This is just getting frustrating. After a job a few weeks ago, I drove by the grocery store, picked up some brews, and hopped into my truck to head home. Turned the key, battery was dead. Popped the hood, and smelt burning. Crawled under, and my exhaust manifold had melted through the starter cable, and even burnt through some of the copper wiring (as you might have guessed, the cable was too long). Pulled it off the manifold, got a jump, and drove home. Put my battery on the charger, as I figured it had grounded out and fried the battery. Charged up fine, replaced the starter cable and it seemed to run with no problem after that, starting seemed a bit more strained though...
Drove my truck on another job, and as it's running, it starts getting rougher and rougher, my tach drops to below zero, guages all die, and then motor cuts off a second later (In the middle of Sat traffic in Hollywood). My boss flips her truck around, I hooked up my towstrap, and pulled my truck to the curb. Borrowed my boss' truck, and ook the battery to get charged (quick fix, as I was supposed to working, and was in a 2 hour parking zone). Slapped it in, and drove to the jobsite. After work, driving home, my truck dies right off the highway (10pm and I had to shut off my headlights just to get off the freeway!) Called a bud and got a ride home.
Luckily I was 2 blocks from a NAPA, so I gave them my battery, and also picked up a remanned alternator (something like 50-61 AMP), and a new voltage regulator. Ran fine after that.
Last week though, just leaving Home Depot, battery was dead again. Got a jump, got her home and replaced the started solonoid with the one I pulled from my 70 before it went to the junker. Seemed ok since then.
Just went to Home Depot about an hour ago, get out, same problem!

So, I've got the battery on the charger AGAIN so I can drive over to Kragen or NAPA and find out if my alternator's a dud.
If it turns out it's working, then what's left?!
The battery's been tested, and will hold a charge, I've replaced the solonoid, starter cable, voltage regulator, and alternator. The only thing that would suck any extra power would be my little tach, and my stereo (it's a tape deck with some cheapo speakers). I haven't even used my stereo, for fear I'd end up stranded somewhere.
Can't find any wires that have grounded out, and I thought maybe I somehow put the alternator wires on backwards, but I'm pretty sure they're right. Orange wire with orange cap on Ground, and a filthy white wire with a black cap on the other screw-post (Chiltons and Haynes just say Orange/Blue and White/Black).

Any help will be great! Thanks a ton in advance, folks!

 

Sounds like you have a short somewhere that is draining power. If you have a loop typ ammeter - one that will let you clip a loop around a wire and test for current flow - test every wire and account for every its current flow. With the type of short you describe, something else may have fried to the point that it will have some electrical resistance and therfore will not just spark or blow a fuse but still draw current. Test with the trunk running and with the truck off. If the fried part is an accessory, it may only be turned on an able to drain current with the key in the ON position. Good luck, electrical can be full of gremlins.

 

I don't have a loop type ammeter, are there any other methods for checking? Still waiting on the battery to charge up. I'll go check around again for any shorts I can see while I'm waiting...
I loathe electrical work...

 

check the starter . I had the same problem before and it was the starter

 

I was wondering about the starter... Would that be able to drain the battery?

I'll have to see if I can replace it at Kragen (still under warranty). The problem is it might not show any problems on their tester, because that won't show that it's draining, so I might not be able to get a replacement one. I'll give it a shot though. Thanks.

 

I would say that it's not the starter, if that was the case it would have to be the starter solenoid, not the starter, the only way the starter sees voltage is through the solenoid. Plus if the starter is draining the batt I'd think that you'd hear it running/turning with just the key in the run position, w/o the engine running.

I'm not entirely sure on this but I'd be checking the voltage regulator.

 

Is there a way to test if the voltage regulator is functioning properly? I just installed a new one, but how can I test it?

Just drove to Kragen and traded out my starter under warranty. One of the guys there was saying if the cable was grounding for a while, it may have damaged some internal wiring in the starter and grounding it (Don't think that can even happen, that was his theory). So starter is replaced, and I'll know after driving it for a day or so. I need to put a breather on the passenger side cover, so I'll drive back tomorrow, and have them test the alternator (the woman working there swapped out my starter even though it worked fine the 5 times she tested it, wasn't going to push my luck bugging her for more tests).

Keep the ideas coming folks! If the alternator turns out fine and the starter isn't the problem, I'll probably go pick up a clip type ammeter. We'll see...

Thanks!

 

which cable melted on the exhaust, the cable from the battery to the solenoid or the cable from the solenoid to the starter?

 

What he said, but also check the ground cable. You might have cooked the ground cable and/or ground connection.

When the battery shorted to the block, the full current went back to the battery through the ground cable.

It also could have used a path through other circuits, if your ground wasn't real good in the beginning.

 

Cable from the solenoid to the starter melted. Ground wire was good originally, but if it shorted, wouldn't I not be able to start the motor at all? Doesn't seem like a bad ground would continue to drain the battery. It's not draining the battery while the motor is off, It'll still start after it sits for a couple of days, then when I drive it, it drains.

 

sounds like an alternator problem to me but you said you got a reman one. nxt time it seems dead wiggle the + and - cables and try it again mine did that for awhile i would seem like a dead battery it would crank slow then i would wiggle the cables hop back in and it would crank fast and fire

 

First thing I did when it wouldn't crank. Not the prob. Like I said, getting the alternator tested tomorrow, just to double check...

 

This is really not engine related. Let Franklin and the other guys in the electrical forum handle it. Please post in the proper forums...

 

I stopped by the electrical forum when I was deciding where to post this. It just seemed most of the issues there involved the newer vehicles with the computer systems and all that. I just figured folks who have had experience with these engines specifically would have some more input to my specific problem (plus it's mostly familiar faces ).
That was my thinking, I'll drop this post in there if the suggestions that I've already got in here don't solve the problem.

Sorry Eric, no harm meant buddy.

 

Franklin is real sharp on this stuff and knows how to talk you thru an electrical problem like this. There are a lot of simple electrical problem questions in there along with those crappy computer issues.

Keeping posts in the right place helps avoid cross posting, keeping problems and solutions in the same place, and keeps the forums from filling up with unrelated topics.