Yet another Electrical Non Dmax Gremlin!

[MACKIN]

Really I mean what the Hell!

Perhaps one of you smart fellers can help me out! On my Jeep I convrted to what they call one wire GM alternator been that way for quite some time now, Well the alternator went bad and it's not like yoy can go to the autoparts store and get a replacement as they cannot look it up. So they matched it up with the only difference being the plug is at 10:00 O'clock as oppose to 2:00 O'clock! This created a wire LENGTH issue for the "excite" wire. So I spliced in a section of single strand wire perhaps a little heavier guage ,thats all I had soldered.

NOW the alternator does NOT excite unless the RPM's are raised! WHY what did I do ? Wrong alternator?

 

[arneson]

I know in most 1-2 wire higher output alternators it takes some rpm for them to kick in. Theres been many people that have back luck at idle with these on trail rigs. What kind of rpms are u talkin to get it to charge?

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

What style alternator? Sounds like you have a 10SI that isn't egtting fielded by the plug. Most 10SI(old style GM's) will self field at around 2500RPM's so if they don't get fielded by teh plug RPM's will do it from stator feedback. Make sure you have teh ignition on wire hooked up to the trigger wire and not the voltage sense.

 

[MACKIN]

I know Diddly Squat about alternators well maybe a little but not enough to tell you what style alternator I have. If you can explain how to tell I'll surely give any info I can to solve this issue at hand.

Thing is It was FINE until I swapped in this alternator and had to extend the field wire. I have double checked the connections and they are fine.

I guess I'm asking is there a difference in these alternators (one wire GM) and is it possible to get one that works correctly and how can I tell? Also all readings of charging volts are taken at the battery so I know that it isn't charging on first start up until you jab the throttle raising RPM's above at or around 2000 to get the alternator to charge then it's fine until next start up!

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

What is it on? What application did you look up to get teh alternator you have? Maybe the part number for it? I'm going to guess(from your description) that you have a GM 10/12SI on it. Teh self exciting alternators will field at low RPM's by themselves, but if you put in a regular non self exciting one you will have to bring teh RPM's up quite a bit before it will field. I would guess that you don't have a field wire going to it now so it won't field right away whereas your old self exciting alternator would field right away without the field wire.

Does it look like this one?

 

[MACKIN]

Sounds like that is my problem to the tee! Yes it looks similar but not exact.

Part numbers The alternator I think I need or I believe it came off my Jeep and it worked but had bad bearings what I can find on it for numbers is :

1105652
43 08 346 61
78 AMP

The one that is on there and NOT fielding at start up is
AR 108580 A
43 13031 K

Thats all I can find at the moment on the above. As far as what application I have NO clue the individuals at Autozone blow! Hopefully with help (thanks) I'll get it figured out!

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

If it uses a plug like this one,

then heres a diagram to check for proper connections

. Terminal 1 should have power when the key is on, and terminal 2 should be connected to a hot all the time wire for voltage sense(normally directly to the battery). The #1 terminal cannot be hooked directly to the coil or ignition as it will backfeed, but you can use a resistor inline with it to hook it up that way.

 

[MACKIN]

Thank you that should help ! One question about the back feed how will I know? Also a FYI I have a D.U.I. Distributer which is basically a GM HEI!

I'm going to check the connections to make sure they are correct! What boggles my mind is EVERYTHING was FINE working PERFECT up till I changed the alternator and lengthened the field wire which could be a guage wire or idiot light wire for all I know . NONETHELESS with this alternator the wiring isn't working .

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

With the 1 wire lternator it would have fielded without the power coming through the plug, so chances are the wiring problem has been there all along. The backfeed becomes an issue if you hook the field wire up directly to the ignition wire. The alternator will backfeed current on the ignition wire once the alternator is fielded, and the engine won't shut off. You can hook up a resitor inline with the field wire in the plug to prevent this from happening.

 

[MACKIN]

Ok thanks as you can tell electrical isn't my forte!

 

[MACKIN]

Have not had a chance to look into this yet!