voltage regulator date

[Bill W.]

I have a 515 voltage regulator with a 2 J (sept.62) date on a 63 . The vin is 20937 . (July)( 576 cars from the end of 63 production ). What is the max.time allowed between car build and regulator build . is 10 months to long ? I think it is the original part installed on the car when built . Thanks Bill

[Marco H.]

Re: voltage regulator date

Bill,
As I understand, NCRS typically allows a 6 month window, with a few exceptions (Windshield dates). It is not unheard of to have a part so far out of date, however it is typically not the norm.
I would install a regulator closer dated to the cars production date.
Hope this helps.
Marco

[Michael H.]

Re: voltage regulator date

I have a 515 voltage regulator with a 2 J (sept.62) date on a 63 . The vin is 20937 . (July)( 576 cars from the end of 63 production ). What is the max.time allowed between car build and regulator build . is 10 months to long ? I think it is the original part installed on the car when built . Thanks Bill

Bill,

Your 2J regulator is most likely a 1972, not 1962. There was no such thing as a 515 regulator in 1962 and probably not until July or August of 1963 for the new 64 model.

Also, it's highly unlikely that any 63 Corvette left the St Louis plant with a 515 regulator.

[David L.]

Re: voltage regulator date

The 512 voltage regulator was used on most, if not all, 1963 models.

Dave

[Dale M.]

Re: voltage regulator date

Looking at the 63-64 Judging guide, Early to late '63 models use part #1119512, while late '63 and all '64's use #1119515. Not sure of the differences, this is just from the Guide.

[Alan D.]

Re: voltage regulator date

Well Dale not sure where your date code is however my Mar64, 1119512, is not dated, thus giving validity to the 1972 date.
Also note the small hole has not been tapped which was done for later cars (1965).
So it would appear from a judging point one could use a correct 1119512 on a 63 and be OK (perhaps until next publication of Guide)
Sorry Dale I met Bill with his 63, yours SB like the picture here.

[Harry S.]

Re: voltage regulator date

If you stick with the 512 you will always be OK.

[Michael H.]

Re: voltage regulator date

There are a number of reasons why I don't think any 63 Corvette, or probably any other GM vehicle came from the factory with a 1119515 voltage regulator.

The new 1119515 regulator was designed and calibrated for a redesigned electrical system for the new 1964 models. It was designed to be used with the new system.
That means that hundreds of thousands of new 515 regulators had to be produced and ready for the new 64 models before Sept 1963. There also had to be quite a quantity of 515's available for service for the new cars. Because of this, there certainly would not have been an excess of 515's available for 63 production or service. Delco was probably working overtime just to have the 515 ready for start of 64 production.

The 1119512 remained available from GM all the way to January of 1964, when it was finally discontinued. If there was a substantial quantity of 1119512 regulators available in the system, and 63 model vehicles were still being assembled, why would GM use the new 515 when they still had thousands and thousands of 512 regulators in inventory.

I have an original GM issue 1963 AIM that includes all revisions right up to August 1963. The 1119512 regulator is the only part number shown. No mention of it being replaced by the 515.

No NPC (notice of production change) exists for the 1119512 regulator for the 63 model year. Without that, no 515 could have been shipped to the St Louis assembly plant.

In the early/mid 70's, when unrestored Corvettes were real and hadn't been faked to align with a judging manual, there were a LOT of very late production 63 cars that still had their original 512 regulators. I started recording numbers and dates from these cars around that time. I've never seen a 63 that had a 515 with a date that could possibly have been original to the car. If a car had a 515 at that time, it was usually a replacement with a later date.

[Dale M.]

Re: voltage regulator date

I am learning from this post, I don't have much knowledge in this area. I have a March '64, but I don't have a correct regular or alternator yet. Alan, thanks for you post and maybe it can help the Judging Guide writers. I know that much of this information is still growing.