1-Wire Alternator Issues

[LimeLight]

I have a 65 Fastback with the 289. I've recently purchased a 100AMP 1-wire alternator to replace a 60A 5 wire alternator but can't get it to work. When I install it my Voltage gage reads just under 12volts(battery) which tells me that it's not working. When I have the 5 wire alternator installed the guage will read 13 to 14 volts as it should. I've taken the 1 wire amp to my local Pep Boys and they put it on some kind of Alternator Tester Machine which came back with positive results. Every test they ran on it passed so I installed it again but got the same results as last time. The belt is tight, I'm connecting the wire up to the positive terminal on the battery. Does the alternator need to be grounded somehow? My block looks to be grounded? Any help would be greatly appreicated! Thanks

 

[iskwezm]

The alternator grounds through the bolt on the head. Check for ground straps on the engine, other wise it it will try to ground through the engine mounts.

it the pulley the right size???

 

[mustangdave]

Most one-wires will not activate at idle speed: have someone rev the engine a little and it should self-activate and show a charge.

 

[reenmachine]

What else did you do to your wiring? Did you disconnect your old voltage regulator?

That's also true about the alt not kicking on until it passes a certain rev point. Did you ever rev it or just install it, start the engine, and look at the gauge?

 

[Rusty67]

Don't rely on the stock gauge to know if you are chargine for sure. Check it with a mutlimeter to be sure.

 

[LimeLight]

answers to questions.

Thanks for the advice. I've been through so many alternators now that I'm not sure if I disconnected the old external voltage regulator the last time I installed the 1-wire altnerator, but I will try it again.

I have a non-stock gauge and I've also hooked up a multimeter directly to the battery just to make sure, but I still saw no difference.

I've also tried rev'ing it way past 2000 rpms, but no luck.

I can see a ground wire connected to the block, but I'm not sure how well that is working. Any suggestions on how I can tell if the alternator is being grounded properly?

Thanks

 

[67coupe351w]

I can see a ground wire connected to the block, but I'm not sure how well that is working. Any suggestions on how I can tell if the alternator is being grounded properly?

Check the resistance from the case of your alternator to the negative pole of your battery. It should be very low (I'm no electrical guru but I think you want ~3 ohms or less).

 

[CraigMBA]

I can see a ground wire connected to the block, but I'm not sure how well that is working. Any suggestions on how I can tell if the alternator is being grounded properly?

Thanks

I often use jumper cables to create a temporary ground between engine blocks, the chassis, and the battery.........