Help! Frying the fusible link!

[dartman59]

Last fall, we fried the fusible link when putting in the a new alternator with the battery still hooked up. D'oh! So now, we have everything squared away with the new fusible link and when we hook it all together, and attach the battery, There is a spark at the battery, and the fusible link starts to smoke. we check continuity on the alternator/charge circuit, and everything seems to be okay. Am I missing something here?

 

[67Dart273]

Might be a bad alternator, is that all you are hooking up?

GENERALLY "the" way to troubleshoot shorts of this nature is by putting a lamp in series with battery ground so you don't frizzle stuff

I utilize three different lamps "in general.".............

Start with a HEAVY lamp, like a headlamp

Another good tool is a stop / tail socket with a bulb. You can wire this in combination a number of ways

use the ground shell for one terminal

Twist the two socket wires together for the other terminal

Now you have a nice heavy wattage lamp

================

For a little less, untwist the two wires, and use the bright stop filament

For a smaller lamp yet, use only the tail wire

=================

And for a REALLY light wattage bulb, don't use the shell. Instead use the two socket wires as the terminals. This puts the two lamp terminals in series

================

Anyhow, start out with your "heavy" bulb

Unhook the battery ground, and hook your bulb in series with the ground

You could not have a wrench shorting the main battery cable to engine or body, and the only thing that will happen is that your test lamp will light!!!

Try unhooking ONLY the alternator, hook up your test lamp. Touch the black alternator wire to the alternator output stud. If the lamp lights.........YOU have a shorted alternator

 

[dartman59]

You are the MAN! I've noticed that you alwAys pipe up with spot-on electrical advice. I was hoping you would see my plea for help. I'll remember your lamp suggestions for next time. For now, I figured it must be the alternator. It's my son's '72 /6 Dart. Last fall, I gave him an old alternAtor I had lying around to replace his aging one. When he went to install it is when he cried the link. Just now getting back to it. Anyways, we put the old one back on, and viola! Problem solved (except for a weak alternator, or so he says. Thanks again!

 

[67Dart273]

You are welcome. There are a number of ways this can happen.......damaged insulation on stator windings, one or more shorted diodes, or broken / improper / missing insulator parts where the stud comes out.

Or, LMAO, some "schtizck" might have installed the diodes all backwards, and "converted" the thing to a positive ground device

 

[66fyssh]

Might be a bad alternator, is that all you are hooking up?

GENERALLY "the" way to troubleshoot shorts of this nature is by putting a lamp in series with battery ground so you don't frizzle stuff

I utilize three different lamps "in general.".............

Start with a HEAVY lamp, like a headlamp

Another good tool is a stop / tail socket with a bulb. You can wire this in combination a number of ways

use the ground shell for one terminal

Twist the two socket wires together for the other terminal

Now you have a nice heavy wattage lamp

================

For a little less, untwist the two wires, and use the bright stop filament

For a smaller lamp yet, use only the tail wire

=================

And for a REALLY light wattage bulb, don't use the shell. Instead use the two socket wires as the terminals. This puts the two lamp terminals in series

================

Anyhow, start out with your "heavy" bulb

Unhook the battery ground, and hook your bulb in series with the ground

You could not have a wrench shorting the main battery cable to engine or body, and the only thing that will happen is that your test lamp will light!!!

Try unhooking ONLY the alternator, hook up your test lamp. Touch the black alternator wire to the alternator output stud. If the lamp lights.........YOU have a shorted alternator

Love the idea! Thanks!! I'm sure I'll use it myself one day!