And here I was thinking it was something to do with reading AC on a DC scale with root mean square problems, something to do with the square root of 2, etc. Is it really that simple?

 

AFAICT <filll>

But I'm just an ignorant thug.

 

ok guys i checked the voltage on that wire while the truck was running, and it read 1.16 volts.
i traced the wire back to a relay (at least that's what it looks like) i took some pictures, but i forgot how to post pics. can some one let me know how to post pics.

 

You have a problem, Houston.

For posting pictures, you need to have them some place on the internet. I put mine here on FTE. Follow these steps:

1. Click on User CP, meaning Control Panel, on the upper left. That takes you to your CP.
2. On the left, under Networking, you'll see several things including Pictures & Albums - click that
3. If you don't have any albums you need to create one, so click on Add Album and name one and save it
4. Now that you have an album, go into it you'll see "upload pictures" on the left. Click that
5. Your picture(s) need to be accessable from the computer you are doing this from, so click Chose File and navigate to the picture you want
6. Select the picture(s), one at a time, going back to Chose File for up to 3
7. When through selecting then click Upload.
8. Once they are uploaded you'll have a chance to change the caption of each picture - or not as you see fit - and then save it or hit OK, whatever it is

Now that you have pictures loaded (you could also use Photobucket or somesuch), go look at the picture and highlight the URL at the top of the page and then hit Control C to copy it. Type up your post using the Advanced editor and where you want the picture click the yellowish mountain postcard up above - 4 from the right on my menu bar. When that comes up click in the URL spot and hit Control V to paste the pictures URL. Hit ok and the picture's URL will be pasted in. You can hit Preview to see it.

 

If you host them on some photosharing site you can just right click and copy the bbcode url they give you there, then open a reply window here, right click and paste it into your reply.

 

IOW, Gary, you are doing it the hard way. But, where's the fun in doing it the easy way? No 8-page micro-analysis?

 

It shouldn't be going to any relay. It should be wired direct to the Alternator. That relay may be a resistor that is reducing the voltage on that particular wire. See if you can get a wire run from the stator on the alternator and that should get you where you need to be.

 

Why the need for a resistor?
I want to see a picture of this....

 

here are to pictures, one pic of the carb, one of the relay or what ever it is, and the other is to show you where the relay thing is (beside the brake booster)

 

Well, that's not the way it is supposed to be. At all. My guess is that the PO was piping full battery voltage to the choke, and the relay was to be pulled in by the alternator, thereby supplying full voltage. But, that is purely guess.

Anyway, do what Lavatan suggested, and run the wire directly to the S (stator) terminal of the alternator. You'll need to pull the negative battery cable to do this as you are going to be working around the battery. And, it is hard to spot the S terminal, although it should say "S" if you can get a small mirror there, so it will probably be easier to take the alternator loose by pulling the top and bottom bolts. You can leave the other wires and just lay the alternator forward so you can see that terminal, put a connector on it, and a nut over the connector.

 

You can do that here with pictures in Galleries & Albums, too.

 

I'd tend to agree that something is wired wrong, but it sure looks like it has been that way for a long time.
And that IS a FoMoCo component, whatever it is....

The OP states the choke had been working properly.
Every diagram I have shows the white/black choke wire coming from the 'S' terminal like I said in post #5.
We all know that it will work if it's wired that way.

Someone has been all over in that engine.
Probably has a solid lifter cam.
Can't see any other reason to have T-handle valve cover bolts unless you need to adjust them every couple of thousand miles.

 

ok so i took the starter out...the wire i'm holding goes to what is labeled "STA" on the alternator, this wire was connected to another wire which ran to that relay i took a picture of, i havn't checked the voltage on this wire, but would this be the stator wire that i should run to my choke??

 

Yes, STA is the stator. Run a wire from there to the choke and you are going to be pleased with the choke - assuming it hasn't been "adjusted" to compensate for not working properly.

 

When I had the fire prone 2G like yours I had a similar plug, but the white/black wire on the choke went directly to it.

It's hard to make out the Ford engineering number of the "relay" on my little netbook screen. Can you post the number so we can determine the application?