I have a 73 f100 and when I got it it had a chevy alternator on someone had rigged on it but it would'nt set straight so I went to put a good old ford alternator back on it but the wireres for it was gone so I rewired the alternator and regulator back up but the thing dosent want to charge all the time If I rev the engine up real high it kicks it in some one told me it was because the stater wire has to hook up to the choke but my choke is manual and there is no place to hook it advice would be appreciated

 

I know you want to keep your truck original, but the GM alternator has an internal voltage regulator and it's a very simple retrofit on ANYTHING. You might want to go back to it. I've been running one on my '72 for about 5 years with no problems whatsoever. If you want the diagrams e'mail me at
trailridr(No Email Addresses In Posts!)

Trail Rider

 

I am glad for the info but I would rather have the ford on there its cheeper and ford is all I know I just wish someone could tell me why my altenator doesnt charge unless I rev the ingine up

 

Not sure if a 73 has the voltage regulator on it or not. You could check that out, I had the same problem with my 70. Ended up being the regulator, If you have a Chiltons manual it tells exactly how to test them.

 

you should have a regulator.
the choke wire is optional.
you should have a green-red stripe wire running from I terminal
on regulator to a 500 ohm resistor to a charge lamp to the
ignition switch. (hopefully this is all still there somewhere)
the A terminal on the regulator (yellow-white dot) should run to
the battery side of the starter soleniod.
the S terminal(white-black stripe) goes to the stator terminal on the alt.
the F terminal(orange-light blue) goes to the field terminal on the alt.
the bat terminal (black-red stripe) on the alt. goes to the large solenoid terminal that goes to the battery.(also where the A terminal went)

I would bet your I terminal is not hooked up right.

 

thanks for the input but I not sure what you meen by charge lamp if you mean a idiot light I dont have one I have a ammeter gage and there isnt anything hooked up the my I terminal on the regulator.what exactly is this for I have a universal blinker switch hooked up on my truck and when I turn my binkers on my ammeter gage blinks with it could it be that that wire should be hooked up the I terminal on the regulator thanks.

 

Sorry I haven't replied but this forum is so active that it
moved way down the screen and I forgot about it.
If you have an ammeter you have to get a regulator that does
not have an "I" terminal. There are two types. They are wired
a little differently too.
"S" terminal(green-red stripe) goes to a hot in run on the
ignition switch.
"F" terminal still goes to field on alt
"A" terminal still goes to large terminal on starter solenoid
that goes to the battery.
"BAT" terminal on alt goes where the "A" terminal went on the
solenoid.

The other regulator with the "I" terminal uses the idiot light in the dash.

 

Regulator for an ammeter system is the same as for an idiot light. On an ammeter system the "I" tab on the regulator is not used. Otherwise, switched (ignition on) 12volts to the "S" tab, "F" tab to "field" terminal on alternator, and constant 12volts to "s" tab. The "S" terminal on the alternator is also not used. Should be pretty easy to trouble shoot. Good Luck

 

My diagram shows two distinct different regulators with
different color coded plugs. The idiot light regulator has
a black color coded plug and the ammeter regulator has a gray
color coded plug. But try it, hopefully it will work either
way.

 

So let me get this straight the stator terminal on the Altenator should not have anything hooked to it but the stator terminal on the regulator should be running to the ignition and the F naturally goes the the field terminal.My dad says the Stator terminal on the Altenator has to run somewhere because it is some kind of ground. currently mine is running to the stator on the regulator.

 

My charging system works fine, 35 year old wires and connectors, rusty ground, antique regulator and a rebuilt alternator. The single wire system I am installing as soon as I get the diagrams from Trail Rider will replace all those parts. The one wire internally regulated alternator system ain't C%&^y. You guy's give GM to much credit. I prefer all FORD stuff on my old bug but better is better. Simplicity, easy maintenance and reliabilty are the critical criteria for me. Pretty hard to beat a one wire system. Even if O'l Henry's boys didn't invent it. By the way the inventor worked for Bosch in Germany, hell he wasn't even an American. If you can wait a week or so I'll throw all those old parts in a box and send it to you. You pay postage.
William in Atlanta

 

My diagram shows no connection to the stator on an ammeter
setup unless you use the choke (white black-stripe) option.

