Thread: alternator conversion

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I am in the process of fixing up my jeep,,with the 283 in it. Turns out the engine is from a 1966 chevelle. The alternator is good, I think, but the external voltage regulator may be in bad shape, frayed wires and all. I was thinking of converting to one with an internal regulator. Any suggestions? Can I just get one off another chevy and it will work? I read about single wire and and others. I think a newer alternator, not necesaarily a single wire will work. I want the easiest and cheapest way out. I appreciate all the help. thanks

if you use a 10si or 12si, you can ditch the external regulator and it's wiring and really clean up your engine bay.

10si and 12si have the flat, 2 pin blade connector on the side of the housing. Go buy a core at the pick-a-part and save having to pay a $30 core charge when buying one.

The alternator sould bolt right in. Hack the connector and looped wire when you get the one from the 'yard. The charge wire goes to the cable lug on the starter solenoid or to the battery, if you like. The looped wire on the plug goes to the charge lug on the alternator, and the other small wire gets keyed power through the idiot light bulb in the dash.

Wire in a volt gauge to any keyed, 12V source under the dash. DO NOT use an ammeter of any kind. Gauge fails=no charge, not to mention having another 10 feet of wire for your charging system to have to fight through (can you say "voltage drop"?).

One-wire alternators SUCK, because most parts stores don't carry them, and when your car breaks in BFE you will be SOL!

Hi Newbie here.. I have been looking for just the information here and I think "madgrinder" is the "one" to help me.

Let me explain...
I have a 57 modified chevy the charging system is a loose end I never got around to fixing. I have a 12SI alternator and these are my questions...

Bare in mind I wired this several years ago and may not of known what I was doing was wrong...

1. The big red wire "Charging wire" goes to the amp meter then goes directly to the starter selonoid.... the meter is in the charging circuit, ther is no other wire going to the battery except to the selonoid thru the amp meter.

2. The little brown wire that goes to the ignition switch, I have wired a ignition resistor in line to the switch that is wired to the acc. side of the ignition switch. This is wired totally seperate from the ignition system because I thought I needed some resistance in the line and this provided it, I did not use an idiot light.

3. I have no clue on how to wire up an amp meter or a voltmeter, and have looked all over the web looking for pictures so I could read them, if you know what I mean.

4. I think I need a little clarification on the charging circuit from you guys


....Thanks a million George...and what ever you say won't hurt my feelings...I have a feeling I wired it up wrong....


...Check my home page if you want to see the car I have had since 1973

Here is some GREAT info on wiring alternators. Check out the rest of his site too. He has some great info and materials for wiring up your car, not matter what kind it is

http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...hreewire.shtml

Pat

Stu Cool,

MAD wants to sell you the information... I have looked that site up and down for what I needed and couldn't find it...unless I over looked it... But you are right it is an excellent source of information for other things... Thanks George


Have you seen what i'm looking for????

Madgrinder pretty well explained what you need to do. I agree, get rid of the Amp gauge and change over to voltage. The exception to what MG stated I would recommend (per Mad Electric) is to wire the battery terminal from the alternator to a central distribution point, and also run the looped wire to this same point. This gives the voltage regulator the voltage level at this distribution lug instead of at the back of the alternator. If you read the info at Mad, you will understand why this is better. You should also run a heavy gauge wire from the distribution point to the battery and this is what will keep the battery charged and supply power to the system when the motor is not running.

Take a look at this diagram at the MAD site:

http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...esensing.shtml

The red wire is your 10 gauge wire coming from the alternator BAT terminal to the distribution lug. The blue wire is the looped wire that Madgrinder mentioned going back to the plug on the alternator. Connect it here instead of at the alternator BAT terminal. The remaining wire on the plug at the alternator goes to your ignition.

Hope this explains it. Going through this helps me understand better as well. One of my winter projects is to redo the electrical distribution in my car along the lines outline in the articles.

Pat

O.K. Stu Cool,

I feel like were almost there..

I agree I have learned alot on this subject so far and we may of helped each other out not knowing that.

This is the plan...

1. Amp meter comes out of the line.
2. # 10 red gauge wire off of the alt will go to distrubition block.
3. At the distrubition block one #10 will go to the battery
4. The voltage looping wire will also go to the distrubition block as you stated for better voltage sensing.


3 more questions...

1. Could the battery cable on the starter solenoid act as a distrubition lug. If so the voltage could be carried back to the battery via the battery cable??

2. Where does the volt gauge get wired to and from??

3. Is there special resistance for the field wire other than a small dash light on the dash that connects to the accessory side of the ignition switch??


Thanks George

Bigg Redd

Sorry to take so long to reply, went fishing yesterday!

To answer your questions

1. Yes I believe that will work, but it may not be the best solution to achieve maximum performance from your electical system. Running wires to power the rest of your system from the solenoid instead of from somewhere near the fire wall or perhaps hidden under a fenderwell would make longer wire runs.

2. You would want to hook up the voltage gauge from the location you want to monitor your electrical system from. That would be where your most important power accessories get their power.

3. This one I am not sure of. Perhaps someone else has an answer.

Hope this helps

Pat

Stu Cool,

1. I am going with a distrubition block and make all charging wires #8 gauge even to the battery in the trunk..

2. Good on the volt gauge..

3. I need someone else to chime in on this one.
What is used for a resistor in the field wire circuit.


Thanks George

A resistor in the field wire is only to compensate for the idiot bulb blowing. When the car is wired at the factory, a resistor is installed PARALLEL to the idiot bulb. That way, if the bulb blows, the charging system will still come on as usual.

The wire at the alternator just gets "key power" if you are using a volt gauge or amp gauge (noooooo!!!!)

Hope it helps...tech note: take your NEW alternator and have it tested BEFORE you wire the system. That way you know if the system failed, or if it was a bad alternator. it's been known to happen.

Madgrinder,

I really never understood the idiot light thing. When the engine is off the light is on...when the engine is on the light is off because it is charging. How does that work??? Is there something in the alt that makes that happen.

I must of been asleep in tech school when that was covered.

Do I need a idiot light, can I wire straight to the switch then I wont need to worry about the light blowing out...


Thanks George

George, this might help.

http://www.powermastermotorsports.co...ternators.html

Oh yes......it helped.. I see I need to go one more gauge higher for my trunk mounted battery from a 8 to a 6 gauge size...

Thanks...any and all reading information is helpful.


Belive it or not I have learned more about alternators in the past week from everyones websites they have provided and reading information than in the last 10 years of being around cars

My wife says she is a CHR forum widow...LOL

Thanks George.

Where does one find a junction block with one pole on it to hook up all of the hot wires to... I have been to Advance, Auto Zone, Radio Shack, W/M, Home Depot, Chevy dealer and one local private parts dealer. Does anyone have any other suggestions...... Thanks..BR549

George, any truck supply stores near you, or perhaps a truck stop, or repair shop that specializes in HD trucks?