New alternator

[Andy4639]

What would happen to a alternator or that matter the wiring if you ran the jumper wire from the big post on the back to the wrong little side connector on a internal regulated alternator? The one where you take the 2 wires at the old external regulater and connect them together and run it to the alternator. I just wondering out loud, because I took mine loose tonight and don't remember which way it was to begin with. I hooked it up the way I think it should be but just want some more insurance that it's right. Thanks guy's

[68haywagon]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=119379

This is the FAQ section for the conversion. You can see the connections there. Good Luck!!

Mike

[Andy4639]

Thanks 68Haywagon,I knew it was on here but couldn't find it when I needed it. Thanks. OK I have checked mine and yes it was backwards but I never drove it thank goodness, but what would it do if I had of? I turned it right now.

[68haywagon]

Not a problem...glad you caught it. I don't know what would have happened though

Mike

[Andy4639]

Anybody got a answer for me? I'm curoius to what would it do. Would it hurt anything are drain the battery?

[VetteVet]

I was curious about this question also but I thought that since the terminal you hooked backwards was the one the idiot light operates from, it would be positive and no harm would be done, however the alternator would not work since the other terminal is the field energizing terminal and excites the alternator to provide output. I was able to locate this explanation in mad electrics website with a picture of the regulator.

Pasted from the website.






The voltage regulator in the photo below is used with the Delco 10SI and 12SI alternators. Notice that the voltage regulator above has two flat blade male terminals (see arrows). There is actually a third terminal of this voltage regulator, which is the ground at one of the three mounting screws. One of the two flat blade terminals is wired to an ignition switched ON/OFF source, and this circuit can also be used to operate a dash mounted warning light (The warning light is an option, not a requirement).

The other of the two voltage regulator terminals is the voltage-sensing terminal, and through this terminal the voltage regulator will monitor electrical system voltage and make adjustments to the alternator output in effort to keep system voltage at about 14.2 volts.

[MDC]

VetteVet's right. The other terminal operates the 'generator' light on dashes with idiot lights. If you follow the wiring diagram and the dash connector pin out for gauges, that wire (brown) is unused even though the tutorial says to connect the two together. The amp gauge uses the black and black/white wires in position 1 and 12 on the connector. But had you started it the regulator just wouldn't have worked

[Andy4639]

I called mad electrics and talked with him, very nice man and very smart on electric stuff. He said it would charge but not enough to operate the truck with everything running. It would also drain the battery when the truck is off. The main thing is I'm OK and nothing's hurt. Thanks Guy's.
I will be buying his upgrade soon I hope for these trucks.

[riden2low]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

I called mad electrics and talked with him, very nice man and very smart on electric stuff. He said it would charge but not enough to operate the truck with everything running. It would also drain the battery when the truck is off. The main thing is I'm OK and nothing's hurt. Thanks Guy's.
I will be buying his upgrade soon I hope for these trucks.

Your man is correct. I had my alternator off and I did the same thing as you had done. It drove me crazy. The battery would drain over a few days. As long as you drove it every day it was ok. But after it sat for a day or two, I was out there with jumper cables. Now that went on for months until I got help from the board here and did I feel stupid when I saw what I had done. Now no problems at all.

[VetteVet]

I missed the part about leaving the wire on the wrong terminal because I was focusing on damage to the alternator or shorting the wiring. The large red wire is connected to battery voltage and is hot all the time as you know so having it jumpered to the terminal would create a draw and battery drain. I'm glad Andy4639 called the mad website and posted here.
Did you read all of the info on Mad's site about remote sensing and one wire alternators? I was going to get one until I started checking into them.

[Andy4639]

I talked with him for about a hr. and I would like to get the head light relay setup, but I think now I can make my own from relay's at Radio shack. I have burnt up one H/L switch since I added the tri-bar lights. I think it would be better.
As far as a one wire Alternator, No I wouldn't have it. The system we have in these trucks works pretty good if the wires are in good shape. I'll stick with what I got for now.

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

I talked with him for about a hr. and I would like to get the head light relay setup, but I think now I can make my own from relay's at Radio shack. I have burnt up one H/L switch since I added the tri-bar lights. I think it would be better.
As far as a one wire Alternator, No I wouldn't have it. The system we have in these trucks works pretty good if the wires are in good shape. I'll stick with what I got for now.

Andy here is Tx Firefighters FAQ about the headlight relay. It may help you some.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=188478

[Rdrdave]

Same thing happened to me...It was a brain twister. Fixed and all it did was make my electricity bill go up...from charging the battery every other day!