When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Not sure about the amperage. What about wiring kit from Midfifties? Is it a good kit? I am working with a budget
I also purchased that alternator wiring kit from Mid-fifty. It's okay, I ended up changing out the charge wire. The kit only comes with a 12 ga. charge wire which is fine for older 35-45 amp alternators. Since most alternators today have a minimum rating of 70 amps I installed an 8 ga. charge wire. Aside from that, I was easily able to connect the Mid-fifty alternator harness to the Painless universal wiring kit I installed. It's merely two wires to the regulator that are included in the wiring kit, one constant 12V and one switched 12V.
It goes from the big terminal post on the alternator to a 80 amp fusible link (or circuit breaker), through the ammeter loop, from right to left, and then to the battery side of the starter relay. I know it seems redundant but there is a good reason for doing it that way. Since you have an aftermarket wiring kit with unknown-to-me schematics and unknown alternator specifications, we are winging it, my friend. Good luck.
I see your truck has an older style Delco alternator with internal regulator. Those work good and are rock solid reliable. Does your truck have a generator light or an ammeter gauge?
On my truck with a generator light, the output wire goes directly from the alternator to the terminal on the firewall mounted starter relay that has the cable to the battery. Well, I did connect it to the Painless MIDI fuse then is goes to that terminal on the starter relay. I did that just to protect wiring in case something shorts inside the alternator.
I believe your alternator harness from Mid-fifty has a fusible link in the alternator output wire. So, if you have a generator light, you can connect the output wire directly to that terminal on the starter relay. If you have an original ammeter, I hope somebody else will chime in. Because some other changes will have to be made to incorporate the ammeter into the circuit.
If you have an original ammeter, Mid-fifty sells them converted to a voltmeter. It's a much more accurate method monitoring the charging/battery system, easier to connect and integrate into the wiring, and still looks original. It would simplify connecting the alternator. The reason I mention this, if you simply run the alternator output wire through the loop/hook on the back of the original inductive type ammeter, as long as the alternator is doing something, it will always read charge and never be correct. It's your project and truck, but it the budget permits, my personal preference would be the voltmeter conversion.
If you have an original ammeter, I hope somebody else will chime in. Please read my previous post.
Because some other changes will have to be made to incorporate the ammeter into the circuit. Nope.
If you have an original ammeter, Mid-fifty sells them converted to a voltmeter. It's a much more accurate method monitoring the charging/battery system, Nope again. A voltmeter only indicates status, an ammeter measures alt/gen output in amperes.
.... easier to connect and integrate into the wiring, and still looks original. It would simplify connecting the alternator. What could be simpler than passing a wire through a loop? No terminations required.
The reason I mention this, if you simply run the alternator output wire through the loop/hook on the back of the original inductive type ammeter, as long as the alternator is doing something, it will always read charge and never be correct. Nope x3. When the battery has recovered from the starting drain the ammeter will show zero to whatever amps the system is using. If you have an excessively heavy load such as A/C or air compressor, if the alternator can't compensate the ammeter will show a discharge.
I just happened to re-read - "as long as the alternator is doing something, it will always read charge". Same is true of a generator.
I guess my confusion is if the charge wire goes from the alternator then looped through the back of the inductive ammeter then to the battery, when will electrical current be flowing from the battery to the alternator through that charge wire? For the ammeter to have a discharge reading that is what would have to occur. I might have missed something, but, connected in that manner the electrical loads from things such as the lights, ignition, heater, etc. will not flow through that wire.
For example, maybe there are 40 amps of load from lights and other stuff but maybe the alternator is not working correctly so is can only charge at 30 amps. Because the charge wire only sees the 30 amp flow to the battery from the alternator and not the 40 amp load drawing out of the battery, the ammeter will read charging when in fact there is a net discharge.
I see your truck has an older style Delco alternator with internal regulator. Those work good and are rock solid reliable. Does your truck have a generator light or an ammeter gauge?
On my truck with a generator light, the output wire goes directly from the alternator to the terminal on the firewall mounted starter relay that has the cable to the battery. Well, I did connect it to the Painless MIDI fuse then is goes to that terminal on the starter relay. I did that just to protect wiring in case something shorts inside the alternator.
I believe your alternator harness from Mid-fifty has a fusible link in the alternator output wire. So, if you have a generator light, you can connect the output wire directly to that terminal on the starter relay. If you have an original ammeter, I hope somebody else will chime in. Because some other changes will have to be made to incorporate the ammeter into the circuit.
