[Shotimes] Charging System Question...

[George Fourchy]

Hey all...

(This isn't long, I'm just asking it completely!!)  ;-)

Lowrider's got about 8500 miles to go to retirement.  I'm trying not to spend TOO
much on it now....saving funding for the black car.  I have a charging
system/alternator question...I haven't seen this symptom before.  I haven't checked
the book yet...I will.

The other day, after years and years of the charge indicator light staying on dim
after starting, but going out after a rev to 1500 RPM or so, I suddenly started
getting intermittent bright red indicator light indications during driving, and the
sound system died.  (If it doesn't get about 14.5 volts, the stereo won't turn on
properly...keeps beeping and its lights coming on dim, but not functioning.  As with
the T-Bird, it is my best and first indication of a charging system problem.)  So
anyway, I hurried home and parked it until today, when I could swap alternators
(this is Lowrider's original, with new bearings 150K ago) between the two.  The
black car's alternator is an unknown quantity, but it seemed to work properly...no
dim charge lights at start.  So I swapped the alternators, and during installation
on Lowrider, the connector to the alternator output broke off the wire...I thought
that was the actual problem, and soldered a new connector to a cleaned up wire end. 
I expected everything to work fine, but it didn't.

What happens now is...with the key on and engine off, I now get NO dash panel charge
light at all.  Starting the engine gives no charge...the stereo won't work, and
there was (the first time) only about 1 volt output at the alternator hot terminal
with the engine running...zero when shut down with the key on.  The two wire plug
has 12 volts on one side, and zero on the other, with the battery hooked up. 
Revving up the engine did nothing, at first.  After starting and stopping it a few
times, I revved it to about 4K RPM.  Suddenly it started charging, and the stereo
played.  I loaded it as much as I could while stopped...high beams, full a/c, and
tunes, and it held up.  I shut it down, and started it again, and it did the same
thing....no charge until about 3 or 4K RPM, then fine at idle.

I need to know that it isn't going to quit at midnight on a trip to or from work. 
(I know...."Stop being a Cheap Screw....buy an Alternator!!)

What's going on?  I'd make the supposition that it was the alternator, except that
it was fine on the other car...!

Thanks in advance...

George