Sometimes when we experience a part failure in the field while test driving, its symptoms lead us in a different direction and it takes some time to figure out what’s going on. Such was the case with the failure shown below, which occurred on a recent test drive.
This voltage regulator was removed from a Bugeye that exhibited a no-power condition in a parking lot on a recent test drive. Usually when a no-start condition is present, It can be traced to some more easily-traceable causes, like a loose battery connection, a blown fuse, or a loose ignition switch terminal (more on that problem here).
The main power feed on the voltage regulator burning a hole in itself is not something we see often, and what’s more, it is in a hidden location that isn’t easily accessible to check without removing the regulator from its erch on the inner fender well. We were able to get the car home but does allow us to showcase one of our favorite Bugeye upgrades we employ any time we get the chance.
Our generator/alternator is a great upgrade in and of itself; it has the superior charging performance of a modern alternator, with the vintage appearance of a stock generator. Only the trained eye would know this isn’t a stock part once installed! However, the real star of the show is our dummy voltage regulator, employed in conjunction with the generator/alternator and sold as part of the conversion kit.
Our generator/alternator is internally-regulated; this means the old, external voltage regulator is no longer needed. Our dummy voltage regulator takes the original, points-type regulator and eliminates all of the wires and connections underneath the cap, instead replacing it with a fuse, which specifically protects the charging system.
This is a big deal, as the original Bugeye charging systems had no dedicated fuse to protect it. This is how failures like the one we experienced at the beginning of this post occur; when too much current or voltage flows through a circuit, it tends to find the weakest link and cooks it. In the case of our failure, it found the thin metal strip that serves as the main power feed to the entire car, rendering it inoperable. A fuse would have saved the strip from burning up, and is much easier and cheaper to change than an entire voltage regulator.
Click the photos above to learn more about our generator/alternator and dummy voltage regulator, and why you should put one in your Bugeye today! Should you want to keep your original charging system intact, or want to upgrade to an alternator and are not worried about maintaining the stock look of the generator/alternator, click the photos below for some of our other charging system offerings, or click here for our full catalog!
