Couple of weeks ago truck started dying once I got over 30 mph. Ran a load test, looks like it's a problem with wiring b/w voltage regular and alternator. Got into a heated discussion about the stator wire. Motor manual shows 2 different connections, one for an ammeter, one for an idiot light. There's no ammeter on this truck (whether it had one originally or not don't know). This morning when we started it, the stator wire melted b/c it was hooked up wrong. Where is the stator wire supposed to run from and to? The plug has the usual wires but it looks like the stator wire was never hooked up, what's with that and was it supposed to be? Have found about 50 different answers, it's my only vehicle. Any good advice??
thanks

 

Welcome aboard.
Dump the alternator/regulator configuration that you have and put in a single wire internal regulator unit.
You only need one wire from the new unit to the battery and all your problems will go away.
Semper Fi

 

I know you're not talking about a GM 1 wire alternator. I already have two of those headaches one in the garage and one in the back yard. If you're talking Ford, keep talking.

 

Stater terminal on the alternator is not hooked to anything.
Stater wire off the VR is not hooked to anything.

Stater terminal on the alternator puts out 7v. My alternator rebuild guy told me that ford only used the stater terminal in the 70's for the electronic choke on the carb.

The factory VR plug does not have any wires going into the stater section of the VR.

F on VR goes to Field Post on Alitnator
S on VR goes nowhere
A on VR goes to Batt side of Starter Solenoid
I on VR goes to wire going into cab to the ignition switch or Amp/volt gauge. (I traced the wiring on my '68 because it is almost all apart and the wire going into the cab was split to the ammeter and the ignition switch behind the speedo cluster)

Batt terminal on Alt goes to Batt side of Starter Solenoid
Stater terminal on Batt is not hooked to anything (unless you have a factory electronic choke on carb)
Field terminal on Alt goes to F post on VR
Ground post on Alt goes to chassis ground (usually one of the bolts holding the VR to the rad support.

I just redid my '72 charging system this way. It works great. I used 8 gauge for the alt bat wire and 12 gauge for the rest of the wiring. I also added a fuesable link (fuesable wire 10 gauge) on the 8 gauge batt wire.

 

Yep. There is either a thread on here somewhere or on the internet about using, I think, a taurus alternator on the truck. The newer alternator has a built in VR. I think its more than 1 wire though. I don't really know much about the conversion.

 

OK it's in the wiring. I replaced the alternator, battery, voltage regulator, starter solenoid. the battery is not getting juice. it's either in the pigtail or maybe, the wiring from the ignition switch. whatdoya think guys? it's making me bang my head against the wall and giving me a headache.

 

Today I shut the truck off after driving at 20 mph b/c the alternator isn't engaging and instead of turning the heater off before i shut off the truck which i always do, i left it running and then shut off the truck -- and the heater was still running. in fact so was the stereo. What in the world? So then I pulled the starter plug off the front of the starter solenoid which should have prevented the truck from starting and it started anyway. Yowza! So somewhere I'm either hooked up opposite from right, or i've got a constant running in teh wrong place. anyhow, so that's where i sit now. Going to take the alternator back off and double check to make sure the plugs are on the right place, and then consider the ignition switch. I have an aftermarket stereo wired into the ignition, but my memory wire has never worked. I'm beginning to think my ignition is either out. Also the red and green wire that comes off the ignition is not hooked up under the hood. I believe that when it was hooked up it started smoking under the dash. So we disconnected it. I'm questioning the hookup of everything at this point. Any advice or good jokes?? I can take it.

 

I am thinking ignition switch,

The battery and all the accessories are hooked to the larger post on the starter solenoid on the battery side.

The other larger post should only have the wire going to the starter.

The smaller post on the battery side goes to the ignition switch.
The smaller post on the starter side comes from the ignition switch.

At least that how I think I have mine hooked up right now.
My '72 that I have been playing with is at the shop and some mean person cut my wires (and took the terminals) going to the small posts on the started solenoid and that is how I got it to work after putting new ends on.

The ignition switch gets a hot lead from the battery and controls power distribution to the fuse panel (heater and radio) and also to the starter.

I say redo the charging wiring as I mentioned above and also replace you ignition switch.

 

OP's profile says 1970 F250 = There were TWO different ignition switches used in 1970, they do not interchange.

All 1968/69 F100/750's & 1970 F100/750's before serial number G90,001 (& 1968/69 passenger cars) came with an ignition switch (C8AZ11572A) that shorted out and caught FIRE

Look at the last 6 digits of the VIN, see if the 1970's serial number is before G90,001.

If it is, Ford replaced the (C8AZ11572A) switch in 1971 with a different type (it is not the same as 1970 from serial number G90,001 & 1971/72).

The new switch (D1AZ11572C Motorcraft SW1054) comes with a pigtailed wire/plug that is spliced into the wiring loom. It's still available from Ford.

Some of these switches were replaced under Warranty, some were not, because there were no mandatory recalls back then. At that time, it was up to the dealers to notify the customers when a part was defective.

If the switch has been replaced, you will see where the wires from the plug were spliced.

IF the 1970's serial number is from G90,001, the switch is the same as 1971/72 (D0TZ11572A Motorcraft SW944). There were no issues with this switch.

 

7283-F250 thanks for the info, that's REAL interesting to note. I don't know, I installed that ignition off another truck, will have to look at the numbers. Noticed on my other truck, a 69 Ranger, that there is a black ground wire going to the voltage regulator coming out of wiring loom (not the pigtail). I'm assuming there is supposed to be a black ground wire on the 70 but with Ford I never know. Something's wrong because the alternator is not engaging. Also, the green/red wire that is for the ammeter/idiot light was disconnected b/c I have neither. However, what's the white wire/black stripe? Something is definitely hooked up to a constant source b/c the heater/stereo come on with the key off. And none of this was happening until we wired in the voltage regulator and alternator, and my son rewired the stereo. He's learning...I guess.

 

Not 100% positive here but I think the field wire is what tells the alt to put power out.

The I on the VR needs to go to the ignition to tell the F to send a signal to the Alt.
If all the wires to the cab from the charging system are cut the VR will never get a signal to tell the Alt to charge.

And why I think the radio and heater stay running is due to a short or open in the ignition switch. Kind of like the key staying in the on position when it is not.

Is the wiring stock or did you replace some of the wiring from another truck of a different year?

 

I think you're right. I think it's in the ignition switch also. It's not the original ignition switch but when the stereo got hooked in i started having problems. I'll check the ignition switch. thank you for all your responses. you've been a bighelp, i'll let you know what pans out.