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First of all, if you decide to do this, procede at your own risk! It is a delicate procedure, not always successfull for the "inexperienced". Before removing the cover from the voltage regulator, disconnect the battery. This will aid in keeping all the smoke in the charging system. After your attempt at "tweaking" the voltage setting, re-connect the battery, start the engine, and check the voltage again. NOTE: the presence of the metal cover MAY slightly affect the final charging voltage setting. Make your final measurement with the cover installed. Of the 2 or 3 "units" in the regulator that look like relays, the one wound with the finest (lightest gauge) wire is the VOLTAGE REGULATOR. In general, increasing the spring tension on the contact arm, holding it AWAY from the coil winding will increase the voltage regulator's "set point". On older units, there is usually an adjusting screw to do this. On newer units, typically you have to bend the tab that the lower end of the little extension spring hooks on, a tiny bit, to increase tension on the spring. BE CAREFULL, a little increase of tension goes a long way! (A needle-nose pliers should work, or an old time mechanic will have a slotted tool to bend the tab with.) If the system IS charging, and you just want to increase the voltage a litle bit, DO NOT monkey with any other settings, or adjust the point gaps. Also, resist the temptation to push on any of the contact arms, especially the heavy-duty points on the cutout unit. If you do this with the engine stopped, the points will remain closed, "cooking" the generator and regulator. A common setting for a 6 Volt system is 7.4 Volts.
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