It is hooked up correctly. It makes no difference where the No.
2 wire is hooked up to the Bat terminal, at the alternator or somewhere
else along the wire to the battery. This wire is the voltage reference
for the internal regulator.
The No. 1 wire is hooked to the hot side of the ballast resistor.
This is supposed to be hooked to something that gets power from
the ignition switch and I guess that does. This wire tells the alternator
when to try to start charging. Once alternator RPM gets high enough,
it starts charging.
The bat terminal can be hooked direct to the + of the battery or
through the ammeter.
You have what is called a GM 2 wire alternator, the first version
of the internally regulated alternator. It is called two wire because
it needs that connection to power from the ignition switch to start
it.
Newer alternators are called one wire. These literally need only
the BAT terminal connected.
I have this kind of alternator on my truck.
Bruce K
57 3200
Mt. Iron, MN
At Sunday, 23 March 2003, you wrote:
>Gentlemen,
>
>The previous owner of my '49 Chevy 3600 3/4 ton pickup converted
it from 6
>volts to 12 volts, and used a GM Delco alternator with the built-in
>regulator. The conversion works, but the wires he used are a rat's
nest of
>old and corroded wires and terminals, so I'm currently replacing
all the
>wiring with new wires and terminals. I'm following the wiring circuitry
in
>place,.
>
>One thing strikes me as possibly not correct is the way the previous
owner
>wired the aternator. At least it doesn't agree with a wiring diagram
shown in
>my "How to Wire Your Street Rod" handook.
>
>The alternator has the clip-in connector on top with #1 and #2 terminals
and
>wires, and the larger "Bat" threaded terminal at about 8 -o'clock
on the back
>of the alternator. The thick wire from the "Bat" terminal goes to
the "+"side
>of the ammeter gauge, which I believe is correct. The #1 wire from the
>clip-in terminal on top goes to a multi-pronged GM diode with the
"L"-shaped
>arm; that is connected to the ballast resister where it is connected
to the
>same terminal (on the ballast resistor) as the hot wire that comes
from the
>ignition switch.
>
>The wire from the #2 side of the clip-on connector onthe top of the
>alternator is currently connected to the "Bat" threaded terminal
on the back
>of the alternator (the same terminal from which the thicker wire
runs to the
>"+"side of the ammeter gauge.
>
>My "How to Wire" booklet for GM products shows the wire from the
#2 terminal
>of the alternator should be connected to the larger wire connecting
the
>threaded "Bat" terminal on the alternator to the ammeter at some
undefined
>point in the circuit closer to the ammeter. I wouldn't think it
is correct to
>connect the #2 terminal on the alternator directly to the "Bat"
terminal on
>the alternator with a three-inch of so length of wire as it is currently
>hooked up, although the charging system has been working OK with that
>connection. But if the wire from the #2 terminal is spliced into
the wire
>from the "Bat" terminal to the ammeter at some point away from the
>alternator, does it make any difference?
>
>I'd very much appreciate advice on thow and where the wire from the #2
>terminal on the clip-on connector on the alternator should be connected.
>
>Thank you in advance.
>
>john doak in Baltimore, MD
>oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
>
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