If you have an original ammeter, Mid-fifty sells them converted to a voltmeter. It's a much more accurate method monitoring the charging/battery system, easier to connect and integrate into the wiring, and still looks original. It would simplify connecting the alternator. The reason I mention this, if you simply run the alternator output wire through the loop/hook on the back of the original inductive type ammeter, as long as the alternator is doing something, it will always read charge and never be correct. It's your project and truck, but it the budget permits, my personal preference would be the voltmeter conversion.
ok thank you. The wiring was very Gerry rigged. No fuse block. That is why I have to completely rewire. I have printed off wiring schematics
I haven't looked online recently at Mid-fifty's website. But, in their 2020 catalog I have they show voltmeters to replace the original ammeter for 1953-1955 F100's. They look like the original ammeter from the front. I think they are calibrated to read 12V when the needle is in the middle.
I guess my confusion is if the charge wire goes from the alternator then looped through the back of the inductive ammeter then to the battery, when will electrical current be flowing from the battery to the alternator through that charge wire? For the ammeter to have a discharge reading that is what would have to occur. I might have missed something, but, connected in that manner the electrical loads from things such as the lights, ignition, heater, etc. will not flow through that wire.
For example, maybe there are 40 amps of load from lights and other stuff but maybe the alternator is not working correctly so is can only charge at 30 amps. Because the charge wire only sees the 30 amp flow to the battery from the alternator and not the 40 amp load drawing out of the battery, the ammeter will read charging when in fact there is a net discharge.
The alternator output wiring ("charge wire") takes the very same electrical path as the original generator wiring with the exception of reversing the direction through the Hall Effect loop on the ammeter, and eliminating the voltage regulator. In the original configuration though, the output wire would terminate at the circuit breakers behind the dash after passing through the ammeter loop (which you could also do if you chose to instead of running to the starter relay).
The alternator output wiring ("charge wire") takes the very same electrical path as the original generator wiring with the exception of reversing the direction through the Hall Effect loop on the ammeter, and eliminating the voltage regulator. In the original configuration though, the output wire would terminate at the circuit breakers behind the dash after passing through the ammeter loop (which you could also do if you chose to instead of running to the starter relay).
I'm no expert on 1953 wiring, but, from the original wiring diagram Mid-fifty has there are many wires connected to that circuit breaker in parallel, the ignition switch, light switch, brake light switch, etc. From the diagram, depending on the electrical load from lights and such, the charge wire can experience amperage flow in both directions enabling the ammeter to operate correctly. With the new modern wiring harness, without significant changes to it you cannot connect the charge wire through the ammeter in a manner that electrical loads from lights and such will pass through the charge wire.
The way I see it, it's the wire from the breaker to the battery that goes through the loop. That way it will show if the battery is discharging or charging regardless of the power supply. As long as the generator/ alternator is supplying the loads there will be no drain on the battery and it will show neutral or charge on the ammeter.
Last edited by 51fred; May 29, 2020 at 03:39 PM.
Reason: More info
I stated earlier that you could run the alternator output wire to the circuit breakers if you chose to do it that way. Of course, EZ Wire wants to sell you a voltmeter too. I also stated that the alternator output wire follows the same electrical path as the original generator output wire. This schematic shows it (I X'd out the voltage regulator because yours is integral). Follow the magenta line. I don't know how I can make it more clear. Oh, and you still have to flip the wire through the ammeter loop.
Well, this will be my last post in this thread because I don't see how it will work. I mean work correctly. You might be missing how the other wires that originally attached to the circuit breaker (that is also a power distribution block) affect the current flow through the charge wire and thus, the ammeter operation. Unless I missed something critical, the power distribution to the light switch, dome light, and other components is now different and isolated from the charge wire.
The way I see it, it's the wire from the breaker to the battery that goes through the loop. That way it will show if the battery is discharging or charging regardless of the power supply. As long as the generator/ alternator is supplying the loads there will be no drain on the battery and it will show neutral or charge on the ammeter.
Exactly. And the yellow wire that passes through the ammeter loop to the starter relay must be the same AWG size as the alternator output wire.
The small red wire is the sensing circuit and should be connected to the battery side of the starter relay. The other small wire is the field, which should be white, should be connected to the "I" terminal on the ignition switch. But since your wires don't match the color code, all bets are off. Hopefully your alternator is rated under 50 amps, that output wire looks like AWG 12 or 10. And of course you need an electrical ground to the alternator case.
The smaller if the two wires plugged in together I traced back and it is attached to one side of the temp gauge that does not make since to me
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
