New Alternator Problem

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Coryduran

Coryduran

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So I threw a new alternator into the dart, the old one was making an awful noise and wasn't charging worth a damn, so I pulled out the old one and threw this in there.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TFF-7509RCSP/

Well I went to fire it up tonight for the first time after the install, and the gauge showed it was draining, as if there was no alternator connected. I'm not sure what the problem is now at this point. I went and looked and the alternator and it was spinning right there while at idle, everything is connected, but for some reason it isn't showing on the gauge now, where even the old busted one was showing activity at least. Any suggestions?
 
Does this have TWO field connections? Did you ground the unused field terminal.
 
67Dart273 said:
Does this have TWO field connections? Did you ground the unused field terminal.
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I'm not even sure, I have to check that tomorrow, if that's not the problem does anyone have any other suggestions?
 
1969dodgedartgt said:
pull it out and take it to some basic autostore to have it tested...
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I can try that tomorrow if I can't think of anything else that could be the problem, but it's a brand new alternator out of the box, so I'm really hoping there isn't a problem like that, although I know it's not unheard of for a brand new part to come defective.
 
thats a dual fld alt. ground one of the fld terminals. better yet convert over to a dual fld regulator.
 
abodyjoe said:
thats a dual fld alt. ground one of the fld terminals. better yet convert over to a dual fld regulator.
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Would I be able to find a dual field regulator and any old car store? I.E. Pep boys, kragen oreilly, napa, etc?
 
Coryduran said:
So I threw a new alternator into the dart, the old one was making an awful noise and wasn't charging worth a damn, so I pulled out the old one and threw this in there.
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Very unwise; you are literally playing with fire. You cannot just toss a high-zmp alternator into a car with stock wiring; you will sooner than later do extensive and costly damage to your electrical system (main charge wire, bulkhead disconnect, ammeter...if you're lucky the damage will be confined there. If you're not as lucky you'll have a fire). So it's just as well that you didn't know you have to ground the unused 2nd field terminal when running a '70-up alternator in a '69-down car. See here for charging system/wiring upgrade info.[/QUOTE]

You're safe if you keep it below 50 amps; higher than that and the existing wiring will not tolerate it. Do not get a "remanufactured" alternator from a parts store (or from Summit); they're junk. You can get a brand-new Chrysler 46-amp alternator from Old Car Parts Northwest, 206-300-1083. Guy's name is Ray; tell him Dan Stern sent you. The ones he has are '70-up type with two field terminals; these are easily adaptable to your '65 -- all you have to do is connect either of the two field terminals to ground and connect your car's one and only field wire to the alternator's other field terminal.

Get a good new voltage regulator, Standard VR-128 or NAPA Echlin VR-1001. Run a ground wire, 14-gauge, from the "GRD" hole on the back of the alternator to the voltage regulator base and from there to the battery negative terminal.
 
For sure don't hook that up with the stock wiring, as Dan stated you stock electrical will not handle that alt. If not a fire then at least the bulkhead connector would probably melt. If you do decide to use it then you will have to upgrade the charge wire and ground one of the field terminals or change it over to a "dual Field" regulator. When I upgraded mine I think it was around an 80 or so amp alt. from a later model and I went with an 8 ga. charge wire. I also canceled out the bulkhead connector and just hooked up a pass through without a connector.
 
So, new wiring, new regulator, maybe go with a two field regulator and dan said 14 ga wiring?
 
14ga is nowhere near enough. You can run this alternator safely if you run an 8ga wire directly from the alternator's B+ stud to the battery's positive cable terminal, but run it thru corrugated wire loom and take care to provide adequate circuit protection (120A fuse or two 60A fuses in parallel) at both ends of this wire, so in case of a front-end crash or other catastrophe that shorts the wire to ground, you won't start an electrical fire. Adding such a heavy-gauge charge wire will take your ammeter out of the circuit, so it will no longer read accurately. Follow the link I posted to read about options for including a functional charging system gauge in your upgrade. You do not need to go to a 2-wire regulator, you can continue to run the 1-wire regulator system, but use a good quality regulator such as NAPA Echlin VR-1001 or Standard #VR-128.
 
slantsixdan said:
14ga is nowhere near enough. .
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SLOW DOWN DAN take a couple breaths, step back from the keyboard.


he was confirming, I believe, your earlier post about using a piece of no14 to provide a better ground between alternator, battery, and alternator.
 
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