Inliners International Forums General Discussion Electrical One wire question

This might be a stupid question but here it goes anyways.
I'm trying to get a newer internal voltage regulator to work in my 71 Camaro. It used to charge but it isn't now. I've had the alternator checked and it's good. I'm running a 10 gauge wire from the bat+ terminal on the alt to the battery positive. Am I missing something?

is it a 1 wire alternaator or just a regular internally regulated unit? your car came with a externally regulated unit. tom

Yeah my car came externally regulated. I don't thikn they went internal till 73. I may be wrong. The alternator is a regular internally regulated unit.
I also had it wired like this: Bat terminal to the #2 end of the connector and the #1 going to the battery positive. It was showing 12.7 at the battery like that, which is a couple tenths higher than the way it's hooked up now. But that's definately not charging correctly, if at all.

Try this site and see if it helps with your question
http://www.oldengine.org/unfaq/
Terry

Cool, thanks.

Well, I wired it up like that link said to, and the battery is only charging at 12.7. So I'm not sure what else is wrong. I had the alternator checked and the battery is brand new.

Maybe the problem is not the charging circuit, but your test equipment. You haven't mentioned what you are using to check the voltage, have you got an alternate?

Larry

I'm using a craftsman multi meter. I don't have an alternate. Should I be running a wire from the batt terminal straight to the #2 connector? Because I don't right now, I have it wired to the coil. I was thinking that might be the problem.

No. 2 should have 12v hooked to it. It should no go to the coil. I don't know that I would go directly to the bat., preferably to a switched 12v from the ignition switch. I thought you said you had it wired like the link said.

If you have an internally regulated alternator were did No.1 and No.2 come from?

No.1 should never be hooked to the bat..

Is the original wire harness still there? Maybe you should go back to an external regulator.

Larry

The original wiring is crap to put it lightly. I have a new engine forward harness, but it's at my parents house 400 miles away, and they can't find it. Or they haven't really looked. I need to get down there and find it myself but that would require time that I haven't had.

I ran the #2 to the coil positive so that it would get 12 volts when the car is in the on position. Or that's the theory anyways. I'm trying to interpret what the link is saying since there is no diagram showing what they mean.

I'm not sure what you are refering to as to where No. 1 and 2 come from. I don't have No. 1 hooked up to anything.

If you run #2 to the coil you are not getting 12v, unless the coil has been replaced with an HEI. Run the #2 to the bat temporarily to check the system. If you leave #2 connected to the bat you will have 12v to the alternator whether the ignition is on/off, not recommended. Here's another link same problem you have except a 81 truck;

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=30;t=004315;p=0

Larry

Stupid question but does the #1 wire need to be grounded?

No.1 wire is ground if the alternator quits charging. If the alternator is charging it could have 12v on it. Leave it disconnected or check the color (assuming there is some wire harness) and see if you can trace it back to the idiot light. You might be able to work from the idiot light to the alternator. A factory wiring diagram would be helpful. If you can trace the idiot light wire reconnect.

Larry

Well, my fuse panel is fubar so I don't know that it would help hooking it up if I could find the wire to the idiot light. I have an underdash harness on order, but it's going to be almost 2 months till I get it. I'm just trying to get it wired up so I can do some tuning and stuff so it's ready to go when I get the harness.

The idiot light wire bypasses the fuse panel, but I don't have the wiring diagram either. I would suggest you get the factory shop manual, I sure they are available as reprints.

Larry

I have a Mitchel's. I'll see if I can figure it out when I get home.

The big red wire goes to the positive on the alternator. On the pigtail, there is usually a red and a white. The red goes to the charging post on the alternator. The white goes back to the accessory side of the ignition switch if you have one, with either a light bulb (your idiot light) or a resistor in the line. Any resistor will do that's available at most auto parts stores.

Now redo all the grounds on the car, and you'll be amazed how much brighter your lights get.

You don't need either the light or the resistor if you are hooked up to the accessory switch, only needed if you don't have an accessory position on the the ignition switch. The light or resistor is to prevent the engine from continuing to run from the power from the alternator when the ignition switch is turned off. The accessory position is isolated from the ignition position, so the light or resistor are not needed in this configuration.

I tried running a wire with alligator clips from that big red wire (#2 connector) to the charging post on the alternator once and it totally fried my wires on the alligator clip wire. It got red hot and melted the insulation on the wire. I really dont think thats going to work. I don't want to catch the car on fire lol.

The good news is the alternator has output, the bad news is the electrons are not your friends. I suggest you take your car to a professional before the car does catch on fire. :rolleyes: There is a reason they use 10 awg in the wire harness for the alternator output to the battery. I'm sorry if this offends you, but you have a very nice looking car keep it that way.

Larry

It's cool. I was just saying that someone had told me to do it that way a long time ago, and it didn't work. Oh, and I am using 10 guage wire, I'm not going to chince(sp?) on that. I understand what you are saying though.

I took the long haul down to my parent's house this weekend and looked everywhere for my engine forward harness that was specially made to run the internal regulated alternator, and I couldn't find it. It looks like I'm buying a new harness. I didn find the turbo manifold that came on the car new though. It's not likely I will use it though.