mk1 cooper speedo voltage regulator?

[Steve A]

I have fitted a minispares braided mk1 cooper s ALTERNATOR loom to the car and just refitted the speedo after a repair. Should there be a voltage regulator on the back of the speedo or is that just for dynamo cars? There doesn't appear to be one fitted at present? thanks Steve

[Tim]

All but the earliest cars require a voltage regulator for the instruments, regardless of whether they have an alternator or dynamo. The regulator drops the voltage down to 10V for the fuel gauge. I'm not certain of the change point though.

Tim

[Austin Cooper]

September 64 according to Parnell

[Steve A]

I am not sure when the speedo was made as i bought it nos with 1.7 miles on it. It hadn't got a fuel gauge or regulator on it and as i have now fitted a fuel gauge from another mk1 speedo which incidently didn't have a regulator either i don't suppose it will hurt to fit one? regards Steve

[66S]

The fuel and temp gauges are different, voltage regulated to non regulated. With a voltage regulator, the needles are slow to move when the gauges are rolled around, on early non regulated gauges, the needles are quite free.

Regards
Al

[Steve A]

Will it do any harm if i just fit one anyway? regards Steve

[Tim]

It will probably read low if it has an early unregulated setup that you add a regulator to. Instead of getting 13.7V (nominal) it will now get 10V.

Tim