SNAKE BIT for sever days now

[ole dollor]

here I thought I knew every thing , and now I found out I don't.... ole dollor has an electrical problem and it has ate my sack lunch. started off ,it did not want to start, my son called and told me it that he had trouble getting ole dollor to start , but he checked the battery connections and tapped on the starter and it fired right off, I told him I would come to Lubbock the next day and we would check the starter , he called the next day and advised every thing was working good, then the next day while driving to work all the lights went out and he he ran on the battery the rest of the way to work. he advised that he would get a ride home and we could check it on saturday , went to Lubbock on saturday and started checking everything . charged and check the new battery , everything good, checked wires on new starter and it starts fine draw is good , alt I rebuilt about 3 or so years ago , not putting out anything, called and got new alt. put it on and nothing , checked more wiring and every thing looked good, got another alt. nothing , checked more wiring , found that the exciter wire was dead , jumped the exciter wire and alt started charging, still cant find why the wire is dead, told him to bring it to me sunday. he got here today and showed me that it working fine ....but to kill the motor he has to turn the key off and turn the a/c on and then the motor will shut off ??? fellow members I need some help. this is a hair puller. any body got an idea..... SNAKE BIT Don

[mechanicalman]

You might have a rare ignition switch failure, just a WAG though.

[Wrenchbender Ret]

You need to put a diode in the exciter wire circuit. The current is feeding back into the ign. switch & keeping it fired.

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by Wrenchbender Ret

You need to put a diode in the exciter wire circuit. The current is feeding back into the ign. switch & keeping it fired.

thanks for the info, a diode is a one way valve . i think that would work , any idea where to get one like i would need, the only diode's i ever worked with were inside alt. Don

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

You might have a rare ignition switch failure, just a WAG though.

the ign. switch is new , but that some times means nothing. thanks for the idea. Don

[ole dollor]

raining and cold and I am still mad at ole dollor, so its setting out in the rain and I am warm in the house.... I will get around to getting back to it in a few days, under dash is real hard on old fat guys, I guess I could take the seat out and have more room..... dang you ole dollor.

[slikside]

Originally Posted by ole dollor;7150406[B

]the ign. switch is new , but that some times means nothing.[/B] thanks for the idea. Don

Or, it mean everything...

Is that when the truck started having problems??

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by slikside

Or, it mean everything...

Is that when the truck started having problems??

no I put the ign switch probably 2 or 3 years ago , I was just saying that it has been replaced , not still the old ign switch. I have been having a few problems the last few weeks ,or a little longer , like loose brake lights, fix that , loose turn signals , fix that, I think I am going to pull the fuse box and sand and clean all fuse holders , most of the time its some how connected to the fuse box or around the fuse box, I hope it just a bad connection , but I do not fit under the dash very well .....I used the old blue wire that went to the voltage reg. to excite the newer type built in reg. alt. been working good for around 6 years and now ????

[Boog]

As we get older we tend to not fit in places we used to and we have quicker tempers too!
I ran plum outta patience a long time ago.

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by Boog

As we get older we tend to not fit in places we used to and we have quicker tempers too!
I ran plum outta patience a long time ago.

x 2 on the plum outa patience .

[Davidf]

Originally Posted by ole dollor

x 2 on the plum outa patience .

I never had any to begin with, so nothing to run outa.

Doesn't an exciter wire need a resistor, like the low battery warning light in the dash, to work properly or keep the current from feeding back? Also, if an exciter wire is absent, cant' you just get the rpms up to get the alternator working/outputting?

[jjzepplin]

Originally Posted by Davidf

I never had any to begin with, so nothing to run outa.

Doesn't an exciter wire need a resistor, like the low battery warning light in the dash, to work properly or keep the current from feeding back? Also, if an exciter wire is absent, cant' you just get the rpms up to get the alternator working/outputting?

You are right. At least with my serpentine style CS internal alternators on both of my trucks.
Check this out. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=579214
Pay special attention to VetteVet. This guy knows his stuff.

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by Davidf

I never had any to begin with, so nothing to run outa.

Doesn't an exciter wire need a resistor, like the low battery warning light in the dash, to work properly or keep the current from feeding back? Also, if an exciter wire is absent, cant' you just get the rpms up to get the alternator working/outputting?

