I have a moral/ethical dilemma.
Having just ordered an electronic voltage regulator to replace an old original Lucas MCR1, I feel guilty about stripping out the guts to replace with a modern substitute. Should I feel guilty? If it's a serviceable unit, I would feel bad about tossing it for the sake of a modern replacement, afterall that's what's happened to many old motorcycles in general over the years, let alone component parts.
People have mixed feelings about Alton Alternators, electronic ignitions for magneto replacement, what is the thoughts on electronic voltage regulators?
Vincent

email (option): vinver@ns.sympatico.ca

Hi Vincent,
If your unit is good I would hang on to that and look for a duff one to use as the donor part. At least then when the new solid state stuff goes 'pop' which it almost certainly will you have a servicable replacement!
Regards
Clive

email (option): cliveandjo@lineone.net

hi vincent have mailed you off forum

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

to me the electronic voltage regulator is a Good Thing, but i have kept the original internals in case i or a future owner ever decide to the contrary.

So, to those who have done the conversion,how do I carefully remove the internals from the case? I'm not sure which screws may permanently disable the inner mechanism, or if it can even come out as one piece, and I can't seem to find instructions in any manuals.
If I can save the parts for possible later use,I would choose that route.
Vincent

email (option): vinver@ns.sympatico.ca

I haven't seen many MCR1 units that still worked properly and if you take out the inside carefully you can always put it back if you would ever want that. Personally I haven't been very lucky with the electronic units, they all broke down after a while. One of the bikes has a perfectly working MCR2 while the other isn't suitable to traveling by night.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

I would set up your Lucas regulator on the bike and if it functions go with that for as long as it lasts...Like Henk I still have one bike with a functioning Lucas regulator.
I used to get them reconditioned but the guy who did them stopped the service because of the high amount of labour involved.
However, it might be worth looking on the internet/making enquiries to see if anyone is still doing that.
When I use electronic regulators I use the unit from Hawker Electrical and have had reasonable results with those.
As mentioned it is imperative that the basic wiring system on the bike is good, dynamo polarity is checked to ensure it matches the regulator and a system fuse is fitted before connecting up the unit..also when working on the bikes electrics ALWAYS disconnect the battery before starting..as you would on a modern bike, to avoid the chance of accidental short circuits...
Personally, I don't think it is worth hanging onto an old box if it has been established that it doesn't work and there is no prospect of getting it repaired...and if it does work you might as well use it....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I Have a original MRC1 regulator on my 41 WM20 & it works a treat.This came with a job lot af parts that I bought I cleaned & reset points/gap.This replaced a indian repro that was nothing but trouble it worked for about week then would overcharge/discharge.I have now gutted the indian regulator and cut the cover down so it looks like a MRC1 from a distance and will fit a electronic reg inside,maybe this is the best use for these indian regs Dave.

Now Im confused - am I right in saying the MCR1 is the shorter one and the MCR2 is the taller?

As far as I was aware the indians had only repro'd the taller MCR2 If they now do MCR1's Ive missed something :(

According to Les Nation ex Lucas foreman in the Mag/Dyno dept who rewound my Mag Dyno assembly and balanced it at various speeds with the MCR2 that it would be going with on the bike - the Indian MCR2's if they work tend to slip on their settings after a while making them unreliable. It might be a good idea to just bin the innards and fit the electronic units in the indian cases?

TTFN
Chris C

email (option): c.coxon@blueyonder.co.uk

Hi Chris..The MCR2 is the taller of the two units. The Indian 'copy' is a copy of that unit. You can gut these, cut the lid down to the same hieght as an MCR1 and fit an electronic regulator to make a passable, though not identical, unit for a WD bike. I remake the lid clips from stainless steel welding rod which works well....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I bought an Idian MCR2 about 20 years ago for my M20. It lasted a few days before going wrong. How do they get away with still selling the f**king things?
I normally gut a disabled MCR1 and fit an electronic unit inside, and by soldering the wires to the exsiting terminals inside, you just can't tell. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ah...but now you've told us, so we know anyway ....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I think before going down this route, check whether
MCR1 is suitable for the job, I have used these before & been disapointed with he results. I now use the DVR2 from Dynamo Regulators Ltd, which is a much better unit altogether, fits inside the normal regulator box & will charge the battery even when its flat, I have them on two of my bikes.
TTJohn

email (option): Jomichael@aol.com

Personally I do not bother with any sort of charging on the bike anymore, here in Holland, you do not need stoplights etc. if it was never fitted off factory.

So just buy a good dry cell battery, pop it into one of Ians excellent batteryboxes, and just charge it after a night out, use LED bulbs, and you'll get very far!!

My 2 cents,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbike.net

Ron, the only way they get away with selling the things is because no one takes them back to the supplier, I think now is the time to start taking back pattern parts that don't work, so many people just accept it. You should start asking the vendors even at the autojumbles for receipts or at least something to say that you have bought it from them. I've been in the trade for so long and have seen many really bad pattern parts from a Triumph T140 cylinder heads with holes that were 1/4" out of line to eccentrically machined brake drum/sprockets and every time I made a secret mark on them when I took them back only to find the same items from the same vendor for sale at the next autojumble. If people start taking things back they will stop selling them!
Don't forget that you are buying a new part, if the part you fitted on your car failed after a week you'd take it back, but so many people don't do anything about it on their bikes!
Even if you take it back to your favourite autojumbler and he refuses to accept you bought it from him he certainly won't want anyone making a fuss in front of other customers and certainly won't tell you to get lost as it will affect the others attitude of him

email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com

Apparently the DVR2 is the same as the MTML I recommended:

“The DVR2™ regulator is the well established and regarded solid state dynamo voltage regulator from MTML. It is a modern electronic 'solid state' replacement ...”

A great device !

email (option): Noam10@gmail.com

I once got one of these Indian regulators from Jacob de Groot; it was so badly made that even the cover would not fit. But Jacob took it back, no problem, and that's how I like my suppliers

email (option): viaconsu # planet dot nl

I like them not to sell me this crap in the first place... ....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Hi Ian

Don't suppose you have 2 pf those stainless weld rod clips lying around youu could bring to netley for me

Many thanks

Jo'b

email (option): Jonnyob1@googlemail.com

i have fitted one of these Indian shite boxes to my wm20 and yes it now discharges just sitting there, and when started overcharges off the scale.

where do you get the internal regulators i can put in the original box i have please

email (option): forthy@picknowl.com.au

I have just bought a DVR2 solid state regulator. I mounted it on the underside of my original reulator by simply drilling a small hole in the rear side of the bracket for the bolt fixing of the DVR2. Painted the undrside of it black. You can hardly see it, and the cable comes out the underside for connection to the loom which I have hidden behind the battery carrier plate.
Richard

email (option): richardpurkiss@hotmail.com

Brian,
Not sure where you are in Australia but here in Melbourne City Auto Electrical Services (03) 9350 6677 make good quality solid state regs that will fit in a lucas reg box. I've been using one for the last eight years.

email (option): spacemonkeym@gmail.com