Alternator/regulator upgrade

I tend to divide the charging system into sections----no particular order

Output circuit. On an OEM car this is the path from alternator output stud to battery, so wire terminals, through the bulkhead, welded splice, ammeter, back through bulkhead, fuse link, etc to battery. On a car that is NOT a "one wire" set up you can stand some voltage drop in this circuit as the regulator will just keep ramping up, but that may affect other circuits in the car, and exaggerate damage to already damaged terminals, like the bulkhead connector

Field circuit. This is the path from battery, ammeter, igntiion switch, back through the bulkhead on the "igntiion run" (ign1) circuit, to the VR, and on 70/ later, the blue field wire. Voltage drop here is very important because any drop is ADDED to the charging voltage THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST common single problem in these girls, voltage drop in this circuit. Adding a relay is an easy way out

VR...VR MUST be grounded to same potential as battery, the connection at the removable connector (70/later) must be good and tight, and of course VR must be properly functional

Alternator. On isolated field units (70/later) make certain neither brush is shorted to case WHICH HAPPENS with rebuilds Make certain pulley belt is not loose/ glazed/ misaligned etc, or that pulley ratios are not so far out of whack that it will not spin fast enough. Most alternators do not output fully until the alternator shaft is up around 5-6K RPM

Problems with alternators include the mentioned field short, or an internally PARTIALLY shorted field, one shorted or open diode, or a stater that is shorted between turns. Speed up RPM at night, watch inside alternator. If you can see a "micro lightning show" in there and it is NOT the brushes, you have insulation rubbed off the stator, and the windings are vibrating together, shorting out