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In this Discussion
- eyetengu September 2011
- Oldcar_Mechanic September 2011
64 ranchero alternator
-
I have recently acquired a 1964 ranchero with wiring issues.
my newest challenge has been to replace a defunct 3-wire alternator with a new 3 wire alternator.
I have pored over many different wiring diagrams and had come to the following conclusion but still have only 12.6 volts. I am under the impression that this is too low to recharge the battery.
[attachment=11840]IMG_20110908_080759.jpg[/attachment]
am I on the right track? I have not yet replaced the voltage regulator.
I have also been told to replace the alternator with a one-wire type.
IMG_20110908_080759.jpg800 x 725 - 42K -
The easy way is to take the alternator off the car and bring it in to have it tested.
12.6 is most likely battery voltage. I will assume that you are taking your voltage reading at the battery when you start the car. Have you first cranked but not started the engine to take the surface charge off the battery. That way when you start the car the charging rate should go to 14.5 volts for a short time till the battery gets back to full charge.
Are you worried that the wiring diagram is wrong? What alternator do you have on there? Autolite? Leece Neville? Charg light? Amp light?
Ron -
Thank you, Ron, for your fast reply.
OK. a couple of things.
First, the alternator is a 3 wire by motorcraft(?)
Second, I had taken the alternator to Kragens and had it tested. I knew the name then. I failed the test several times. When the guy retested it after tightening a nut on the F or S post it passed at 14.6Volts.
I hooked the alternator back up, after retightening all posts on the back, and I now have about 13.75Volts across the battery.
Tomorrow I will revisit the drawing I had made and check it to reality. I believe I need to connect the B/G wire from the idiot light to the ignition. The light doesn't come on in the on position. Maybe this will account for the missing(?) voltage.
Out of curiosity, What should the Stator and the Field voltage readings be when the car is running.?
Also, should I get a voltage gauge for the inside of the cab? How is it installed? Is an ammeter preferable or not?
Thank you again for your help. I may be able to retain some of the hair I have left. lol
EYE -
I found this on line http://www.wiringdiagrams21.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/1964-Ford-Falcon-Ranchero-Wiring-Diagram.jpg
If the Alternator failed and tightening a nut on the back made it charge again, it is possible that the connection inside the case may also be poor allowing it to intermittently work.
The field windings are initially supplied power from the battery via the ignition switch and "charge" warning indicator (which is why the indicator is on when the ignition is on but the engine is not running). Once the engine is running and the alternator is generating power, a diode feeds the field current from the alternator main output equalizing the voltage across the warning indicator which goes off. The Stator I think controls the output of the Alternator. And the Field I think would have the same voltage that is at the battery. Both of those voltages actually have no significance to test though.
Some cars will lose charging if the "GEN" light burns out because it is part of the charging system. If I were to put something in, I would put an Ammeter. It tells you if the system is charging and dis-charging. It's really all moot.
Another important thing is that you see the voltage drop after initial start up so you don't over charge the battery. We used to disable the ignition and cranked the engine for a while to take the surface charge off the battery. When you start the engine up you will see a good charge rate (which depends on the battery condition) and as the battery charges back up (and it should recovery quickly) you will see the charge rate drop back to the normal range.
As for your hair loss........................ this is a wonderful hobby but it can be very trying at times but there is a lot of information out there and bunches of people that are willing to help.
Ron -
lol. I understand(hair loss, people willing to help, etc.)
What is a surface charge?
The rest of your message I am going to try to wrap my head around this weekend while tinkering.
Do you know if anybody sells any kind of OEM wiring harnesses for the inside of the cab(both hi and lo) or inside the engine compartment?
Thank you again for all of your help.
EYE -
Taking the surface charge off is basically discharging the battery below the normal voltage that the battery sits at. If you were to put a voltmeter on the battery first thing, you may have 12.5 volts. We used to disconnect the ignition coil and crank the engine for a while to drop the voltage below 12 volts. Reconnect the coil and start the engine and watch the voltage. It will generally go 13 to 14 volts. You don't want it to go over 14.5 volts. After a short time it should drop back to just over 12 volts.
I know painless wire makes harnesses for just about any car but sometimes you have to send your harness in so they can make a duplicate.
I hope you get everything straightened out. I'm always around so feel free to ask.
Ron
