Squareback Connection to Electronic VR

[olddman]

Making repairs to engine wiring harness. When I removed the tape from wires I found that there was one wire from field terminal of alternator to F post of VR and one wire from second field terminal of alternator to I post of VR. Neither wire was wire was connected to ignition side of ballast resistor. Thought one of the wires had to connected to wire that was hot when ignition was on.
What are consequences of the way this was wired?
Both field terminals on alternator are isolated.

 

[67Dart273]

Well the I post of VR has to go to switched battery power--in other words the key side of the ballast, or it won't work, so where did that go?

There is only one switched power source into the engine bay that is hot in run. Comes from the only key contact that is hot in run, the IGN1 "run" line.

Really simple......

1...VR must be grounded
2....Green F wire only goes from either alternator F terminal to F terminal on VR and nowhere else
3....Remaining F terminal of alternator, and the I terminal of VR both go to switched battery power.

 

[Mattax]

An isolated field regulator can be connected from a splice like this.

or this

Or any variation on that allows the regulator 'I" terminal to sense the system voltage after the key switch.

Your '65 was originally wired for a regulator that controlled the feed. So someone spliced wires to use the other regulator.
Unfortunately you found they used squeeze crimps which aren't very good for connections.
If the wiring for the regulator with the triangular plug is hassle due to cuts and splices, going back to the original regulation is always an option.

 

[olddman]

I can not find a wire that connected the I post to switched battery power. Have had car many years and only problem I have had is brightness of lights going up and down. Here recently bad case of interior/dash lights flickering.

 

[Mattax]

In your other thread you described two wires joined at one of the field terminals. One of them is likely tied into a power source.

Which Voltage Regulator is on the car?
Does it have a triangular plug ?

 

[olddman]

Have and electronic regulator. Plug is triangular.
Triangular plug has white and green wire. White wire goes to F post, green wire to I post. Black wire from field terminal runs beside blue wire and is spliced where they are both connected to green wire. Blue wire is cut about six inches from alternator. Black wire is taking place of blue wire. The blue wire is just a dead wire now.
Plan on unwrapping entire harness this afternoon, but so far I have not been able to find a wire that goes to a switch on power source.
Car came with Chrysler electronic ignition, Chrysler electronic VR, and the newer alternator.

 

[olddman]

Alright, I just got back in from striping the tape off of the wiring harness. Never saw such a mess!! Different color wires connected to different colored wires. Have attached pictures.
Here is what I saw and found out. Hope you can follow!

Starting at alternator:
1. Yellow wire from field terminal connected to green wire about eight inches back. Green wire connects to green wire at VR plug. This connects to "I" post on VR.
2. Black wire from second field terminal connects to white wire on VR plug. This connects to "F" post on VR. A Blue wire is also connected at this junction. Blue wire, connected to White and Black wire, goes for about a foot and is then connected to a Black wire. Black wire goes to plugin for ballast resistor where it is connected to two other wires. One wire is Black and goes to bulkhead plugin. Light gray wire with stripe goes to electronic ignition.
3. Blue wire that is cut near alternator is connected to a Black wire about eight inches back. Black wire connects to a Blue wire a couple inches form the bulkhead. At bulkhead Blue wire was attached to spade. (In photo spade is one with blue tape on it.) This spade is hot if key is on or off. Do not know what this terminal is supposed to attach to or used for.
So, it looks like the "F" post on VR is connected to the ballast resistor to get switched battery power. Should I disconnect the Blue wire from the "F" post and connect it to the Green wire attached to the "I" post?

 

[olddman]

Been online looking for bulkhead connector like the one in my Dart. On the For B Bodies Only site I found a picture like mine on their General Mopar Tech Discussion from 2017. Member was asking why did mopar make the bulkhead connector less reliable. The picture he has posted was in his 1962 Belvedere. Said that the the two wires (Red and Black) that go from the alternator to the ammeter and back out to the starter relay utilized a bolted connection much like a buss. In order to remove the wires, both of the bolts had to be removed.
Looks like I have a bulkhead connector for a 1962 Belvedere in my 1965 Dart.
When I run new wires should I connect battery terminal on alternator to this connector?

 

[Mattax]

I'm sorry I really don't know what was used in a '62 B body.

Nor do I know what they think the Packard Electric Division connectors were less reliable than.
As far as I can tell pretty cutting edge at the time, and still not too shabby.

If you are in need of a '65 Bulkhead connector, post in the wanted section.
Do you need the part that snaps into the firewall?
Or just the made for the top connector in your photo?

If its just that top connector, that could be the same as other years.
I've seen a '65 B body with similar or same connector assembly as the '65 A bodies.
There's several people here who know the '65s pretty well. They just may not be looking at this thread.

 

[Mattax]

Light gray wire with stripe goes to electronic ignition

Thats a part of the connector pigtail. That and the Voltage Regulator's pigtail will have to be spliced into.
For the rest of it, I'd start over and replace the Run circuit, and if the alternator output wire is compromised, repair or replace that. That R6 wire if it needs replacing must be 12 gage, have really good crimps, and be routed so its secure and protected.
Normally following the factory routing provides a good path and mounting locations, but it will depend somewhat on where the electronic ignition and new voltage regulator are placed.

My recollection is that you have packard terminals and crimpers.
These are the five wires on the ignition and regulator circuit that I'd re-install.

To connect the four wires at the ballast resistor, use one piggyback and make pair the wires on the female terminals.

Piggyback slides onto the ballast resistor.

Pair wires to use the terminal as a junction.

That's a way to joint 4 wires together without a big splice.
And if you need to trouble shoot, its easy to probe or disconnect.

 

[olddman]

Do not need the bulkhead connector, it is fine. Did replace the wiring harness bulkhead plugin. It fit right into the bulkhead connector. There is a fusible link going from the terminal like in your picture to the starter solenoid. There was Red wire from the battery terminal on the alternator to the starter solenoid and then another Red wire to the battery.
Should I run new wire from alternator battery terminal to the R6 terminal on the bulkhead connector when I make repairs to wiring harness?

 

[Mattax]

Should I run new wire from alternator battery terminal to the R6 terminal on the bulkhead connector when I make repairs to wiring harness?

I'd like to say yes BUT we don't know if there have been changes or damage between the bulkhead and the main splice (under the dash).

From this

There was Red wire from the battery terminal on the alternator to the starter solenoid and then another Red wire to the battery.

I'm going to guess that someone bypassed or removed the ammeter.
Has the ammeter been showing 'discharge' all the time ?
If so, then the ammeter is still wired in.

We don't know if the rerouting of the R6 wire was caused by, or resulted in, damage from the bulkhead alternator connection to the main splice.
If there is no damage I would definately put an R6 wire back the way the factory had it.
If there is damage, then its a little more complicated.

 

[Mattax]

So, it looks like the "F" post on VR is connected to the ballast resistor to get switched battery power.

Based on your description, it does seem that the pigtail colors confused whomever was wiring in the regulator.

This is what I drew based on your observations 1 2 3 above.

Should I disconnect the Blue wire from the "F" post and connect it to the Green wire attached to the "I" post?

Hate to say it but I'd just start over and remake the Ignition and Alternator Field circuits. Too many splices, color changes, and not sure of wire size or condition.
I might even get a regulator pigtail with the standard Chrysler color identification of blue to I and Green to F. Or at least get some colored electriction's tape and remark it.

Connections should be like this.

Using standard Chrysler Colors:

Where the ignition-run wires connect to each other is not critical.
Route and join them as the best works with the layout in the engine bay.
This would be OK and may be what the person was trying to do.