S2a wiring questions

[brixworth-alan]

Hi, I'm working on my recently acquired S2a SWB, and despite an absence of several cables in the engine bay I think I've confirmed it as positive Earth (1966 plate, originally no lights in the wings, separate ignition and starter switch) BUT I'm missing something. It looks like I've got a Lucas alternator in place of the dynamo, so do I still need a voltage controller (Haynes manual is predicatbly vague) and if not, how should I wire it in?

cheers!

[S188]

If its got a regulated altinator like a Lucas 16ACR (most common sort) all you have to do is wire the small conector to the warning lamp on the dash (other side wired to ignition circuit) and the 2 bigger conectors together and to the main battery terminal (on the starter selonoid is usally more convienent but you'll obveously want the input side.

Gernrally all altinators are self regulated so unless you've got a really early one thats all you have to do.  Leave all the voltage stableiser boxes in place if you like, just remove all the unwanted wires that would have gone to the dynomo.

As for +ve earth, yes your landy would have been +ve earth when new but it almost certainly isn't now as vertully all altinators are -ve earth.  +ve earth ones are proper rare and I don't just mean on ebay.  There were some 2A's built with altinators but I think even they were neg earth despite the fact dinamo models at the time wern't.  I think they changed to -ve earth as standard before they ditched dynamos aswell.

[brixworth-alan]

Thanks Glen- the more I find out about this car the weirder it seems to get! I think the words 'after market replacement' were probably invented for it.