Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I have suffered poor charging for years and it recently reached the stage where I felt I just had to do something about it.

After checking the dynamo I came to suspect the voltage regulator.
When I bought the car it came with an RB106 (the rounded top type) but it had a broken plastic cover.
I replaced it with what I thought was an "upgrade" - the RB340 type (the more square bodied type).

Tonight I went rumaging through my boxes of old parts and found a Japanese RB106 type regulator - goodness knows when or where I bought that one!
So in out of curiosity I fitted it to the car (it only involved changing over half a dozen spade connectors) and it appears to have fixed my charging woes!!!

Now my question is should the RB340 be able to just plug in to replace the RB106 or are some modifications required?
Is it worth persevering with the RB340 or do I just accept that I have a regulator with a non original appearance?

Thanks
Bruce

Bruce Crowthorne wrote:Now my question is should the RB340 be able to just plug in to replace the RB106 or are some modifications required?
Is it worth persevering with the RB340 or do I just accept that I have a regulator with a non original appearance?

Thanks
Bruce

I quote from Buckland p535 "The wiring does not need altering, the Lucar terminals just pulling off the old unit and pushing onto the new one" regarding updating from RB106 to RB340.

Ring Roger at Power Components on 01243 378460, which is very close to you in Westbourne, who overhauls dynamos etc and might be able to recondition Control Boxes. Meanwhile, go with what works and paint it black!

A new RB106 is only about 30 quid delivered from ebay.

Funnily enough I had chatted with Roger at Power Components, but he doesn't do cars, just the individual parts.

I had already bought another RB340 (to replace the one I fitted during the rebuild 4 years ago) but it acted exactly the same. Both of these were "reproduction" units, probably made in India / China / or wherever...

During the weekend i searched round my boxes of bits and found both a reproduction RB106 (made in China) and a NOS genuine Lucas RB106 (with a broken plastic cover).
I fitted the reproduction RB106 and it works!.

So short term, my problem is fixed - I will just keep an eye on the charging performance.

And I have a "real" Lucas RB106 - if I can find a plastic cover.
Although I haven't tested the Lucas RB106 yet, I think that it is probably the better long term bet as all of the documentation is around this unit.

My guess is that the reproduction RB340s are in need of adjustment, but none of the documentation is written around them, so I think I will stick with the RB106 that is working.

Now isn't it ironic that years ago we were all trying to get away from products from Joe Lucas / Prince of Darkness etc and now I actually want one of their products!!

Bruce

Does not the cover of the reproduction fit the NOS one?

No, unfortuantely not.
The repro one is made of pressed steel, the cover is close to fitting the base, but not quite. The mounting hole spacing is the same and the connections are just the same.

I will hunt about autojumbles and see if i can get a proper Lucas cover

Bruce YHM!