67Dart273 said

OK. Review this simplified diagram:

No, driving it with no regulator will simply not charge.



Ignore all the ignition stuff to the left side below the ballast resistor.

Here's what you have. From the ignition switch (through the firewall) you have the ignition "run" feed which feeds power to the top of the ballast resistor, and BRANCHES OFF to the right and feeds ONE FIELD TERMINAL of the alternator as well as the IGN terminal of the regulator. Look at the drawing of the regulator. That plug is drawn just as if you were looking at the front of the regulator.

So with key in "run" check you should have "same as battery" voltage at the blue field wire of the alternator, and at the "I" terminal of the regulator.

Now with everything hooked up properly, remove the green field wire from the alternator. Again with the IGN switch in "run" you should have "same as battery" at the alternator field terminal from which you just disconnected the green wire.

Now take a clip lead and GROUND that alternator field terminal.

REcheck--------you should still have battery on the blue field wire, while CONNECTED normally to the alternator.

If so, start the car, bring up RPM and see if it charges

If not, check voltage at the great big output stud of the alternator. If the voltage there is quite high when bringing up RPM, say, way over 15V, and no charge shown on the ammeter, you have a wiring problem in the charging wire/ firewall connector/ ammeter circuit

If voltage is LOW, say, 12V or lower, then the alternator is NOT charging. You have an internal problem.

If however the alternator DOES charge in this test, you may have a regulator field wiring problem, or a bad regulator, or bad connection at the regulator connector.

IF the alternator DOES charge in the above test, then do the following:

Hook everything back up normal.

Disconnect the regulator connector, and devise a way to jumper the two connector wires together. Small screws work, with a clip lead. Now, disconnect the BLUE alternator field wire, and ground that alternator terminal. With the key in "run" you should now have battery at the field terminal with the GREEN wire connected.

Again start the car and see if it charges, when RPM is brought up.

BE CERTAIN that you have the regulator GROUNDED. Clean the firewall and regulator mounting flange, be sure the bolts are tight, and use star lock washers.

Click to expand...