Alternator wiring help

[Bradydz]

My truck had already had an alternator installed on the engine that worked fine, and I tried upgrading to a high-amp output alternator with a different clip for the wiring. I spliced the new clip on, but after two days, I realized my battery was dead, and the alternator was not giving out the necessary voltage I needed to keep my battery charged.
I swapped back to the old alternator, and realized I had lost the clip that connected, so I picked up a new one at a local auto store. Only problem? I cannot remember which wire was which. Does anyone have any idea on which wire would connect to the "r" post on the alternator? I'd greatly appreciate it. The two wires coming from the harness are blue and yellow, or at least that's what colors they look like. I really appreciate the help, and hope to get it running again.

[Bradydz]

I've been looking, and I found that the colors of the wires are blue and white, my white wire probably has just faded, as there isn't a splice visible. Still don't know which wire goes where, though.

[Bradydz]

After looking more, I believe I wired it correctly, with the blue wire going to the "R" terminal (I think that is terminal one?), and the white on terminal 2.

[ole dollor]

if you used the newer chevy alt, unless you buy a 1 wire alt, the alt. will need an regulator exciter wire, hook up your alt. run your big hot wire to the big terminal, also on that terminal put a short wire with a female terminal in it long enough to reach the plug furtherest away from the big terminal, then go to your old voltage regulator and find the wire that was hot with ign. on. and off with ign off, i think it will be the white wire take that wire or make another one and put a female terminal on it and plug it into the wire closest to the big bat terminal on the new alt. those wires will be what run and excite the new alt, if the second wire does not turn off with the key, your motor will keep running.....hope this helps, and is clear as mud....lol....try it and let me know if you need more help.....

[Bradydz]

Originally Posted by ole dollor

if you used the newer chevy alt, unless you buy a 1 wire alt, the alt. will need an regulator exciter wire, hook up your alt. run your big hot wire to the big terminal, also on that terminal put a short wire with a female terminal in it long enough to reach the plug furtherest away from the big terminal, then go to your old voltage regulator and find the wire that was hot with ign. on. and off with ign off, i think it will be the white wire take that wire or make another one and put a female terminal on it and plug it into the wire closest to the big bat terminal on the new alt. those wires will be what run and excite the new alt, if the second wire does not turn off with the key, your motor will keep running.....hope this helps, and is clear as mud....lol....try it and let me know if you need more help.....

I appreciate the help, but I'm just trying to get it back to how I had it before I messed with it, lol. I think I have it wired right, but I still see surges in the gauges when I'm driving with my lights on, which worries me, as I don't remember seeing surges before.. Does connecting the blue wire on the harness to the 'R' terminal sound right? or is it supposed to be the white wire? I lost the original connector I had, which I regret, as it had the colored wires still attached.

[ole dollor]

ok...the white goes on the right, and blue goes on the left....that is with the alt facing you the back of the alt facing away from you, there are several connections you may want to clean out and grease up in the wiring harness maybe from the firewall out to the reg. bad connection can cause the lights to flicker,also grounds can cause this, might clean them up and add some more...your voltage reg. can also cause this .....that is why most go to the newer alt.....

[Bradydz]

White on right? I have it backwards, then.. I have blue going to the top (more top than right, with the angle the alts at), which says "R" on the alternator. And the yellow (probably supposed to be white) going to the "f" on the alternator.
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[Bradydz]

Here's what it looks like, I tried to show which wire was on top of the other.

[ole dollor]

yes thats looks right....hope it works for you...

[Bradydz]

Originally Posted by ole dollor

yes thats looks right....hope it works for you...

Thank you much! I keep checking my voltage on my battery after driving, seems to be doing fine!
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[ole dollor]

thats what we like to hear.....its working right...happy trails.

[Shorty Cox]

You guys have seen this before. I've put these instructions on several time each time there is an alternater/charging question.

I’ve done the following on several vehicles. Keep in mind, that battery doesn’t care what is charging it, nor, does that alternator care what brand of vehicle is turning it. It will still charge the battery and produce energy to run the motor. If your application has some special need, this may not be the best for you.

Here you go,

It is so easy.

1.Take the regulator off and throw it as far as you can.
2. It should have had 4 wires connected to it.
3. Using a test light, locate the wire that is hot (12 volts)when the ignition switch is in the "run" position.
4. now, locate the wire that runs from the regulator position to the generator/alternator position.
5. splice the wire located in number 3 above to the one located in number 4.
6. now you have a wire at the gen/alt location that is hot (12volts)with the key in the "run" position.
7. forget the other two wires at the regulator position.
8. Now remove the gen/alt and throw it as far as you can(probably can't throw it as far as you did the regulator!!)
9. Should be three wires going to the it. two small wires and one large wire. The large wire is connected to the battery and is hot (12 volts) all the time. (On some vehicles, it may connect to the battery via the horn relay)
10. Go to the parts house and purchase an alternator with an internal regulator and a new "pig tail" (the little thing that plugs onto the two terminals on the side and near the back of the alternator) they are numbered 1 & 2. the pig tail will have a small white wire and a large red wire. The new alternator will also have a large terminal(electrical connection) on the back. It will look like a screw sticking out with a nut on it.
11. Do what it takes to rebuild the bracket to bolt the new alternator into the place of the gen/alt you removed and threw in step 8.
12. Once installed, plug the pig tail onto the terminals mentioned in step 10. attach the large wire from the battery (mentioned in step 9) and the red wire on the pig tail (mentioned in step 10) to the large terminal on the back of the alternator, tighten the nut.
13. Now attach the white wire on the pigtail to the wire identified in steps 4, 5, & 6.
14. Secure all left over wires.
15. Crank her up and you are good to go.

Amp meter should work also. If you have a idot light, i'm not sure.

Shorty