Solid-State regulator upgrade

[toehead]

My regulator on the 154 died for the 3rd time, so I set out to find a solid-state upgrade.

I found lots of upgrade that are NLA: most by small companies or individuals who are not around anymore.

The solution I ended up going with is a Bosch part made for air-cooled VWs that use a generator.

This is Bosch PN 30019, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004A ... UTF8&psc=1

One caveat, the case is HOT during operation (Not sure why it was designed this way) . You need to make sure you don't have anything tat can possible hit it during use. It's about the same size as the stock regulator and can easily fit in the same spot.

I took the bracket from the existing regulator, cut the rivets, bent the ears our, and added mounting studs for the Bosch unit.

Wired it up, and good to go.

The charge indicator is much mores stable, no bouncing or pulsing like the points regulator. It also charges at a lower RPM than it did with the points regulator.

I'll report back if I have any issues, but for now it is a good upgrade.

[toehead]

No issues after a testing phase. Looks like a substantial increase in charging capacity at idle and responsiveness to load

[BigBill]

Check your ground wire. I had problems with my first 154 turned out to be not grounded good.

[toehead]

I've got the starter/regulator grounded by a nice large-gauge wire (you can see it disconnected in the image I posted).

My regulators keep burning out the internal windings, usually the wire that goes to charge the battery. I've also had them foul (needed the points cleaned).

The solid state one was cheaper and will hopefully be more reliable

[SONNY]

NEVER had problem with the good old point reg's! ---- sounds like you have a wire problem down the line. Check for bad wires/loose wires/bad ground/etc. or other damage. Hidden corroded wires are the worst and hard to trace down and can cause a lot of misery! lol!

[BigBill]

I bought all the terminal ends and wire to retire my 154’s. The orginal wiring is old. It needs to be replaced. I figure to make my own harnesses. I purchased a replacement harness but it was a 154 universal harness it didn’t go well. Too many extra wires.

1. Charging system generator amp gauge
2. Ignition on/off ballast resistor
3. Push button starter switch
4. Lights
5. Oil pressure gauge.

[toehead]

Yes, i've rewired it as well with my own harness (there are no stock wires left). The issue that precipitated a lot of this was a dead cell in the battery that was taking too much charging current. It's since been replaced but it had already taken out the regulator. It's my fault for being cheap and running a used/crappy car battery.

Even so, this solid state unit is a great upgrade and really what I was trying to get across The voltage is much more stable and it can charge at a much lower RPM. It also compensates for load better than the old unit.