<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Another question on my 56 with the alternator.
I can not seem to get the volt meter to show a charge when the car is running. The meter just reads about 12 volts and does to go up tp 14.5 when it starts or it is reved up. All wires in the new harness seem to be in the right place.
If I just run a different jump wire from the bat on the alternator to the volt meter and then direct to the pos. terminal on the battery post..would this work?
any help much appreciated. Charging my dead battery now after the weekend initial start-up...but it did run
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Hi Mick
If the Batt is full charged, it wont show.
When your Batt is low charged it will

Take care

 

HI Again Mike,

Lets fill in the guys with a little more info that we discussed off line earlier.

To recap, you are running a 302 so there is a good chance there is a modern charging system on it as well. That being the case, the wire running from the "B" post on the alternator should run to the "B" post on the starter solenoid which is also home for your Positive Battery Cable. So in essence you are already doing what you described.

This is where an ammeter is a little more useful that a voltmeter (I'll probably get bar-b-qued for saying that) because it shows charge or discharge when you turn on accessories - not just system voltage which stays fairly constant.

Question is, what type of charging system are you using? If we know that it's a lot easier to help trouble shoot. Unless you have some "creative invention" on the truck (tee hee that's my new expression this week) yo ushould have only three options: 1) a standard "Ford Product" (ie Autolite, etc) three wire alternator with an external regulator; or a GM alternator if someone has substituted that to get rid of the regulator (they are internal on the GM product) OR, some nice person has installed a "One Wire" alternator which elliminates the external regulator and is wired directly to the "B" post of the starter solenoid (through the guage first).

So, if you can tell what you have we can get to work on getting it charging. One question: has the truck been sitting for a long time (like a year) with the battery disconnected?

 

Oh One more thing...

You've probably done this already, but it never hurts to look again especially with new wiring: Check all your connections on wire connectors both for a good tight contact and for cleanliness - including the battery cables at the posts and ends.

BUT also, make absolutely sure that with all that pretty paint you described, the voltage regulator (if you have one) MUST be strongly grounded where ever it is bolted down.

 

Hi Dan,
Got out to the garage tonight. It has actually 4 -wires in the back of the altinator, a regulator on the fender and the I,A,F,G wires seem to be in the correct location. The alternator says" Motorcraft" on it.
Battery starts the engine, but if I run it for awhile and start it a few times the battery is dead, and the volt meter just sits arounf 12.
Should I run a new wire from the "B" on the alternator to a new amp meter in the dash then to battery post and see what happens?
What if the wires on the volt meter are hooked up backwards..it makes a difference on Amp meters.does it on volt guages?
mike

 

I'd take the truck to Sears, AutoZone/Advance Auto, etc. They'll check it for free. Your alternator or regulator appears to be dead, maybe the battery too?

 

Hi Mike,

Well it sounds like you have a modern day Ford "three wire" alternator set up on the 302.

And although you have a 56 Pick-up, you obviously have a gauge instead of an alternator light. So the wiring is going to be somehwat different. With the gauge, the charging curcuit wiring is going to be the same as on a Mercury charging system - same components just wired differently.

I'll send you the diagrams for that and you can check it. But Ross has an excellent suggestion. If you take it in, they can hook it up to an analyzer and isolate out components and tell you exactly what is workin gand what isn't. First step is of course to ensure the battery is good. Then they can test the alternator for output, and the regulator for function. If they all work then we have to work on wiring.

Mine did the same thing yours is doing when I got it. The previous owner had built a Franken-nator and a few other "Creative Inventions." Ya know how I fixed it? There were so many things done wrong, I stripped every wire and major electrical component out of the truck and start over. I counted over 200 solderless crimp connectors and splices. Works like a charm now.

I wouldn't be throwing any new wires on anywhere, as the alternators are fairly sensative to polarity and flow. I'd keep everything as is and take it to sears to check each component for function.

Volt meter hook up shouldn't matter. Ammeter does because it senses flow (in one direction or another). Voltage is just voltage. I'll post the Ford and Mercury Wiring diagrams in the morning.

 

Try to unhook your battery(neg cable) after the truck is running and if it runs, you are charging. Also you can take a test light, with the truck off and put it in-line with your battery cables (with one hooked up and vice versus) and check and see if you have a short in your wiring. Also a battery can die on you after a load (starting) is on it for a short while, what is happening with that is the cell / cells could be dropping out after start is requested. A common problem with batteries today. Hope this helps and could luck.

 

Why would the battery be dead, if it held a charge over the winter and actualy cranked the car for many times while priming the line and carb..before stating.
I will try the quick unhooking of the Neg. term to see if it stays running or dies..
I was told though that that would fry your alternator as a kid...?

I would like to take it to a shop to have a free check on the charge..but it does not run reliable enough to think of that distance.

 

Doing this will burn up most alternators!! That works with generators but is death to alternators!!

 

I think LC56 mis spoke. You can't remove the begative battery cable from the battery because then your ground is incomplete.

The trick is to remove the POSITIVE terminal while the truck is running. With the wire coming from the alternator hooked to the Battery post on the started solenoid, the alternator is pouring juice directly into the same place as the battery cable - just not up to the battery to charge it. It should produce more than enough juice to run the truck (and when working right charge the battery as well).

But ross is right, it will give you a quick indication of whether or not there is any current being produced by the alternator, but it doesn't tell you why or why not. In other words your alternator may be ok but not charging because of a faulty regulator.

Throwing on bypass wires and removing the buffering capability of the battery from the charging system is a good way to fry your components, or worse blow something up. Ever seen a battery explode?

 

I don't think it is a good idea or safe to remove any battery lead on an alternator equipped vehicle while the vehicle is running.

 

Ray is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!

I should have mentioned that I was speaking hypothetically, which is why the "ever seen a battery blow up" comment here and my comment about alternator systems being sensetive to those types of things in a prior message.

Again best course of action is to take the truck to a show where thye can hook it up to the correct analyzing machine and isolate out the components electronically (and safely) then fix it.

 

Without the battery as a voltage reference, the alternator will immediately go to full output -- for about 1.2 seconds anyway....

 

Followed Dan's advice and started from the begining..as all of this wiring was done not by me on the new harness.
Well everything was exactly in the right places and I went to the swap meet rack collection in the garage..and remembered I had a new old style mechanical point regulator. The one in the car is an electronic version ..as it has a small circuitboard under the cap. Grounded that swap meet prize to the harness and the inner fender and it worked..he battery is now showing a charge rate in the 13+ volts range..and slightly increases with rpm's.

But now I have a new question...in the wire manual from the supplier..it says when you hook the neg. terminal to the post..make sure there is no sparking.
Well mine just shows the slightest twinkle of a spark when this is done. I checked to see if there was any lights on or ingintion, unplugged every fuse, opened the cap and the points..still little tiwinkle of a spark. This only stops when I unplug the new mechanical volt regulator..then no slight twinkle of a spark.
So is this okay?
Should I just go with this and see if my battery drains over time?
It still sparks when I unplug the battery and check it with a battery charger..so there is nothing going wrong in the battery per say...
Oh one other stupid thing is happening...sometimes the the repo blinker with the emergency red light in the middle blinks..but no lights outside go on..it just blinks on and off.
I checked those wires and they seem to be fine.
Dam this is making me crazy..but I am still having fun in spite of it all..what a challenge.