Mk3 Voltage Stabilizer

[s99sdp]

Evening all!

I swapped my voltage stabiliser out for a new one and for varying reasons which I can't be bothered to type at length, I have these questions.

1. Mk3 1970 Spitfire is a negative earth vehicle, not a positive earth one. Correct?

2. The spades on the back of the old VS are all male, like this....

 

But the new one has 2 male and two female. 

The reason i'm asking the questions is that the seller tried to sell me a positive earth VS and I made sure he checked and posted me a negative earth one. When it arrived the fittings were different as described, it works BUT the temp gauge barely moves now. Maybe a symptom of having a large radiator fitted but would the mixed fittings be a sign I have the WRONG VS?

 

SP

[Clive]

Yes, neg earth is correct. I have seen a couple of varieties of voltage stabaliser, using connections like both of yours. so it may just w=be what is currently available.

Simple check, does the fuel gauge act as expected? If so, all is well.

[Pete Lewis]

the male female was the orig design to stop wiring it back to front 

on the paxolin should  also be  I for instruments and   B for battery   the case must be earthed 

pete

[s99sdp]

54 minutes ago, clive said:

Yes, neg earth is correct. I have seen a couple of varieties of voltage stabaliser, using connections like both of yours. so it may just w=be what is currently available.

Simple check, does the fuel gauge act as expected? If so, all is well.

Yes the fuel gauge works fine and although it may sound stupid, I filled the car straight up with fuel and the gauge moved up accordingly. 

It was just the temp gauge that worried me hence the questions and the concern regarding the fittings. With the old VS the temp gauge moved to a max of half way as the car warmed up, with this one it barely gets out of the white area. 

I am running a large rad and when I touch the front veins it doesn't feel too hot, heather works fine too so I think maybe I don't have anything to worry about?

 

SP 

[s99sdp]

8 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

the male female was the orig design to stop wiring it back to front 

on the paxolin should  also be  I for instruments and   B for battery   the case must be earthed 

pete

Thanks Pete, excellent info as always

[Nigel Clark]

I would expect the male connectors on the stabiliser are for the 12V supply, and the female terminals are for the instruments. It's a matter of safety, the wiring loom terminals are less likely to short out if female terminal on the loom connects to male terminal on the voltage stabiliser.

However, can't guarantee this, so look for engravings on the back as Pete says.

Nigel

[s99sdp]

12 minutes ago, Nigel Clark said:

I would expect the male connectors on the stabiliser are for the 12V supply, and the female terminals are for the instruments. It's a matter of safety, the wiring loom terminals are less likely to short out if female terminal on the loom connects to male terminal on the voltage stabiliser.

However, can't guarantee this, so look for engravings on the back as Pete says.

Nigel

The I & B lettering are visible on both the old and new VS and I know I've attached them correctly plus the new one has been screwed in tightly. 

I had to make up two short patch leads to convert the loom, I didnt want to cut the original loom and refit spade fittings. In my mind I thought it was best not to shorten any loom wires even by a few mm as they're tight enough as it is.

 

SP

[GT6M]

no no if this is any use, but I ed VS problemos for a while
Yer olde,n can be adjusted, thats wot the other thingy is on top, an adjuster

ev a read thru here, took frae another post else where

some good valid bits,

mine never runs or ran hot till aboot 5 months ago

Also, noticed me oil temps ed increasd a wee bit too, reading 1/2 way at normal speeds, generally on aboot a 1/4

an a good blast it wer reading 3/4, not the 1/2 it usually is.

By hot, im on aboot the temp gauge,

it wer reading higher an higher as times went on, till it was reading 3/4 where it shud,v read middle at normal speeds,

regardless of oot side tempps

put me infra red sensor ont biits oft system, all showing its aboot normal water temps coming oot the block into rad

for the stat I got in, an 88deg

so decided t,look at the ECUs read oot for the temps

it wer showing a swing frae 78-92 degs,

note, ye wont see this sort,v swing on yer gauges, as they damped by the VS unit

{ even shut,n heater off for a wee while, then open it up agen will show a drop of aboot 10 degs right away for a few secs ,as the ECU readoot can be so fast.}

So gauge faulty or senders

seemed strange byath senders would go at same time.

so fitted gauge wires onto oil temp an oil temp onto water temp

an same results, so no sender an no the gauges

only other thingy was the VS, bunged a probe on oot puts an it wer 11-11,5 constant volts

so bunged on a spare VS, an things went back t,normal temps,or moer correctly, normal positionee,s on gauges

decided t,tinkerate wid the VS an opend it up

could,nt figure wot the flat ended bit of metal was ont ootside of unit untill I got it opened

this bit of flat metal is actually a screw adjuster, an it operates onto the moving coil wire in side

so if coil wires loos,n or gaining resistance owa the years of use, then the VS will no work same as it should de

So, dont always say me engines run,n hot {unless its actually boil,n owa that is } untill yee,v actually checked on other things that its run,n hot,

All thee,s yers, and never ed t,check the VS

and did,nt even no that some ev a adjust bit, as in the pic

Ohh, an me cars got a electric fan, infront oft rad

rads fully enclosed top,bot,sides,

so owt that comes thru grill opening, goes thru rad.

Unlike most cars that ev v v little shrouding any where

so most oft air hit,n rad, goes aroond the sides, an no thru rad.

thats why most overheat at speeds,

esp if yee,v got alot of bent rad cool,n fins, or lots of deed wee beasties clogg,n up the fins that stop air flow thru rad.

https://www.minimania.com/images/SmithsVoltage-03.gif

https://www.minimania.com/Smiths_Voltage_Stabilizers

 

 

[Pete Lewis]

over the years we have had apart from VS problems  many reading overheated on the old forum even had an engine change   all because the wrong temp sender had been fitted

if some plonker supplies a moving iron non stabilised sender  for a VS gauged  car you get hot readings 

non stabilised  121997

stabilised GTR108 

mix and not matched  gives you worrying readings but the engine is fine 

Pete

 

[s99sdp]

35 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

over the years we have had apart from VS problems  many reading overheated on the old forum even had an engine change   all because the wrong temp sender had been fitted

if some plonker supplies a moving iron non stabilised sender  for a VS gauged  car you get hot readings 

non stabilised  121997

stabilised GTR108 

mix and not matched  gives you worrying readings but the engine is fine 

Pete

 

I know the cars temp is ok as before the first one started playing up, which I assume was the original, the temp never went just above half. 

I replaced it for one I had in my spares box and as that showed the temp quite low I thought, for £13.00 I'll get a new one. Had an email exchange with the seller on ebay about the car being negative earth as he said a positive earth would be ok for a Mk3, I assured him it wouldn't and then when the negative earth version turned up the fittings were different to the tow VS's I'd had on the car previously. Then when I did fit it and and the temp gauge was barely registering I started to wonder what could be the issue. If the different fittings meant I'd been sent the wrong item....blah blah blah blah blah

 

SP

[Pete Lewis]

i love the fleabay descriptions , amazing what rubbish is Fits a triumph whatever 

the 4 cyl distributors for 6 cyl engines is a prime one   

there;s lots of it fits   just wont work about 

Pete