Alternator control box questions

L

limey66

Member

Sep 23, 2004

408

0

16

Northampton, England

Nov 28, 2005

#1

• Nov 28, 2005

• #1

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

10 Year Member

May 24, 2005

4,159

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79

Rowland Heights,California

Nov 28, 2005

#2

• Nov 28, 2005

• #2

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

 

L

limey66

Member

Sep 23, 2004

408

0

16

Northampton, England

Nov 28, 2005

#3

• Nov 28, 2005

• #3

iskwezm said:

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

Click to expand...

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

 

iskwezm

10 Year Member

May 24, 2005

4,159

20

79

Rowland Heights,California

Nov 29, 2005

#4

• Nov 29, 2005

• #4

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)

 

L

limey66

Member

Sep 23, 2004

408

0

16

Northampton, England

Nov 29, 2005

#5

• Nov 29, 2005

• #5

iskwezm said:

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)

Click to expand...

To the alternator from where, battery +ve?

What is the best alternator to use?

 

krash kendall

Active Member

Nov 19, 2004

1,258

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36

Aldergrove, B.C. Canada

Nov 29, 2005

#6

• Nov 29, 2005

• #6

limey66 said:

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

Click to expand...

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.

 

M

mustangdave

My rearend needs a stud and two nuts.

Founding Member

Feb 26, 2002

2,976

1

56

North Carolina

Nov 29, 2005

#7

• Nov 29, 2005

• #7

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.

 

J

jbuening

Member

Apr 28, 2005

399

0

17

Nov 29, 2005

#8

• Nov 29, 2005

• #8

mustangdave said:

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.

Click to expand...

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