James_Douglas

You will kill the vibrator in the radio over time if you switch the ground. James

Don, No I am not. The tach drive housing uses a different plate. I have 2 sets NOS on the shelf. James

I have purchased stuff from 5th ave and I have not had any issues. With regards to their 1-wire alternators, be advised that they are NEGATIVE ground and if you have a radio it will kill it. The Motorola radio has things in it that are polarity sensitive. I do not know why Randy (5th ave) does not sell the positive ground version. I took my Delco 10SI apart and figured out how they make them positive ground and it is simple. ************* Six Volt Positive Ground Alternator Transpo Electronics 2150 Brengle Ave. Orlando, FL 32808 USA TECHNICAL SUPPORT / ENGINEERING HOTLINE: 1-800-327-6903 Tech support said to look out for the air gap between the armature and the stator as this is directly related to how fast the unit will self excite. Look for armatures that don’t look like they have been cut a lot and have smooth rounded edges. If they look shinny and new they are new ones made in China and the metallurgy is not as good as the older USA made ones. Look for cases when looking for cores to re-build with “686” on the back. These are older OEM units. For the 10SI alternator use a Transpro 6 volt Voltage Regulator: 1. D10SE6 (7.7 volt) OR 2. D10SE8 (8.0 Volt) unit. Also needed is a Positive Ground Rectifier part number DR5045 (Note: if you want to use the larger case alternator called a 15SI use the DR5075 Rectifier and one of the above Voltage Regulators. He said with the larger alternator you get more output at lower RPM, BUT if the air gap is too big the engine RPM to get it to excite will be greater) For an emergency road kit keep a Voltage Regulator, a Rectifier, a set of bearings, and a brush holder in a little bag. Any shop can build up a unit with these parts as the housing and armatures are all readily available for the 10SI units. Here is the text on how to modify a unit for 6 volt positive ground operation: For the 6,or 12 volt positive ground application you must wire the alternator like the one in the photo below Three screws hold down the brush holder assembly and voltage regulator. All three must be insulated (any alternator shop can give you an extra bolt insulator or take one out of another 10SI core) which is different that the negative ground system which only has two screws insulated. After the positive ground rectifier has been insulated a jumper wire needs to be made as shown in the photo. {Note: The voltage regulator in a positive ground alternator is still negative ground. The only component that makes the alternator positive ground is the rectifier} So, a jumper wire (in Red in the photo) is connected between the (negative) "Battery" stud on the rectifier to the ground screw for the voltage regulator. The terminal on the red wire must contact the ground clip on the brush holder. It must not make any contact with the screw itself. When connecting the stator wires to the rectifier block as seen in the photo, observe the three wire nuts. The three stator wire ring terminals must be lifted to clear the finned part of the rectifier. Heat shrink tubing on the leads can be used for an extra margin of insuring that these leads don’t short to the heat sink. {Note:The stator leads shorted to the rectifier or inside of case has been a problem, I used liquid wire insulation and made sure the leads were coated down to the edge of the rings termianls} When the alternator is back together and read for use it will require being excited. To excite a positive ground alternator a jumper wire is run from the case (positive power) to the number one spade terminal on the alternator. While the vehicle is running momentarily touch the jumper wire between the case and the number one terminal. At this point the alternator should begin charging. Once the vehicle is run up above the idle speed the alternator should self energize and begin providing voltage of approximately 7.5 volts.

I just took a look in my master parts book (Desoto) at the pulley's. I did not expect to find the size, but it did list a different part number for fluid drive ! That listing has two part number entries for the damper. 869-431 869-436 (Fluid Drive) Each part number says it comes with the "hub and pulley". One without a description and one that says (Fluid Drive). Is it possible that they used a different, hub, pulley, or vibration damper on the fluid drive cars? Odd...James

Now that helps a lot.....I think my water pump pulley is bigger than the crank... I need to calc the alternator RPM. Anyone got and engine apart and have a pulley handy ? James

I made up a new set of wire from the firewall forward. Made a HUGE difference. James

Anyone know off hand what the crankshaft pulley dia. is on the 25" engines with the small (later) pulley.

