Some of those Reg. are adjustable? You will know, they have a little adjuster screw that a pocket screw driver fits into.
But yes Good grounds are needed.
I have a ground strap from my engine to the chassis and one from the engine to the body. and an added one from my Voltage Reg. too the engine.

Also Check for a dead cell in the battery

This COULD be a bad ground but is more likely voltage drop in the ignition harness.

1--CHECK THE GROUND. To do that, make the following measurement with engine warm (regulator is temp compensated) battery "up to normal" and first with all accessories off, then with "as much" as you can turn on, headlights, heater, etc.

Start the engine and bring it up to an RPM to simulate low--to medium cruise. Set your multimeter to low DC volts, and stab one probe right into the top of the NEG battery post.

Stab the other probe into the mounting flange of the regulator. Make sure you stab through chrome, paint, rust. You are hoping for almost a zero reading, and zero would be perfect. Anything over .2--.3V (three tenths of one volt) means you need to improve the ground between regulator, firewall, engine, and battery

2--Check the regulator IGN supply. What happens here, is if the voltage from the battery through the harness to the reg. IGN terminal suffers drop, the regulator will jack up the charging voltage to compensate.

The circuit path (in a factory harness) is battery -- fuse link -- bulkhead connector -- ammeter terminals -- through the ammeter -- harness welded splice -- ignition switch conector -- through the switch -- back out the connector (dark blue ignition run wire) -- back out the bulkhead -- and to underhood loads

On 69 / earlier cars this is ignition and regulator IGN terminal

On 70 / later cars, add to the above

alternator (blue) field

idle solenoid if equipped

retard solenoid if equipped

electric choke if equipped

and on some models a couple of smog doo dads

TO CHECK this, turn the key to "run" with the engine stopped. Stick one meter probe into the top of the POS battery terminal, and the other to a source of switched ignition, ie------

the "switch" side of the ballast, or the blue field wire on the alternator. Don't disconnect it, backprobe the terminal.

Once again, you are hoping for a very low reading, not more than .3V ANY voltage you read here is ADDED to an otherwise properly working regulator, so if you read, say, one volt in this test, and if the regulator is trying to regulate at 14, then you now are going to show 15 at the battery.

Your most likely suspects are

the bulkhead connector

the igntion switch connector

the switch

loose ammeter connections

bad internal problems in the ammeter

in rare cases, a failed "welded splice" This is a big splice in the black ammeter wire up in the dash. It splits off and feeds the fuse panel hot buss, the headlight power, the ignition switch, etc.

Also, on the 70/ later regulator with the connector, don't forget the connector /terminals can get loose/ corroded

PLEASE read this excellent article on the hows and whys of power distribution in these old girls

http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...p-gauges.shtml

The diagram down the page is an excellent simplified view of power flow in these cars. They left out the ignition switch, and back through the bulkhead

[img]http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/images/amp-ga18.jpg[/kimg]

look for melted wires in the bulkhead connector

Hi there, the the main amp wire had melted as the down side of the amp meter was next best thing to broken.
I bypassed both connectors at the bulkhead and now have a better charge butt he bulkhead connectors are pretty much toast in my opinion.

These are very old connectors. I have found oem replacements online but I want to replace the bulkhead block if possible too.