My 1965 dart has the stock alternator and a 1974 voltage regulator installed by PO. Are the Alt and regulator compatible?

The '70-up regulator requires a two field wire alternator.

D/W

_________________

If it ain't broke, fix it!

I think you can ground one of the fields, and run the other field to the regulator, but I have not tried it myself, so I am not completely sure...

Sorry, I must learn to read soon...

Yes they are. Go over to moparts.com and look in the tech archives, they got some good intell on the subject with link for even more intell.

I still don't think so (could be wrong...). I went, I searched, I read and I didn't come up with any adviso on moparts.com on how to make a newer style electronic VR work with a one field-wire alt. Are you sure you're not confusing converting a two-wire alt to work with an older (pre-'70) regulator? That's as simple as grounding one field terminal at the alternator. If I missed something there, please give the exact quote or link. I'd be interested to know how they did it.

D/W

_________________

If it ain't broke, fix it!

My question is why did you have a 74 vol reg installed?You can get a 66 and earlier electronic voltage reg if thats what you are going for.

JZ

The '70-up electronic regulator cannot be made to work with the '60-'69 single-field alternator.

The '70-up two-field alternator can easily be made to work with the '60-'69 regulator, by simply running a wire between one (either) of the alternator's two field terminals and a good ground.

The original '60-'69 regulators are electromechanical (with contact points, springs and resistors). They work fine, but after a few decades can require adjustment or even stick. There are plenty of different regulators compatible with the '60-'69 single-field alternators, but the '70-up Mopar regulator is NOT one of them.

Regular normal OE-identical electromechanical regulator:

NAPA Echlin VR32

Extra heavy duty electromechanical regulator w/vibrationproof mount:

NAPA Echlin VR34

Extra heavy duty electromechanical regulator w/vibrationproof mount and
convenient external voltage adjustment screw:

NAPA Echlin VR35, Standard-Bluestreak VR106

Transistorized regulator with no moving parts (no adjusting screw):

Standard-Bluestreak VR101, Wells VR706 (the wells item is very
inexpensive; it works but Wells doesn't make my favourite stuff)

Waterproof potted IC regulator with no moving parts (no adjusting screw):

NAPA Echlin VR1001, Standard-Bluestreak VR-128

An even easier way is to replace the insulative (plastic or phenolic) washer on one of the brushes with a metal one, thereby grounding it. Just be careful to hook the field wire to the other spade!

D/W

_________________

If it ain't broke, fix it!

DW, that doesn't reliably work. The '72-up alternators in particular have a different (fully enclosed) brush holder design that is not groundable via the brush holder screw. Some of the '70-'71 alternators can be done this way.

Well, it's alwez worked for me!!!

D/W

_________________

If it ain't broke, fix it!

You must either have a mountain of '70-early '71 alternators or...wait, I know, you're using those Mopar alternators that come from another planet!

Those other-planet alts are sooooooo much better than the us built ones...

You said the PO installed............
Does it work?
If it works, I would say they are compatible.
If not, it would be nice to "upgrade" to a 2-field alt, if it broke down somewhere, you have a better chanse to find the later ones I guess.

Could be. Could also be that most of the replacement brush insulators are what you are calling the '70-'71 style. I almost exclusively use squareback alternators...

D/W

_________________

If it ain't broke, fix it!

solid state electronic voltage regulator $9.99
jc whitney pt#SH737133U
61-69 chrysler,dodge plymouth

I have had this part on my 65 Dart with pertronix and orig single field alt for 2yrs.Works flawless.

JZ