 

>Regulator for an ammeter system is
>the same as for an
>idiot light. On an ammeter
>system the "I" tab on
>the regulator is not used.
> Otherwise, switched (ignition on)
>12volts to the "S" tab,
>"F" tab to "field" terminal
>on alternator, and constant 12volts
>to "s" tab. The
>"S" terminal on the alternator
>is also not used.
>Should be pretty easy to
>trouble shoot. Good Luck



Whoa ! Big typo on my part. The constant 12 volts (from the battery side of the solenoid) goes to the "A" tab on the regulator. Sorry about that; can't type and listen to Leno at the same time.
>

 

>So let me get this straight
>the stator terminal on the
>Altenator should not have anything
>hooked to it but the
>stator terminal on the regulator
>should be running to the
>ignition and the F naturally
>goes the the field terminal.My
>dad says the Stator terminal
>on the Altenator has to
>run somewhere because it is
>some kind of ground. currently
>mine is running to the
>stator on the regulator.


I believe you have located your problem (wire on alternator stator terminal going to regulator should not be there). As franklin2 has also pointed out, the stator terminal on your alternator should have no wires on it and it is definitely NOT a ground, so do not ground it. With an ammeter system the only possible connection to the alternator stator terminal would be to an electric choke which you do not have.

When the alternator puts out power, electricity flows from both the BAT terminal and the stator terminal. On an idiot light system, when the ignition is turned on, power flows from the ignition switch through the idiot light and a resistor (which is in parallel with the light) to the "I" tab on the regulator through a closed relay to the field coils in the alternator to ground to provide initial excitation to the field. As soon as the engine starts and the alternator powers itself, in addition to power flowing from the BAT terminal, power from the alternator stator terminal flows to the regulator and pulls open the relay which allowed the ignition switch current to find its way to the field coils and ground which also causes the idiot light to lose ground and go out. Since you do not have an idiot light your circuitry is different and the alternator stator terminal is not used. A wire from the alternator stator terminal to the S tab on the regulator is ONLY used on an idiot light system.

Here is what you need to do:
1. Unplug the connector at the regulator and ensure there are only connections for the A, S, and F tabs (no female connector for the I tab even though there is room for it in the plastic plug).

2. Put a voltmeter or test light to the S connector in the plug. Turn on the ignition and ensure power comes to the connector.

3. With the ignition off put the voltmeter or test light in the A connector and ensure power is there (ignition switch on or off)

4. With ignition switch off, plug the harness back into the regulator. There should be a ground wire that goes from one of the regulator mounting screws to the ground terminal on the alternator.

5. Remove the wire from the alternator stator terminal and stow and tape it. Ensure the wire from the alternator field terminal goes to the F tab on the regulator. The heavy wire on the alternator BAT terminal should go to the heavy terminal on the solenoid to which the positive battery cable is attached.

6. When the ignition switch is turned on you should hear a "click" in the regulator which is a relay being pulled closed to direct full voltage to the field. Fire that booger up and see if your ammeter shows the system charging.

As far as the GM single wire alternator vs. the old Ford alternator and external regulator goes ; I am in your camp. The GMs cost big $ and require replacement if either the regulator or alternator fail. Trouble shooting the Ford system is easier (although it may not seem like it right now).

Let franklin2 and I know how the final chapter goes. We all love a success story.

Florida Panhandle

 

I understand what your saying but I have one problem my ammeter gage does not work. at the present moment I have a universal blinker switch and when I turn a blinker on the ammeter gage goes back and forth with the blinker clearly I have it wired to the ammeter wire witch goes to the ignition does that sound about right.So I need to unhook the connection to the blinker switch.I have one more question does the ammeter gage run from the ignition to the S on the regulator.