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Re: GM alternator

To: DANMAS@aol.com
Subject: Re: GM alternator
From: "John L. Walker" <up497@freenet.victoria.bc.ca>
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 22:31:58 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
On Wed, 30 Jul 1997 DANMAS@aol.com wrote:

> > It's just that in my car, the brown/yellow wire (from alternator) is the 
> >  larger (10 ga?) wire, and the brown/green wire is smaller (14/16 ga?)
> 
> Is it possible that the Brown/Yellow wire is actually Brown/White, but the
> white has yellowed with age, and the Brown/Green is actually Brown/Yellow,
> but looks green because of grease and dirt? Early TR6 models used a
> Brown/White wire from the ammeter to the alternator. Maybe whoever installed
> your GM alternator used wiring from a TR6, which had an alternator?

I have a feeling that someone rewired it using only the on-paper wiring 
diagram.  The diagram doesn't have wire sizes on it (which is too bad, 
it's a nice double check)

The car was converted to negative ground after it was stolen (10+ years 
ago) and hot-wired... mucho smoke-o.

> Anyway, it is now time for draconian measures!

yay!  *kaff*  sorry

> The large lug on the back of the GM unit should have a large wire (largest
> wire in the car, except for the battery cables) connected between it and the
> battery positive post. This connection is usually made at the starter
> solenoid for convenience sake, but if you have a connection available, you
> can connect it directly to the battery.

I will be rewiring the units, either with a split battery post connector 
(one wire to solenoid, one wire to alternator) or I will use the big 
spade lug that's on the solenoid with some big wire.  I'd like to replace 
the Lucas ammeter with a Jaeger voltmeter, for two reasons: I don't like 
having that much amps so close to me :) and the rest of the gauges are 
Jaeger.

Anybody got/seen a Jaeger voltmeter?  Will trade Lucas ammeter :)

> Terminal # 1 should be connected to a source of power that is hot only when
> the key is on, and should have a small lamp in series with it. The source of
> power can be any wire that's hot with ignition on, it doesn't have to be at
> the back of the switch. You must have a lamp in series, or use a diode wired
> to conduct from  the ignition switch TOWARDS terminal #1, or use a 15 ohm
> resister in place of the lamp. If you connect terminal #1 direct without the
> lamp/diode/resister, the car will not shut off when you turn off the key. I
> don't know offhand what size diode to use, or what wattage resister to use,
> so I would recomend the lamp.

I am still having teething problems here.  The lamp that is for the red 
light was burned out, this was probably my main problem.  I swapped the 
turn signal light for it, and it glows but will not extinguish unless I 
rev the motor up to about 3000+.  When it winds down again the light 
*stays out*.  It will come on again if the revs drop too low.  Am I 
working with a paranoid alternator here?  

Revving the motor again makes the light go out.  I have also swapped 
innards in my alternator, I used the pieces from a 55amp Chevette unit.

Must also mention that the Chevette has this problem too, but it never 
comes back, and I hardly need to rev it at all to make the light go out.

When the lamp glows there is only about 5 volts between the lamp lead and 
ground.  I have a feeling that I'm losing voltage somewhere in the 
system, any guesses?

> That is all that is required to get the charging circuit working. All the
> other wires need to be connected as required to get the other devices in the
> car to work.
> 
> That's why I put the warning at the end of the alternator instructions - who
> knows what modifications have been made to these cars over the years!

Your instructions get my vote to be on the VTR wep page; there's not a 
heck of a lot there right now.  Nothing as detailed, anyway.

-Malcolm

    Too many rocks and not enough sand. 



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