Pete, I am somewhat skeptical. If you ever need to send a shaft out say during the winter let me know. I deal with a 3rd generation Drive shaft shop near where I grew up some 60 miles north of the Golden Gate. I would be glad to take it up there and send it back when done. I always get a great job without any problems. As for those with the ball and trunnion from joints, the Desoto and Chrysler larger cars have an output that fits the 3-speed and the M5/6 that uses a regular joint. My car has that as well as the 2 M5's I have sitting in the corner. Some folks can also have an out of balance Drum. The wheel/tire combo may be fine and the driveshaft may be fine, but a hum may not. If you have an issue, seek out someone that has an on the car balance machine and have them check it. You would be supprised at how much a drum can be off. James

If it is for the chrysler desoto 25" block, I am definitely interested in it. James

I had the Desoto put on a treadmill at a speedo shop today and here are the results. Speedo : 20 30 40 50 55 60 70 Actual : 19 28 38 47 51 54 63 Interesting in that is was not linear. James

Anyone know off hand if the speedo gear is the same in the M5/M6 Trans (aka Tip-Toe-Shift) and the 3-speed with overdrive ? Also, anyone have any part numbers and their ratio (or gear count) on them. Thanks, James

Fred, By any chance does that distributor have the output for a mechanical tachometer ? If so, I will trade you for it as I have a couple of spares with NEW rebuilt vacuum advance units and dual points. I also have a distributor machine and I can set it up the advance curves for you. James

Bill, The plates that the clutch material is riveted to have a slight wave in them. It has some odd sounding French Name I can not remember. That "spring" is what addresses clutch chatter. If it is too much, you will not have it release nice. If it is too little, you will get chatter. That 2 hours I spent three weeks back with a 75 year old man here in San Francisco who has a clutch shop taught me more about clutches than all my years playing with cars put together. He showed me the disk sent to me by NorthWest Trans, you know the one with the rivets put in wrong, and that one had too much "spring". He showed me 2 or 3 clutches and said to memorize what I was seeing as it is one of the "black arts" of clutch re-building to know how much is just right for a particular application. I URGE everyone who has clutches to contact me in a few weeks as I plan on taking my extra clutch pressure plates and disks into this guy to rebuild them before he closes or dies... Best, James

Don, What do you get on the gauge when: 1. Everything on, IGN on, Engine Off. 2. Everything on, Engine Running, at idle. 3. Everything on Engine at 1500 RPM. When engine is off but everything is on, Radio, lights, heater fan, rad fan, spot light, map light, inside (three of them) lights, and brake. Basically everything but the wipers. My AMP gauge gets buried deep past the -35 amp side. I am wondering if I damaged the AMP gauge when I had it out when I took the dash out. Thanks, James

Tim, The grounds are very very good on this car. In addition to the normal body to engine ground...I even have a #8 wire going from the ground lug on the alternator to clean metal spot on the dash. I will keep hunting. I am off to the alternator shop for them to test my re-build unit. Be back in a couple of hours and will report... Best, James

Lou, I have a 2.5 inch pulley. And it was working ok with this pulley so that can not be it. James

Ok, I took it for a drive and here are the symptoms... Engine off, ignition on and all electrical items on and I get a deep discharge on the needle. Say 30 AMPS. After starting it and revving it it up to have it self excite...with everything off but the ignition I get a slight charge at idle. I run it around for about 20 minutes and I get a charge of say 20 AMPS that decreases with time. So I assume it is charging the battery from my multiple starts and having everything previously on. Like I said, after about 15 minutes at road speed it is back down to a slight charge. Now, if I am motoring down the block and I pull over to the side of the road and I turn on everything I get a deep discharge of about 30 AMPS. However, if I take off, the AMP gauge only goes back to about center or a very slight charge. I take this to indicate that the battery is still providing most of the current to run the devices. I should see a 30 AMP positive flow on the AMP gauge. If I pull the battery cable with the engine running at say 1500 RPM with everything on it kills the engine. Still sounds like the alternator to me, unless something has changed in the wiring or the AMP meter while I had the dash out last week for the trans swap wiring. Hummmmmm.... James

