alternator going out?

[duster-z]

i had a slant six in my duster and now it has a 360 in it, i upgraded to electronic ingnition im using the altenator off of the slant six, the build plate says it is a heavy duty and has the big box windows on the back, i have also upgraded the head lights to modern bulbs inside fixtures and have put in a newer radio, and the car also came with ac, i dont know if any of this affects it

the problem i am having is that at night i noticed when the headlights are on they are dim at an idle then when i push the gas they get brighter and during the day the gage is all over the place at different times

 

[oldkimmer]

........prolly need a regulator.......u may have a loose wire..........kim.........

 

[67Dart273]

Start here:

http://www.madelectrical.com/

http://www.madelectrical.com/electrical-tech.shtml

In particular read this:

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml

The problems with "all our old girls" is several

First, OEM Mopar alternators simply do not put out much amperage at low shaft speeds as compared to some newer designs.

Second, you have a few problems with the factory wiring setup, (the last link)

The fact that Mopar used a "full current" ammeter means that ALL heavy current has to go through a lot of wiring. This can lead to "voltage drop."

Second, several high current connectors go THROUGH THE FIREWALL (bulkhead) connector. These connections were really NEVER adequate for high current, and now that people tend to install larger alternators, larger wattage headlights, bigger stereos, etc, AND they have deteriorated over the years (some of us FORGET how OLD these cars are!!) means that all of this stuff adds up

Also read the link at Mad about headlight relays.

The general idea is to do several things:

One way is to convert the ammeter to either an "external shunt" type or replace it with a voltmeter.

You can bypass the ammeter which reduces the load on the bulkhead connector.

You can install headlight relays which can draw power from the starter relay stud under the hood, thus relieving more strain on the bulkhead connector

Do a search here on things like alternator, "voltage drop", alternator, "ammeter bypass", etc.

 

[duster-z]

i went and got the fusable links to do what the third link says to do but the wire inside it looks really small how are you supposed to connect the two 10gage wires to the small fusiable link

 

[67Dart273]

I'd solder/ heat shrink or tape them.