Well, finally got the electrical gremlins out. At least for a while.
Thanks everyone for your help. I tried to thanks everyone privately but just
in case I missed anybody, Thanks.
As promised in my private replies, here are my findings and solutions.
1 - Starter didn't want to turn but could hear the solenoid clicking (and
smoking!)
Turned out to be the starter jammed to the flywheel. (Thanks Greg R. & Bob
K.)
Put the car in fourth gear and pushed it a little. Heard a clunk and that
was it. Turned the key and voil`. Car started!
Also got a lot less smoke coming from the solenoid. I guess I got lucky not
to fry it!
2 - Weird amp readings and lights (all of them) flickering at speed but not
at idle or fast idle.
As per instruction from many of you, I checked most of the connections.
Cleaned them all and repaired a few. Also found that my quyick fix for the
generator broken front plate didn't hold up. Solidified it and tested
again. Amp guage was somewhat more stable but still not enough. Charging
was still minimal and car still stalling. But then I found out that the car
didn't ned the headlights on to stall. Hmmm.
3 - Minimal charging and dim lights
Well, I took the bull by the horns and did it. Bought a 63 amp GM
alternator. Following the instructions of Dan masters from the VTR pages
and Dan Canaan instructions and pictures from his website, the conversion
was a breeze! Man what a difference in brightness. I have yet to convert
my headlight to halogen but already the improvement is amazing (I can now
see that my headlights need to be re-alligned!!!).
4 - Smokin' solenoid and stalling (Yep, they were somewhat related!)
After the car would stall, I couldn't start it anymore. Using my analog
voltmeter and testing different combinations, I stumbled on one that looked
promising. With one of the leads connected to the + side of the battery, I
touched the connector of one of the two brown/yellow wire at the solenoid.
Well look at that, the green alt light on the dash just came back on.
Turned the key and the car started. Let it idled for a while and than it
stalled. Touched the connector again and the light came back on right away.
Hmmm. If I start the car and stop it with the key, no need to touch the
connector. Hmmm That brown/yellow wire is also related to the amp guage
cause when I disconnect it, the engine keeps running but the guage stops
working.
Since it was about 10:30 at night and I was working outside, I decided to do
a temporary fix and run a wire from the + side of the battery to that
connector on the solenoid and I disconnected the defective brown/yellow
wire. Now the car starts everytime, doesn't stall anymore and all the
lights are bright! Woohoo.
Within the next few days, I will investigate that suspect brown/yellow wire
and do a more permanent fix. It will also allow me to have a working amp
guage.
For anyone who might be wondering, YES the alt is charging the battery even
if the brown/yellow wire is disconnected. I have a solid 14 volts at the
battery terminals when the engine is running!
Once again, thanks everyone for all your help!
Cheers
Stef
'69 Spit - now with some american blood!
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