Saskwatch Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 Thank you RecklessBattleBorn for the picture of your installation. I would like to respectfully ask a few questions to make sure I got this right. Your 6volt battery is still positive ground? -the single wire from the alternator now goes directly to your negative battery post? - I’m wondering what the smaller wire on your positive battery post is for & where it terminates? Thank you Quote
Sniper Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 If it's still positive ground then the ammeter should work properly, but if it's now a negative ground the ammeter will read backwards. Which is it? Quote
Sam Buchanan Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 If you are seeing 7.5v the alternator is working just fine. I've never seen my one-wire alternator need to be revved to start working, the ammeter shows a charge immediately after the engine starts. 1 Quote
Merle Coggins Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 @RecklessBattleBornHow did you connect the output of your alternator? It sounds like it may be connected directly to the battery without going through your ammeter. This would explain why you measure good output of the alternator with a volt meter, but nothing registers on the ammeter. 2 Quote
Sam Buchanan Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Merle Coggins said: @RecklessBattleBornHow did you connect the output of your alternator? It sounds like it may be connected directly to the battery without going through your ammeter. This would explain why you measure good output of the alternator with a volt meter, but nothing registers on the ammeter. That's probably what has happened. The alternator needs to be connected to the same wire that was on the 'battery' terminal of the old regulator, this wire goes directly to the ammeter. That will make the ammeter work the same as before. Edited January 4, 2021 by Sam Buchanan 1 Quote
maok Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 7 hours ago, Sam Buchanan said: If you are seeing 7.5v the alternator is working just fine. I've never seen my one-wire alternator need to be revved to start working, the ammeter shows a charge immediately after the engine starts. Sam it depends on idle speed and the pulley size of the alternator. My '28 idles around 450rpm and needs a good rev of the engine, my '37 idles around 600rpm but still needs a little rev to get the alternator to excite. Quote
Sam Buchanan Posted January 4, 2021 Report Posted January 4, 2021 33 minutes ago, maok said: Sam it depends on idle speed and the pulley size of the alternator. My '28 idles around 450rpm and needs a good rev of the engine, my '37 idles around 600rpm but still needs a little rev to get the alternator to excite. If cold my '48 is started with the choke which has a fast idle of 1200-ish rpm. Hot starts sometime need a little throttle blip, so I have never seen the alternator not charging.....hot idle is ~700. 1 Quote
RecklessBattleBorn Posted January 5, 2021 Author Report Posted January 5, 2021 22 hours ago, maok said: With the single wire alternators, you need to give the engine a bit of a rev to excite it. The ammeter should kick in then, its a little bit of an annoyance but not much. I'll give it a try in the morning thanks for advice Quote
maok Posted January 5, 2021 Report Posted January 5, 2021 6 minutes ago, RecklessBattleBorn said: I'll give it a try in the morning thanks for advice If you have the alternator wire going to the Battery then, as others have mentioned, it is not connected correctly, though it will work. You need to make sure the alternator wire goes either directly to the ammeter or connected to the old 'BAT' terminal where it was on the voltage regulator, which goes to the ammeter. I would recommend you consult an auto electrician. 1 Quote
Sam Buchanan Posted January 5, 2021 Report Posted January 5, 2021 (edited) If you see 7.5v at the battery with the engine running your alternator is working regardless of what you see on the ammeter. Edited January 5, 2021 by Sam Buchanan Quote
RecklessBattleBorn Posted January 5, 2021 Author Report Posted January 5, 2021 On 1/4/2021 at 2:48 AM, Saskwatch said: Thank you RecklessBattleBorn for the picture of your installation. I would like to respectfully ask a few questions to make sure I got this right. Your 6volt battery is still positive ground? -the single wire from the alternator now goes directly to your negative battery post? - I’m wondering what the smaller wire on your positive battery post is for & where it terminates? Thank you Still 6 positive ground, that small wire coming off my positive is a ground going to my Auto-choke. The wire off the alternator goes to the negative post but I'm moving it later today as was recommended 1 Quote
RecklessBattleBorn Posted January 5, 2021 Author Report Posted January 5, 2021 On 1/4/2021 at 5:13 AM, Sniper said: If it's still positive ground then the ammeter should work properly, but if it's now a negative ground the ammeter will read backwards. Which is it? Still positive ground. On 1/4/2021 at 11:22 AM, Merle Coggins said: @RecklessBattleBornHow did you connect the output of your alternator? It sounds like it may be connected directly to the battery without going through your ammeter. This would explain why you measure good output of the alternator with a volt meter, but nothing registers on the ammeter. It is directly wired, I'll be moving it later today. 15 hours ago, maok said: Quote
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