MCR2 Lucas

[Slymo]

Just a small stick with which to beat the Prince of Darkness brigade. My 58 SR has been running for the last couple of years with an Indian repro voltage regulator a copy of the original Lucas one with the buzzing coil. It was fine until I set out on any long distance trips when it would slowly begin to ramp up the charging rate until it was at what the ammeter deemed to be around 2 amps. This was borne out by the fact that at the end of the 400 mile ride the battery was boiled dry. I don't do this sort of trip every day and for round town the knock off was fine but I've been keeping my eye open for an original Lucas one. Turns out a friend of mine had one in his well guarded collection and my plaintiff request for him to keep an eye out melted his heart and a very handsome one dated 4th of 1959 was mine. Its a year later than the SR but needs must. Working only perfectly after over 62 years it didn't even need a points clean. Straight in and working perfectly. I wonder how many of the solid state ones will be doing the same?

[groily]

Not a whole year out Slymo, omigod! You will be teased mercilessly!
You've done really well there.

Dunno how long a modern one will last but it's a fair Q. My oldest was bought sometime in the 1980s, a JG 12 volter as designed for Miller systems on Vincents & Velos originally. That still works fine at 35 odd and I use it for bench testing earth-side regulating dynamos now and then - but it has been substituted by a live-side DVR2 on the bike it was on. That's only done about a dozen years so far, 2008 I think it's stamped, so 'too new to tell'  . . . . .

[Greybeard]

Maybe the depressing question should be, how long will be allowed to use our old vehicles.


Here's a business opportunity for an entrepreneur;  start offering conversions of classic motorbikes to lectric. There are already car conversions happening.

[RichardL]

GB,

I believe gasoline will continue to exist for the remainder of our lifespans. It might not be legal, but it will exist. I've bought illegal drugs in my life (yes, some long time ago), so, buying illegal gas is not that big of a stretch. Now, where to ride the loud machine, that's another question. Trucked to the boonies? But really, I doubt total gas restriction in the U.S will happen while I'm still viable.

Richard L.

Oh, about regulators, maybe there's a compromise between originality and reliability. The stock regulator lives in a storage box, so, in addtion to the Lucas unit, "store" a DVR2 in there with a switch that selects between the two. OK, I know that will be spit upon by concourse judges, but it has scientific experiment value. What, you think there was no science in '58?

Richard L.

[Greybeard]

My DVR2 lives inside a genuine regulator case. I even soldered the DVR2 wires to the original connections so no one knows it's in there except me, (and you dear reader).

[RichardL]

My DVR2 lives inside a genuine regulator case. I even soldered the DVR2 wires to the original connections so no one knows it's in there except me, (and you dear reader).

Likewise, but I only care that I like the look.

Richard L.

[Rex]

The modern day so-called "Lucas" regulators are so poorly made that they're useful for one thing only, namely gutting installing a DVR2 (or similar, but NOT the VReg" p.o.s) inside.

[trevinoz]

The main problem with the Indian regulators is the adjusting screws. The thread is too coarse and makes fine adjustment extremely difficult.
I have found some that weren't too bad over the years but I wouldn't use one myself. I like the genuine Lucas regs, I have stripped and refurbished many of them.
I agree with Rex wholeheartedly.
I don't like the V reg much, either.

[Slymo]

I had managed to adjust mine to 7.8v output but whether it was poor insulation or bad assembly once the bike was properly warm the charge rate would creep up. I tried leaving it buzzing on the bench overnight and it was still fine and dead on 7.8v in the morning but in the tool box on the bike it would stress out. Never mind I got two of them with the bike when I bought it and so they can be shelf filler now or as mentioned containers for solid state alternatives.

[Bsareg]

It may be worth noting that some of the hardware from the plastic 12v car models will fit the original  bike regulators, contacts, screws and spring mounts. Could be useful if a rebuild is necessary.

[trevinoz]

Another source of parts is the RB106 regulator fitted to many cars in the day.
You will all know the one, Bakelite base and cover which is held on with a wire clip. If you can find 6V versions, the shunt coils can be used.
Note that there are two versions, one is equivalent to a MCR2 and the other is like the RB107/108.
Some parts can be used on the MCR1 but nothing much suits the MCR which seems to be pretty rare.

[trevinoz]

Slymo,
Are you trying to set the reg with a battery charger?
This is not very successful, I have found. I set them with a generator to 7.2V and this seems to be OK. They do tend to drift a bit higher when the battery is charged.

[Slymo]

Initially with a battery charger but then with a 12v car battery. Both results were the same. Perfect on the bench rubbish on the bike.

[trevinoz]

I had the same using a battery charger, I thought that it would be an easy and convenient method. I just drive a generator now and get good results.

[Slymo]

Just saw I put it as adjusted to 7.8V output. I in fact set it to 7.2V as mentioned in another's post. Perhaps my 62 year old brain isn't doing as well as the MCR2?