1970 Chevy Truck attention VetteVet

[gray_moon]

Hi vetteVet, I am starting the thread as we discussed, here is the truck we are talking about from the outside... I am new at posting pics so let's see how this goes!!!

[gray_moon]

Here we have no key in ignition, battery hooked up, yet you see radio is on, voltmeter shows about 12...this is how it came back to me...this is NOT the only issue as I said in my email, I am just getting started LOL

[gray_moon]

This pic shows the fuse box and the red wires coming from the radio and from the voltmeter...obviously they need to be moved, where to is my question...as I said I am just getting started w issues.... I am handy but absolutely am AWFUL and not knowledgeable on electrical issues......I have already spent WAY too much $$$$ on this truck.... I cannot seem to get this attachment to turn the correct direction

[gray_moon]

The battery drains over night, so I leave it unhooked... if the battery IS hooked up, you have to have the horn relay unhooked OR the wire at the horn itself unhooked, OR the horn blows all the time, my friend and I discovered whenever you hook up the battery, the horn relay clicks, THUS there is power to the horn relay ALL THE TIME

[gray_moon]

Now, for the alternator issues, it was NOT charging when I drove it the 7 miles home, I will get to stalling out and being on the side of the road later NOT due to a dead battery! Later on that one. Alternator would not charge PLUS it broke TWO belts, one when I was leaving the guy's place, one later when I was trying to adjust my alignment of the pulleys, since all that, I have NOW given up on the external regulator and used the instructions to convert to an internally regulated alternator........problem is belts still "burn up" and it only charges at certain RPMs, my buddy and I believe that no matter how tight the belt is, it slips, after working on this issue literally weeks, my buddy ( way better than me) has recommended I get a new crank pulley, he thinks it is warped or out of round.....whatever is happening, the belt screeches, and has broken 3 altogether, worn black rubber fibers collect near the alternator pulley/fan indicating wear obviously, I have "shimmed" and adjusted the pulleys like crazy for three weeks now without much success... my friend and I think I have them lined up pretty well, I think I am forced into trying a new crank pulley

[gray_moon]

For the stalling issues coming home AND one other attempt where I got stuck on the road dead, we found the filter in the carb TOTALLY clogged, BEFORE I discovered that, I put an inline filter right at the tank ( under the cab) and ANOTHER one before the carb, THEN I replaced the filter INSIDE the carb where the gas line feeds in. I had looked at it BUT the clogging was the same color as the filter and it took my friend to blow in it to tell me that was clogged, I thought it was over heating because the temp gage was jumping to 210 to 230, my friend ( who builds SBCs said no that was not it)....of course I had already bought a new radiator and converted a 2000 chevy fan shrowd along with installing a 7 blade fan and changing thermostats ( from 195 to 180 per my friend)......anyway I have not been able to drive it, and my converted shroud is OFF due to all these other issues I am battling. so I am not sure if it is overheating or not. I don't think so BUT I haven't driven it enough to know. Anyway this is just a start, I will stop for now........I paid for "turn key" all I have is issues I am not good at fixing. Uggghhhhh......BUT I will probably sell the truck before trusting anyone else to actually work on it other than my friend OR some one that would recommend some one in Central Va. that I can afford

[gray_moon]

Oh yea, the shifter works horribly, I cannot go straight to reverse, I have to pass it, then go back............. I chose the steering wheel and got it in a junk yard, I was assured it would work......steers fine ( I was actually the person that converted it to power steering BEFORE I took it to be "fixed, I also fixed the emergency/parking brake ( that stuff I can do LOL) ), but horn blows continually, BUT shifting is a worse issue.....I am sure somebody that knows what they are doing can fix these things, but I cannot say I trust anyone anymore, I have a Gen II Camaro story longer and worse than this

[randy500]

I will help with the shifter...does the shift lever pull back easily about 1.5 inches...I'm sure it doesn't. Column needs lubed. Spray wd 40 in column where shift lever comes out, then do the same on engine side of firewall at linkage point on column. The wd 40 is temporary fix, should use some spray lithium grease one you free it up, the real fix is disassembly and grease all moving surfaces. On the shifter bowl you have worn pot metal moving over steel shift tube which creates binding. I will post a pic in a bit of the engine side linkage

[randy500]

The horn problem is likely in the horn contact under the horn button, the horn cap should have spring action, post a pic of the horn cap off with the horn contacts removed.

[bill3rail]

Originally Posted by gray_moon

The battery drains over night, so I leave it unhooked... if the battery IS hooked up, you have to have the horn relay unhooked OR the wire at the horn itself unhooked, OR the horn blows all the time, my friend and I discovered whenever you hook up the battery, the horn relay clicks, THUS there is power to the horn relay ALL THE TIME

It may not be your problem, but I saw this once...

