Alternator control box questions

[limey66]

This forum seems to be rapidly turning into "Lets help the Limey rebuild his freaking Mustang.com" and for that I am eternally greatful.

Getting the car back together now, and got it running. I check the battery terminal voltage with and without the engine running and it is the same, so I guess I'm not getting any output from the alternator.

Is the problem with the alternator or with the control box. Is there an easy way to tell? Can the control box be fixed, or is it junk? Does anyone make a solid state replacement for the control box, as I don't really want to replace one peice of crap with something that might soon be a peice of crap?

Thanks chaps.

 

[iskwezm]

if you dont like it or dont want to deal with the external regulator,get a 1 wire type alternator

 

[limey66]

if you dont like it or dont want to deal with the external regulator,get a 1 wire type alternator

Neat solution, but then I got to muck about with my nice new wiring loom...is it a big job?

 

[iskwezm]

nope,you can leave all the stock wiring there for looks and just run a 4 Ga to the alternator and thats it(dont use my idiot light for the alternator,i have Autometer guages)

 

[limey66]

nope,you can leave all the stock wiring there for looks and just run a 4 Ga to the alternator and thats it(dont use my idiot light for the alternator,i have Autometer guages)

To the alternator from where, battery +ve?

What is the best alternator to use?

 

[krash kendall]

This forum seems to be rapidly turning into "Lets help the Limey rebuild his freaking Mustang.com" and for that I am eternally greatful.

You can thank the time zones for that! While you're at home working on your mustang, we're at work sitting in front of our computers!

Most members are three or four hours ahead of me (I think you are eight) so if I have a question while working on my car after work, I have to figure it out myself, ask my neighbor (Ford restorer), or wait till the next day to ask here.

 

[mustangdave]

A one-wire alt. just has to have a wire from the alt. to the positive side of the battery. Your gauge or idiot light will no longer work though. You will have to figure out what wire/s to run for them to operate.
As for your problem, the cuase could be loose belt, bad voltage regulator(alt. box), alternator, or a wiring problem. Check your belt first; if it is tight, you can hook up a voltmeter to the correct treminal on the back of the alt. while the car is running to see if it is putting out(should be around 13.8 to 14.2 volts.If it is not, make sure the wiring is correct on the terminals. The voltage regulator is cheap to replace and alternators can be tested at your local auto parts store, usually for free. You just have to take it off the car and take it to them.

 

[jbuening]

you can hook up a voltmeter to the correct treminal on the back of the alt. while the car is running to see if it is putting out(should be around 13.8 to 14.2 volts.

This can be done at the battery too. Positive wire from the voltmeter to the pos battery post and the neg wire to a body ground. This way you won't have to mess around behind the alternator