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Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v)
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Cabo9302
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:16 pm    Post subject: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

Has anyone relocated the voltage regulator from the engine area to under the rear seat? I know that my '68 had it under the rear seat from the factory, but I just had my '66 bug's motor rebuilt (also converted from 6v to 12v) and received it back without the voltage regulator and was told I need to install one under the rear seat. Has anyone done this? Or can anyone give advice on how to do this, including what wiring steps, wiring sizes, connections etc. are necessary? Thanks for any help.
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 11:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

I am guessing that the rebuilder fitted a non-standard fan shroud that lacks the mounting holes/captive nuts needed to mount the regulator in the standard location. Why else would he tell you this?
Please post a picture of your fan shroud so we can verify this.
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Cabo9302
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 12:11 am    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

It has the same fan shroud as before. You can even see the screw holes where the old regulator was mounted.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Here's what it looked like before the rebuild.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I'm just trying to deal with what I now have, but with limited knowledge. I don't have the resources near-by to take this to, so I was hoping to tackle this myself. Should I purchase one of the John Muir books for the answers?
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 2:06 am    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

I have a '66, I'd leave it on the fan shroud.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Last edited by Aynthm on Wed Jan 06, 2016 4:21 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 4:14 am    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

You don't have to put it under the back seat, that's up to you. You can do that, you can put it on the shroud. As I said in the PM I sent you, I prefer to put on top of the generator (requires you drill and tap an additional hole on there.) which is what I've done on both of my bugs. I also prefer the modern solid state regulators over the old points style.

For many years I had it on the shroud on my Baja bug, but I found it would eventually start to get loose and I'd have to drill new holes for it. Back then it looked like this:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


By the time I put on a new fan shroud, my old one looked like swiss cheese from all the regulator holes I'd drilled over the years. The location yours was in before is probably a stronger location for it.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Not wanting to drill holed on the pristine replacement German shroud I was using, I finally went and drilled and tapped the generator and put the regulator there. (the black paint was to eliminate reflection from the shiny body of the regulator - with an open engine like that I was told it was annoying)

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Which is what I'd done on my other bug, ever since the early 90s.

-Andy
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Cabo9302
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 6:02 am    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

Great - thanks for the pictures, guys. I think I'll leave it mounted onto the fan shroud. What gauge wire is used? Should I worry about making sure they're color coded correctly?
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 6:20 am    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

Your engine looks nice, but if this was a 100% show car, you'd be without those fan shroud holes.

The Cuss is saying to mount it again on the fan shroud, use larger sheet metal screws if the holes are a little stripped out now, or even think about Nut-serts. That would be fine, and also way simpler.

Yes, I'd keep the wires color-coded correctly, even if that means spray painting them.
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 8:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

I mounted a new Solid state VR under my back seat. Just run some color coded wire that was ran through some rubber shrink wrap to the generator and then ran new wire up the B pillar to the front A Pillar and to the fuse box. I'm also running a 90mm generator that was rewound to 12V with a dummy regulator on top of it.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:53 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

No one mentioned the plastic fuel filter.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 6:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

anthracitedub wrote:
No one mentioned the plastic fuel filter.


Yeah, that's no biggie at the moment. I can move that later if I decide to. The truth is, I've never had issues on any of my VWs with the current fuel filter location.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 7:00 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

I agree. I've had my fuel filter in that location in all 7 of my VWs and haven't had any issues. Of course, I would change the fuel line and hose clamps every time I changed the fuel filter.
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 7:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

I had one of those cheapies crack and leak fuel all over. I was lucky I caught it before I started the car. Not worth it.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 17, 2016 10:09 am    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

Here's a good VR picture I found in the gallery.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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Cabo9302
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 6:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

glutamodo wrote:
By the time I put on a new fan shroud, my old one looked like swiss cheese from all the regulator holes I'd drilled over the years. The location yours was in before is probably a stronger location for it.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.




Out of curiosity, is there any danger drilling into the fan shroud to mount the VR and maybe interfering with the fan itself? I'm considering using nutserts and wanted to make sure that would work.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 7:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

The fan itself is only roughly as large as the Generator backing plate, so as long as you intend to mount it to the main fan housing, there are no worries as far as interference with the blades.

Since the factory uses a form of nutsert to mount the Gen and Coil, I can't see any issue as long as they're properly rated and installed tight.

The only thing to be aware of is there are some internal fins that are spot welded in various areas inside the fan housing.
Optimally, you would take the fan out and look for them inside to locate them, but all assembled if you look/touch closely can often see/feel where their flanges are spot welded to the FH, so avoid those areas for ease of install and you should be okay.

One thing I'll ad for reliability, since you have a heavy object mounted to a vibrating base, the use of some Blue Loctite is recommended on all threaded fittings Wink
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

vdubmyk wrote:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

I mounted a new Solid state VR under my back seat. Just run some color coded wire that was ran through some rubber shrink wrap to the generator and then ran new wire up the B pillar to the front A Pillar and to the fuse box. I'm also running a 90mm generator that was rewound to 12V with a dummy regulator on top of it.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I know this is an old topic but I was wondering how you got your wires to the engine bay? I guess just drill a hole in the package tray?
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2019 5:10 am    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

I've put quite a few wires through the grommet that holds the positive battery cable that leads to the starter. On the driver side there is the brake line grommet. It's much smaller though. Also, I've used seam sealer in place of the small brake line grommet that I passed extra wires through. Some folks might consider this a hack but it works as good if not better than original.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2019 8:05 am    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

thomas. wrote:
I've put quite a few wires through the grommet that holds the positive battery cable that leads to the starter. On the driver side there is the brake line grommet. It's much smaller though. Also, I've used seam sealer in place of the small brake line grommet that I passed extra wires through. Some folks might consider this a hack but it works as good if not better than original.


I’ve rewired two of my own cars and a friends using a grommet with a larger ID for the main battery wire and running the wires through it. By the time you put the main cable to the starter through it along with the 5-6 other wires it takes up most of the space. I also sleeve all the wires in plastic shrink tubing in case the grommet gives way.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2019 11:04 am    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

Cabo9302 wrote:
Great - thanks for the pictures, guys. I think I'll leave it mounted onto the fan shroud. What gauge wire is used? Should I worry about making sure they're color coded correctly?


Yes, get the wire colors correct. See link below...

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/bug66.jpg

On my very stock 66, the regulator is mounted on the generator. I do not think mounting on shroud is correct My contemporanious service manuals show the mounting on the generator.

Please see link at bottom of post regarding engine fires and safety wires

Bug On!
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2019 9:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Moving voltage regulator to under rear seat (6v to 12v) Reply with quote

Smurf wrote:
vdubmyk wrote:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

I mounted a new Solid state VR under my back seat. Just run some color coded wire that was ran through some rubber shrink wrap to the generator and then ran new wire up the B pillar to the front A Pillar and to the fuse box. I'm also running a 90mm generator that was rewound to 12V with a dummy regulator on top of it.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I know this is an old topic but I was wondering how you got your wires to the engine bay? I guess just drill a hole in the package tray?


I am all about trying to do thing as clean an unnoticeable as possible. I used a heatshrink tube and then ran it through the battery cable grommet. I ziptied it to the battery cable underneath the car and then ran it through the grommet that the red wire coming from the battery to the original VR goes. If you look closely at the pic, you can see a red and green wire just behind the dummy VR.
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