I looked at a truck years ago in Brooklyn and noticed the horn wire disconnected from the horn so I plugged it in.

When the guy hooked up the battery, the horn was blowing constantly. I noticed the column was improperly adjusted or real badly worn and if you pulled back on the steering wheel, the horn stopped.

Hope this helps you.

Bill

[Marine-58]

Gray_Moon... For your voltage drain. Try looking at where the voltmeter and radio are hooked up on the fuse block. There are places to hook up that are "switched". That is when they key is on they have power but not if the key is off. When I first got my truck, all the gauges were wired with power all the time and that would drain the batt over 2-3 days. May not be your only issue but it would explain why they are on even without the key on.

For the squealing belt, again maybe not your issue but last year I had a similar problem. Couldn't find it until one day the alternator completely froze. The belt finally broke so I was about 20 miles from home, and with a serpintine belt, there was nothing else to turn the water pump...

Good luck...

[bill3rail]

Originally Posted by Marine-58

Gray_Moon... For your voltage drain. Try looking at where the voltmeter and radio are hooked up on the fuse block.

There are places to hook up that are "switched". That is when they key is on they have power but not if the key is off. When I first got my truck, all the gauges were wired with power all the time and that would drain the batt over 2-3 days. May not be your only issue but it would explain why they are on even without the key on.

Good luck...

Both of my radios are with power constant on. However, the positive goes to a three position switch.

LEFT = AM radio in dash
CENTER= ALL OFF
RIGHT = Hidden stereo under seat

So an easy fix is to add a switch to power off your radio.

Bill

[RichardJ]

He put on a new steering wheel.

99% chance that is why the horn is on constantly and also a high probability why the shifter is messed up.
Pull the wheel off and everything on the column you had off before. Then reconnect the horn relay and check the operation of the shifter. As you put it back together the horn will tell you what you are doing wrong.

Nice disaster of a wire nest egg where you rewired to eliminate the EX voltage regulator. The original soldered wire crimp is clearly visible in the photo. That wire crimp is HOT at ALL TIMES, just waiting to get shorted to ground and turn your truck into a ball of flames. You have a Blue and Brown crimped together. Check to see that the Blue wire is connected to pin# 1 on your new Alternator. You have the Red crimped to a White wire (Yellowed). Make sure it connects to Pin#2 on the new Alt.

You have three RED wires plugged into the fuse box and can't really tell in the photo where one is connected. Identify these three Red wires.
Your Stereo should have two power wires and both should have inline fuses. One wire, probably Yellow will have a larger fuse (10Amps) and should be connected to a 12V source that is HOT at all times. The other wire, Red may have a 1 Amp fuse and connects to 12Volts ONLY when the key is ON. I suspect you have those switched.

With reference to the posted orientation of the photo, below that glob of tape on the Red wire there is an empty fuse socket. That was for the original 3Amp Radio fuse. Install a 3 Amp fuse and plug the fused RED stereo wire onto the blade connector to the right of the Radio fuse. That connection should only be Hot with key ON.
The Yellow stereo wire should be plugged into a fused or unfused, but Hot at all times. It should still have the inline 10 Amp fuse.

[VetteVet]

See what I mean Gray Moon. You've already got some great advice and there'll be plenty more coming. The pictures really help and you've got a good looking truck there.

Richard is right about the wiring and we can correct that if you get an internally regulated alternator or even if you keep the external one. It is best to go with an internal one.

I know you didn't wire that mess up so the best thing is to take it slow and start from scratch and we'll get it right.

Here's your picture right side up.

[gray_moon]

Thanks to all of you who responded!

@ RichardJ, yes I realize the wires are exposed, My friend and I were tracing the read wire and wondering how it was junctioned. Not ever had one of these before neither I nor he are knowledgeable on the wiring harness. Don't worry the battery is unhooked and it is not being driven do to cause a fire it would have to spontaneously combust out of the blue. I will take your advice on finding where the 3AMP fuse should go, right now I have ZERO clue where all this stuff goes, your suggestion is a good start, thank you. As for the horn I can only handle so much at once, I will get to that later. i have already identified which wire it which, I just did not know what to do with them to have them "switched". Now I know the radio part. still not sure where to put the voltmeter. I will retape the wires once I know where they all go and I think I am finished identifying.

@Bill3rail I would rather not have a switch for the radio, but if I have to, I will. thanks.

@marine-58 Yes I will look into that as stated above.

