Technical Alternator install help/tips & suggestions/

OK, refresher for ya squirrel, 1958 Chevy 3800 1 ton Apache dually from Zootown Montana. My other thread was "No spark from coil, no start"

 

The ammeter (the "gauge") in that truck was originally connected between the battery and everything else. It should show discharge and charge when the alternator is discharging or charging...IF you connected the alternator in where the generator was originally connected. But since you connected the alternator output to the battery, instead of to the original wire that connected to the BAT terminal on the voltage regulator, the ammeter will not be able to show the current flowing between the alternator and the battery.

The thing is, the alternator you installed is probably capable of producing twice as much current as the original generator was, and can easily overload and melt the original wires that connect to the ammeter.

So....you have a tough choice...either connect the alternator differently so the ammeter works, and be cautious if it shoes too much charge or discharge, OR leave it as it is and just don't worry about the charging system. Or you could leave the wiring as it is, and add an idiot light, which would be the smartest thing to do.

On my old trucks like that, I always wired in the ammeter, and lived with the danger. It's never been a problem for me. But other guys tell horror stories about how they installed an alternator, and left the ammeter wired in, and burned up all the wiring. Since I can be there to look over how you did the work, I can't say for sure that you would do it safely.

 

Gotcha.

I don't want to burn anything up, but I am willing to try to wire it as it is meant to be and see if it starts working again.

I am sure it will be fine.

Will keep you posted. Thanks

 

I just went all through this on my Model A with a 327. The car for a long time will not charge so we thought it was a battery and replaced it, that didn't solve the problem. Before that we thought it was the alternator which we replaced and it still didn't work. you have and I have a one wire alternator with a built-in regulator. You don't need the old regulator that was on the firewall, you can leave it there as a decoration or you can frame it and put it above your workbench but you don't need it. All you need to do is connect a wire from that nut with a red washer around it and run it to a 12 volt positive source. In my case it runs into the car to the circuit panel under the dash and then another wire from that runs over to the starter. it might be easier for you just to run a wire directly from the alternator to the starter on the positive terminal of course. If that alternator is 80 amps or less you may use a 10 gauge. If it's up to about a hundred amps then I would go with 8 gauge. If it's in the 120 through 150 range you better get 6. Now if your car doesn't have very many circuits like mine I have no heater no air conditioner no stereo no turn signals, I'm running a 120 amp alternator with a 10 gauge wire. That bolt that is on the opposite side on the back of the alternator makes a great grounding point. A lot of manufacturers recommend that you run a grounding wire from there to a good ground on the car. With all of the chrome plating and other coatings on engine blocks and alternators you don't always get a good ground when you bolt this in.

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Wasn't able to get to it today, has been raining all day for the last week and I don't have a garage to work in. So I have to wait til I have a couple sunny days so I can get to it.

Will update as soon as I am able.

 

Hey folks,
I got My alteranator so it is charging as it should, I haven't got round to the needle gauge issue as yet, but truck is running top notch no more charge issues.

Will be getting under dash to trace wire for gauge out through firewall and hooking it up to alternator & battery to be able to get it working. (corrected myself)

Been at other projects lately. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

 

Be careful about how you hook up the wire from the gauge...if it's an ammeter then there is more to it than running the wire to the battery...


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Ok, well I'm following by what everyone keeps advising. So I got the original wiring from the truck going to the gauge and alternator, and the big red wire going from post on back of alternator to positive terminal on battery... alternator also has 2 wires from a plug on top (white I think is labeled 1/ running also to rear post on alternator) and red I think is labeled 2 / going to the gauge I believe.. other than that what is there?

 

We covered some of this in your earlier posts...based on the age of the truck it is probably an ammeter and there are two types...direct feed and shunt. So if it is a direct feed the wires going to and from the gauge are heavy wires like 10ga. If it's shunted the wires are light like 14ga. The small wires from the alternator have nothing to do with this type of gauge.


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Ok,
well it has the original pink and I think green wires coming from the gauge to the fuse panel and out through the firewall to alternator.

I do have heavy gauge wire connected to the post with red flange on rear of alternator going to the battery positive terminal. the pink wire from back of gauge I believe is going to fuse panel and the green wire is out the firewall, unless that's backwards..

When I pull the headlight switch I don't see any movement on the needle, before when I pulled the headlights on I saw the needle move toward the (D) which is what I would expect, so I am not sure if I have something loose or hooked up wrong, but I would really like my gauge to work.

Sorry if this is repetitive, I am still learning all this as I go.

 

Still have the same effect with the gauge, not sure if its an ammeter or not. Anyway, the gauge used to move when I pull the light switch on or use turn signals it would twitch each time the signal would flash.
Ever since installing alternator the gauge doesn't show anything, just stays in same spot regardless of using lights , heater, turn signals , horn ect.

I know some of you have said diff things to try or to look at or locate and what not, and I have done as suggested, but I see no results.
Isn't there a way to check the wiring and see how the alternator and gauge should be setup that it WILL work?

Maybe it is just me, but I do like to make sure that all the gauges and such work as they are meant to.
Thanks in advance.