[T2] defective charging – regulator faulty?

[Robert Mann]

Al Brase  featured:
>Type 1 engines had 2 or 3 different types of alternators available. OE
alternators on 73-76 at lest had EXTERNAL regulators like the type 4
engine. Might be the same part. There might also be a Motorola fitted to
some, as I recall.

      Thanx for this body of fact, Al.
       I've now located an experienced mechanic familiar with these
variants.  He tells me that the regulator, when external to the alternator,
is in an aluminium box on the firewall just fwd of the air cleaner.  My '73
has no such box, but does have one wire going into a hatch on the front top
of the alternator, so we tentatively infer my Bosch alternator 0120 489 565
theta566, K-1 14V 55A 22, also labelled VW 043 903 023, has its regulator
internally.

Anthony Hopkins <tony5amhopkins at yahoo.com> featured:
I drive a 1971 VW Bus with upright motor.We replace the whole Alt. here the
Regulator is inside the unit.
I think you have a upright on your model unlike us for 1973.
1.Remove air cleaner for access.
2.Put your hand all the the way back and around Fan Shroud into
  fan intake port opening put your fingers on the 36mm nut in the center to
find it.
3.Using a 36mm socket on ratchet on this nut with your arm bent to the max
loosen this 36mm fan nut (with screw driver inserted in the belt pulley
notch to hold it
 from turning)….If this nut can not be loosened and removed …I think then
the motor will
have to come out for the job…..if the big 36mm nut can be removed in the
bus... hurray…
your flex magnet will be your friend from dropped big wave washer behind
the nut.
Then remove alt belt ,Hold down strap,the 4ea.  10mm short bolts that hold
the Alt backing plate on.
The bottom next to the intake 10mm is the …Bear…I have a modified bent
snap-on 10mm box end for this job.
again the magnet will save the day on dropped things, wave washers,short
bolts.
4.Partically pull on the Alt to begun the removal …a 1/2 to 1 inch gap will
appear.
5.take a screw driver put in this gap between backing plate and "Cooling
Fan"and carefully loosen it
till it clears its mount from the alt. shaft opposite of the belt pulley
side it will drop off and the alt.shaft will be free.
It goes on one way only and will have to be matched up during re-install.
6.You can pull out the Alt. with the big round backing plate still
attached.after that you can remove the fan for inspection for hairline
cracks at
the shaft mount …tap to here good sound or bad flat sound of cracked
fan….clean it well this is the cooling for the motor.
7.remove 2 10mm nuts attaching blacking plate with the circle plate don't
lose any shims…the shims are to adjust spinning Fan and inside Fan shroud
so no rubbing.
8.shims are the same ones that keep the belt right in the pulley…I put the
same number back in as I find..
This not a easy job the first time but it is not a hard job (for the VW
Shop volks that used to be every where)
Take your time not to pinch the fan  after you align it back on shaft
mount... and finger tighten the big 36mm and big wave washer.
then finger tighten the 10mm backing plate bolts…..I personally leave the
bottom left 10mm short bolt (The Bear) next to carb intake OFF in case I
have to do this job on the side of the road.
After I get close to final tight down you spin the Alt. shaft and if the
fan does not rub.Tighten spin again tighten spin again…Tighten Alt.
strap..Then re-attach fan belt.and wires..(Look at your note where they
came off from)
9.Start motor light goes out go.. get take-out in exaltation.

    Once again we run up against the limits of the Bentley, which contains
no details comparable to this fine guidance from Anthony.
    The short bolts holding the alternator backing plate onto the fan
shroud are, in my specimen at least, merely the same as the cheese-head
screws used elsewhere for holding sections of the tin.  This is
inconsiderate design, when hex-head bolts (with also a screwdriver slot)
would be much easier to turn in this cramped situation.
     Similarly, The Bear's position is so plurry inconvenient only because
the designer thoughtlessly assumed, for no good reason, that the 4 bolt
holes should be in a square array.  All he had to do was move The Bear up a
few cm and it would become straighforwardly accessible to a big screwdriver
coming straight in from the rear past the intake manifold which in the std
layout obstructs such access.  I infer the designers assumed future
mechanics would be ready to drop the motor at the drop of a hat for the
purpose of removing the alternator, and thus neglected opportunities for
making the alternator more readily removable without disturbing the motor.
I have the impression that hard-core dyed-in-the-wool T2 enthusiasts drop
engines readily, but this helpful list caters also to those sooks like me
who haven't ever done this quintessentially VW caper.  It wouldn't surprise
me if the Brazilian 16:1 motor had some improvements to ease work on the
undropped engine  ...  anybody seen one?
   BTW my review of *The World's Fastest Indian* criticised you, Anthony
Hopkins, for your poor imitation of Munro's Kiwi accent.  You sounded
merely like a lower-class Pom 😉.  But your writing is way better 😀
    I hope the guardians of the List can arrange to slap into the library
an edited version of Anthony's memo which I trust he'll provide.


   Robt Mann
'73 1600dp Devon