@bill3rail and Randy500 The column is not original to the truck, I went from manual on the floor to automatic on the column, the column is FULL of white gease already, my hunch and from looking the problem more lies with the linkage than the column, but just what I see as an amatuer.

@vettevet the alternator is already converted to internal regulator, I did that a few days back, next step is to replace the crank pulley to see if it helps my belt burning/breaking problem.... I have charging at higher rpms sometimes, not all the time, as @RichardJ pointed out I will trace the wires I butt connected to do the conversion BUT I followed explicit instructions on the conversion as explained on another thread on this forum, it was F to 4 and 2 to 3..... the new voltage regulator I bought for $60 only made things worse, I had a generator light on ALL the time with no key and the truck not running.

If I had it to do all over again, I would definitely NOT have paid to "restore: this truck, it has been nothing but a headache and a money pit, I lose either way, but I lose more to NOT continue on it myself.
'
Thanks again, if I make any progress I will report in, one thing at a time, I just had not idea I would run into about 10 things as soon as I got it home and on the way home. I wanted and paid for turn key, wishful thinking, I cannot even drive it.

[VetteVet]

Here's a thread with a post by me detailing how the wiring is routed in our trucks. It will be helpful to you.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...74#post7979774

[gray_moon]

Thanks VetteVet for that link to your thread. Frankly at 7AM today it looks like Greek to me, but if I am ever going to have this truck be more than just an ornament in my driveway, I am going to have to learn it more and fix it. I think I am going to try one thing at a time...like stop belt from breaking/screeching on the alternator and get it charging etc etc. At this point I sure wish I hadthe guy just leave the 6 cylinder/4speed granny in it w no radio and no gages, I would have had only one of these problems.

[panhead59]

Hang in there buddy. It will all turn out in the end. Have faith in yourself, you have the right attitude. One observation and just my opinion. Stop spending money first and then doing the research,. It's gotta be the other way around or you will spend WAY MORE than needed. I realize that buying a new part sometimes fixes the problem, but many times it doesn't. You are learning a lot already and soon you will have great pride in fixing these issues. Take em one at a time, like you are, and you'll get there. Lots of great people here that will help, it just takes patience. Go slow, especially since it sounds like this is not your daily driver. It doesn't sound like you have major issues, just some annoying ones!! I don't mean to preach here, just trying to give you a little encouragement. You have the truck you wanted, you now have the opportunity to make it yours. ( I'm an old dude that's turning into my dad!!!- like the commercial)

[Mollzyie]

You should consider re wiring whole truck ... start new .

[RichardJ]

>>As for the horn I can only handle so much at once, <<

Advice you should have adhered to from the start. You have Gauge, Stereo, Horn, Alternator and Shifter problems. Don't let some idiot advise you to install an HEI before you have the existing problems solved.

To be clear, I DID NOT advise you to install any switch.
I ask you identify the three Red wires and you didn't.
The three terminals I have pointed out with Green arrows are I believe the ones you are using, but I have no idea what you are using them for.

Some fuse box terminals are HOT all the times. Some terminals are only HOT when the Key is in the "ON" position. Some terminals are only HOT when the lights are on.

Your Volt Gauge is "ON" in your photo and should not be.

The Radio and Cig terminals would make good locations for the two Stereo connections.
The Ignition Unfused would be good for the gauges as these are OFF, when the Key is OFF.

[RichardJ]

Solve the charging problem and that may solve the Alt belt problem. More and much better pictures of the belt arrangement would be useful.
Not very likely a wobbling pulley would chew up the belts as described.

Please, actually trace the wires from your butt connections, through the harness to the Alternator terminals directly.

[randy500]

Shift linkage picture under the hood in resting state.

[randy500]

Held open with a screw driver, this is the action when the gear shift lever is pulled back, which clears the shifter detects. Shifter arm on left and shifter detent gate on right...pry open like in picture and lube shift tube which is behind the screwdriver in the picture.

[randy500]

Picture of shifter bowl, your trying to get lubrication in the round hole with the slot, the shift tube slides in the hole by pulling back on the shift lever. Shift tube in pic is for illustration, it's from a tilt column but actual part is similar

[randy500]

Belt Fix...
The pulley may not be your problem with screeching and burning up the belt. Its probably high electrical load on the alternator.

The pulley is probably ok if the V Belt if not bottomed out in the pulley. Check by looking under the belt, the bottom of the V should not bottom out in the pulley, if it is, the belt is probably bad and not the pulley. Is the pulley smooth on both sides and runs true when looking at it running?

Test the battery it could be putting excess load on the charging system, get it tested at the auto parts store. Relieve the load on the electrical system by unplugging everything plugged into the fuse panel, who knows if any of that is wired up correctly.