Has anyone actually ever had their AMP meter go bad ? I don't mean just stopped working, but start giving erroneous readings ? I re-build my 6 volt alternator with new rectifier, voltage regulator, and brush assemblies. The car is still showing charging problems. Specifically, it seems to take a lot of RPM to get the thing to self energize and then with everything on it just shows directly in the middle of the gauge. No charge, no discharge. When I turn on everything you can see the lights come up when you rev the engine. However, every now and then I can kill the engine with everything on at idle. I don't know what else it could be. It is possible that the alternator windings may be going south, so today I will take the thing in to a shop and have it checked. That said, I am starting to suspect the AMP gauge. James

Eric, It is based on that type of unit. It has to be modified to work on 6 Volt Positive Ground however. The ones I use can work on 6 to 12 volts and either ground. It is also calibrated as a direct feed, so as to not overload the radio. James

Eric, I have a prototype for a AM Transmitter. You use an antenna "Y" and plug it in. What ever you play into the transmitter is picked up by the radio. You can still use the radio just like normal. I can use an iPad, Xm radio, or anything else with an line level output. I don't know what Bob Amos is talking about as the FM transmitters that you can get with the XM radio's is FM and our radios are AM. Bob, can you elaborate a little ? I have two units I am building now for a couple of friends. In small quantities of one and two they are rather expensive (around $200) but the folks I am making them for a re driving 1930's Cadillac's and Packards so they can afford it. Best, James

Pete, Do you need a pump?... I have not torn it down, but it is sitting on my bench. James

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves" JC(I, ii, 140-141). Gas prices are the fault of each and every American. We have collectively allowed ourselves for 50 years since WWII to build an America that is one large collection of low density sprawl. Given that reality, the only way to move goods and people is to use portable energy in personal transportation devices (read gasoline & cars). The results of that collective decision are that we now have global warming, more and more land paved over, and a myriad of other affects that are not healthy for any living thing. In addition, we have jeopardized the safety and security of the ourselves, our children, and coming generations of Americans. The entire financial order of this country is wrapped up in the sprawl and if we needed to roll it back we could not without a lot of pain and a level of courage that no longer exists in this country. If at any pint in the last 30 years we had acted on what was happening; stopped all the sprawl and ordered in-fill higher density development. We would have been in a position to service the country's needs for moving goods and people with mass transit and heavy rail. All this could have been powered by things we have right here in the USA. Nuclear, Coal, ethanol, Wind, Solar, bio-mass,Hydro. In essence we would not need but a fraction of the gasoline we now use. Yes, the rest of you, like Sondra and I, would have walk or take transit to work, the local corner store, the post office, and the like. We only drive 3000 miles a year combined. Americans have made their choice to drive, drive, drive. That has and will lead to higher gas prices, box stores that can only be accessed by cars, and the tertiary affects of jobs and cash going over seas to support that lifestyle. As many of you know, I love Automobiles. However, the way I can justify being a small hypocrite is to live in such a way that I don't NEED a car. If we all were in that situation then we would have the power to tell the oil interests around the world to Go to Hell. For now, Americans are nothing but slaves to their sprawl lifestyle. Certainly they are not even close to "the land of the free and the home of the brave" or they would change it. Best,James

In CA any legitimate auto wrecker would have given you a salvage title not a bill of sale. From that you can get the DMV paper work to get a new VIN attached. If you purchased the car from someone with just a bill of sale and the title is not clear then you have have purchased a can of worms and you will have to run it down. I hate to be such a downer, but that is why they say "Let the Buyer Beware" James

Tod, Thats what I was thinking. I may just get a spare one and a spare 6VPG kit just to have around... See you in the AM , James

I will be there if the new trans does its thing and the alternator does not totally die on the way... James