Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

All,

read with interest the posts concerning electronic regulators.

I was having charging issues on my Mk1 Sq.4 . On examining the original mechanical regulator I found the regulator points pitted and not opening completely so and just last week I ordered a 6 volt electronic regulator from Draganfly.

A 12 volt reg. arrived and because I needed 6 volt I sent it back.

A replacement regulator arrived, its is a Wassell. The first regulator was not a Wassell. However, I fitted it and my ammeter was going off the scale, (ammeter is a 8-0-8) on the charging side, even at 30mph. Today I swapped it out for another ammeter (brand new) and its doing exactly the same thing.

I note from Draganfly's no.15 parts list that the regulators they sell (Part No. ELE-28) are "the only ones which we are aware of which will work with the larger C35SD dynamo as fitted to the 1949-58 Square Four" . Mine is a '49. I wonder if I've been sent the wrong regulator again.

To be continued!

Ian, I believe that the wassell regulators requires the dynamo to be rewired. Because if this I have only ever used Vreg2 from AOElectrics, I believe drags also supply them.. Be aware they are earth sensitive and must be correct at time of fitting. I guess you ordered the correct one.
As to your symptoms they could be that you need to rewire the dynamo as per the instructions.

Dave

I've got a V-Reg on my SQ4, and it's been great. Alan (?) At AO Services is also very helpful. There's a few pictures on my blog.

Yes it's Alan Osborne long time member of the Norton owners club. A great bit of kit.. On all my bikes but yet to be fitted to my Square 4.
Dave

This any help Ian ?

http://www.totalbikebits.com/wassell/or ... 21P_6v.pdf

Regards,
Keith.

How flat is your battery Ian? If it is pretty low, any regulator will let a lot of current through.

Generator output is controlled by the current in the field coil(s) This varies the strength of the magnetic field. which the rotating armature is exposed to.. Any regulator responds to voltage and current, and adjusts the field current applied to get what you want. No field current and the output is nearly nothing as there's some residual magnetism still there. Nev

I used a Wassell item on my A10 and it was fine. I've never heard that they need the dynamo rewiring.

It does sound as though it's not actually doing any regulating - as nev says the regulator actually controls the voltage applied to the field.

All,

thanks for the helpful replies.

My 6 v. battery is well up showing a 6.25v prior to fitting the regulator. On return from a 17mile run the other day(on the bike silly!) I rechecked it and it was showing 6.28v. I also keep the battery attached to an optimate to keep it healthy.

I fitted the regulator according to the instructions with the exception of fitting an in-line fuse.

Today I started up the engine and running with the headlight on keeps the ammeter showing a positive charge of around 4 to 5. At idle it drops well into the negative side which one would expect.

I've closely inspected my mechanical regulator and I reckon the root of my problems with that are badly pitted regulator points. These can be cleaned up and re-set. I'll give that a go and see what transpires before I spend more cash on a repacement regulator from AO.

I've had an AO before on my Sunbeam S7, it replaced a Wassell regulator which was'nt working properly - was'nt letting any charge into the system. Once I fitted the AO all was well!

In the meantime I think I'll speak to Draganfly about the Wassell

I'll keep you posted (naff pun!)

regards

Ian

Hi folks,

I've been struggling with my newly restored '51 Mk1 missing after long runs, anywhere between 20 miles and 80 miles. After much swapping of bits i'm currently questioning my ELE regulator.

The AO services ELE regulator from Drags is charging at circa 3 or more amps with lights off, the needle sitting just under the half way point of the 8 amp range on the Ammeter. ... this seems too much to be putting in to a battery for any continuous periods.

So I checked my battery to see if it is suffering as a consequence.. the biggest Yuasa I could find to fit in the fibreglass dummy battery box, around 12 Amp/hr I think... and sure enough I found it's fluid level is half way down the plates after just 1000 miles and 6 weeks running. A battery in this condition may well struggle to keep my ignition running, especially when I slow down, which is where the missing kicks in.


I'm wondering if, with the constant drain from the coil ignition, these regulators are fooled in to a higher-than-needed charge rate, enough to feed the battery as if the lights are on while only needing to balance out the coil ignition.

I get the impression the ELE regulator would be fine for a magneto sparked bike where the charge rate has either to balance the lights or not. I.e it needs to reduce to a trickle charge for the battery in normal daylight running. These ELE regulators seem to me to struggle to do this on a Square Four with its interim condition of balancing the continuous circa 2 amps drawn by the coil and seemingly flips in to an excessive charge rate instead.

Brian.