the early style from your description so I reckon all is good btw the 3rd terminal on the sender may be a low fuel level light cheers Steveb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 I've no idea what the connections on the sender are, IIRC the old wire was on the middle connection, with nothing on the other two. There is an odd light on the dash the same as my (SIII) low fuel light which could well be for the low fuel, although I don't recall there being any wiring on it, maybe removed by the person who converted her from +ve to -ve earth. Just to confirm, what are the three connections? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secondjeremy Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 On the old-tpe sender I think the gauge and fuel level light terminals stick out of opposite ends. Off hand I wasn't aware of a 3rd terminal but this will be earth I'm sure. I have a gauge in my workshop still attached to a tank and will have a look on Monday if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 My mistake, I do apologise, deffective memory, not had the seat off for a few weeks. What sticks out of the sides look on inspection to be bosses for fixing the unit to the flange, they're not spades at all! There is just one spade terminal, on one end, so no low fuel light then. Whether the sender has been changed from with to without, or whether the auxiliary panel was robbed of another vehcile and the light removed I don't know, but now I can be certain that there wasn't any wiring on it before! With luck, we'll be wired up today. Cheers folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Thanks for the help folks, 10 minutes work this morning, and we now have a working fuel gauge! Now I need to sort fuel pipes which keep popping off...time for new I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 with your propshaft query, its close on the TDI too, i managed to get away with turning the prop round, so the gaitor is on next to the oil drain. if you take the gaiter off completely you get more clearance too. it will never hit, it just a bit too close for comfort. the only time mine ever hit was when i wrote off my series and the chassis completely twisted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.