74 Duster trying to MELTDOWN!

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airkiller

airkiller

MOPARS Rule
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I hope some one can help me here. I have a 74 Duster that I am finishing up restoring and have some major issues with the electrical system. The car was completely torn down with all of the wireing harnesses removed for painting. I have installed everthing as it was to begin with but have burned an under hood harness once already. I have purchased a replacement harness and used it to provide replacement fuse link and bulk head connector for the original harness and have tried a second time to get the car running but still have a HUGE overcharging issue. When the car is running, the Ampmeter is pegged to the right showing a heavy charge rate. The large gauge wires to and from the ampmeter are getting hot and theatening to melt down again if I let the car run for more than 1 or 2 minutes. I have the cluster out of the dash with all of the wires isolated and know for a fact I have noting drawing a short from inside the car. I just replaced the voltage Regulator thinking it was the problem, but no change. ANYONE have any ideas?
 
I think you need to get off here and find someone locally to help you. It's different when

the car is working and something goes wrong

or you make a change/ add something/ different ignition or different alternator

and AFTER a minor change like the above, something "smokes."

But in THIS CASE you have had the car completely apart, and now after reassembly have a major MAJOR smoke issue.

Time to find a local friend who knows wiring

You have a shop manual? You have the wiring diagrams? You know how to read them?
 
I have the shop manual and have gone over the schematic. I have alot of background in electronics so I know my way around wires and such. I am reasonabley confident that I have put things back together as they were so this should not be rocket science, at least I hope not.
 
Well buddy if you are that smart and equipped, DIG IN, man!!!!


First thing to do is yank the field wires off the alternator so you can see if that kills it, then hook them back up with the regulator unhooked. If you get that far, I'd say it's time to do some troubleshooting and use that thing underneath your hat
 
sound like you have a power wire grounded somewhere. Or the car is not grounded did you reinstall the ground strap from the motor to the frame. if the clusteer is out check that the two main wires arent touching in the dash. One time I purshased three voltage regulators befor i got one that worked. But I would relly be looking for a grounded powerwire. A main wire or something. Good luck I would love to help if I was home.
 
I have had the cluster rebuilt during this project. I have heard about some later models having some effect on the electrical system like this. What should I be looking for. Can the pc board on the back of the cluster can be changed if that is the trouble?
 
Try bypassing the ammeter(hook both wires together) then check charging volts. Then take off battery wire from alt, run a jumper straight to pos on battery, and check voltage. 1st test takes ammeter out; 2nd takes bulkhead connector out.
 
As it turned out, the new Die-Hrad battery from Sear was bad. All is back to normal, at least it appears to be at this time.
 
Wow thats great man.

green1 I never now how to test those Im gonna have to save that for my toolbox thanks.
 
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