It does take rpm to excite some or most alt. not sure on the resister on the exciter wire , I have done this conversion on a bunch of different stuff, farm tractors ,cotton strippers, boats, cars ,pickups , combines . any thing that had a generator or an old type external reg. mine worked a long time and now it went south, but I do have a brand new 100 amp v belt alt. that will work if you excite it.

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by jjzepplin

You are right. At least with my serpentine style CS internal alternators on both of my trucks.
Check this out. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=579214
Pay special attention to VetteVet. This guy knows his stuff.

that my friend is some really good info and a good read, VetteVet does know what he is talking about, and the pic's are great....thanks for the link....Don

mine is the *si* 1975 to 1984 type.

[R.L.]

Just a long shot here but how's the ground, frame to the engine?

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by R.L.

Just a long shot here but how's the ground, frame to the engine?

have not check the ground from frame to motor for a while , I have several extra grounds that I have added when I installed cruise control and a complete a/c system , just to head off ground problems , thanks for the input , I will add that to my list to check...Don

[ole dollor]

new update ... two days of dash work , I decided to pull the dash cluster ,

radio , traced out all the wiring , factory and add on , finally found out that

some one must have wired a wire that was hot to the fuse box acc. I am not

sure what wire did it , but I pulled all the add on wires and shortened some of

the wires , soldered some together so I would not need so many terminals ,

turned the key off and on ,and to acc. until I got the fuse box wired where ign.

on stuff worked correctly and acc. left and acc. right stuff were right, now were

talking of doing this over a two day time frame . them I got it all back together

and life was good , then I checked my turn signals and nothing , more checking,

getting nothing from flasher, test light shows hot .... now I have had some

trouble with this before off and on , mess with the fuse box and I had turn

signals , I got the flasher out and probing the connections with a test light and

one terminal feels like it not there, so I unbolt the fuse box and the flasher wire

is loose , can't get it to stay in, so I made a jumper wire and hooked it up , now

every thing is looking good , start it up and look at the gages and the temp

gage moved back to cool and then fell to the left. I have had trouble with it a

while back, started working fine....now nothing. so right now I am going to drive

it like that until Chevy Gods moves me again. I did remove the steering wheel so

I would have more room to work on all the wiring, dash cluster and steering

wheel makes it a lot roomier for us full figured guys....

Thanks everyone for all the help on this . I think the guy that made this mess is closer than you think...

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Originally Posted by Davidf

I never had any to begin with, so nothing to run outa.

X4 on the patience *and* the fit!!!!!

Oh...I have an extra temp gauge I know is good if you want me to send it, Don.

[Boog]

I feel for ya Big D. I've always done my own electrical work but I've always hated it. And these 40+ year old trucks you never know what has been cobbled up long before it became yours.

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by magwakeenercew2jh

X4 on the patience *and* the fit!!!!!

Oh...I have an extra temp gauge I know is good if you want me to send it, Don.

I am not sure I have a bad one , and I am not sure its any good either , tell me what you want for it and I will send the money ,check, pay pal or any way you want it . I might as well have a different one on hand . so when the chevy gods move me again I will have one ... thanks a bunch mag. Don

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Originally Posted by ole dollor

I am not sure I have a bad one , and I am not sure its any good either , tell me what you want for it and I will send the money ,check, pay pal or any way you want it . I might as well have a different one on hand . so when the chevy gods move me again I will have one ... thanks a bunch mag. Don

You gotta be kidding. No money, Brother.
That's not how I roll.

PM me your mailing address and I'll box it up.

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by Boog

I feel for ya Big D. I've always done my own electrical work but I've always hated it. And these 40+ year old trucks you never know what has been cobbled up long before it became yours.

I have worked under dashes for a lot of years also, and it seams that your own dash is always the worst.....like I said I am not sure whitch wire it was , but I think I am the guilty dog .....

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by magwakeenercew2jh

You gotta be kidding. No money, Brother.
That's not how I roll.

PM me your mailing address and I'll box it up.

dang that's very nice , thanks a bunch, I will send a pm ....

[ole dollor]

pm sent , I think . not showing up on my pm sent deal.

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Originally Posted by ole dollor

pm sent , I think . not showing up on my pm sent deal.

Got it. I'll wrap it up tomorrow.