Last November I bought this car to replace the 72 that got hit head on and wrote off. I bought this car for what I consider to be cheap as it needed a whole new wiring harness as the PO butchered the original really badly trying to make things work that another PO had royally screwed up - however neither knew anything about wiring
So I bought a complete update kit from American Auto Wire - of whom I can not speak highly enough about product, price, and tech help when needed. This being the second of their harnesses I have used.
In keeping with my clean preference - an inordinate amount of time has been spent hiding the under hood wiring, and at the moment the only wire you can see is the wiper washer switch, and the brake proportioning valve switch - neither of which you could hide anymore than I did.
While I am at it I decided to sound mat the entire inside while I had the dash out - what a difference in `sound`on the floor pans and firewall, from tinney to thud when you tap it.
New stereo, new speakers, and tidying up a few things along the way.
So far I have a bout 75`of 1/4 black loom, 26`of 3/8 loom and about 10`of 3/4 loom, 2 rolls of tape, and 26 hours into it.
Under hood is completed now - just waiting on the new 1 wire alternator, dash is done and ready to reinstall, and inside is done except to hang the harness from the firewall, and finish the speaker wires.
Some empty drill holes to weld shut here and there in the floor - no idea what they were for as it is a new floor pan
I figure about another 10 hours to have it back together and running if I don't run into any glitches
-- Edited by Seeker1056 on Monday 5th of May 2014 09:55:34 PM
-- Edited by Seeker1056 on Monday 5th of May 2014 10:06:10 PM
one wire alternators are for tractor's that only need to keep the battery charged . If they worked properly GM would of used them years ago and saved millions.
1 "Excite"
(White AWG # 14 or #16 wire on white molex plug) This wire provides the start up voltage for the alternator. The "1" alternator terminal is fed by a switched 12V source from the ignition switch through a lamp ("idiot light") and is used to supply the magnetic field inside the alternator with the voltage needed to operate. The alternator can not start charging until there is a voltage on the field winding and a magnetic force is created.
The “idiot” light is there to act as a visual indicator of under voltage and over voltage conditions at the battery. When the engine is running, if the idiot light is on, the output voltage of the alternator is out of specification.
2 "Sense"
(Red AWG #10 or #12 wire on white molex plug) The 'Sense' wire checks the voltage output level of the alternator. This is the reference voltage that the alternator uses to determine how much power to put out. If the sensed voltage gets higher than the regulator is adjusted for, the regulator causes the alternator to momentarily stop charging until the sensed voltage drops down to a specified amount, then the alternator resumes charging. The regulator basically turns the alternator on and off fast enough to keep the output voltage within a specified voltage range.
The Number two "sense" terminal is often connected to the BATT. terminal at the back of the alternator. This is the simplest connection and the least desirable since it is measuring the alternator output and not the voltage at the load connections. Any voltage drop due to loose, dirty or corroded connections and internal resistance of the wires and components is not accounted for and the voltage at the circuit loads may be lower than it should be. The voltage is best sampled in the interior of the vehicle after the fuse block load, where all the electrical current load of the vehicle is. The 'Sample' would better sense a voltage drop and and the alternator would correct for it.
I am not cutting into a brand new harness that is wired for the 12si in order to adapt what might be considered a better system - especially since millions of cars are runnin around with this very setup.
I thank you for your concerns but I have to use what I have in its supplied form for peace of mind.
Nothing at all wrong with a one wire alternator, hundreds of thousands in use to prove it..
There will always be a better anything but why mess with a time proven product? This car isn't
about to pound 100,000 miles a year either...
Great job Ken, looking might fine. Well other than that badge,lol...
Chris.
__________________
Buying selling and trading garage toys and big kid stuff.
Really doesn't affect me one way or the other. On a striped down bare bones hot Rod they work fine on anything else For the sake of two wires controlling the entire system Id put them on. If a one wire alternator worked properly Gm and the rest would of already done it thirty years ago.More surprising with the Clean install and detail you put into it to drop the ball on something so simple. Probably just me , every corner I ever cut came back to kick me in the balls somewhere down the road.
maybe we are not on the same page - this is a factory "1" wire 12si alternator from GM - which actually has three wires - main power feed, a red wire that goes from output terminal, to side terminal, and a second wire from side terminal to firewall harness - actual total is 3 wires but it is still called a one wire alternator by everyone
I have run with a one wire alt on my last 3 or 4 cars..I run air, pw, ps, and electric cooling, I have never had any problem with any of mine ..So-far..touch BONDO..and they are superfast to pull down and install brushes and regulators..I always keep a spare set if I am on the road, but so far I have never had any issue for about 20 years..
Slim could be confused, after all how many rodders drive around with a Deer in their lap.. Have to wonder about what some guys will do for attention..
maybe we are not on the same page - this is a factory "1" wire 12si alternator from GM - which actually has three wires - main power feed, a red wire that goes from output terminal, to side terminal, and a second wire from side terminal to firewall harness - actual total is 3 wires but it is still called a one wire alternator by everyone
Clearly we are Not. my apologies this is the one wire job they sell as a hotrod alternator literally one wire.
I have run with a one wire alt on my last 3 or 4 cars..I run air, pw, ps, and electric cooling, I have never had any problem with any of mine ..So-far..touch BONDO..and they are superfast to pull down and install brushes and regulators..I always keep a spare set if I am on the road, but so far I have never had any issue for about 20 years..
Slim could be confused, after all how many rodders drive around with a Deer in their lap.. Have to wonder about what some guys will do for attention..
slim - I run one of those units on my pull truck as it is a cummins in a Ford - it works but clearly is not long lived nor powerfull - but it works, and at $55 it is a very affordable for a pull truck
You Chevy guys are all so technical about your stuff, 1 wire, 3 wire alternators...,10 bolt, 12 bolt rear axles..., double hump heads, 3/4 cams... That's just way too much confusing technical data.
have you ever done the small or big block dodges lol - low block, high block, W2 B1 heads etc etc - the dodges are so much worse big or small block lololololol
have you ever done the small or big block dodges lol - low block, high block, W2 B1 heads etc etc - the dodges are so much worse big or small block lololololol
tit for tat lolololol rotf
Well at least I know my 8 3/4" rear end is actually 8 3/4" in dia..., and even after taking ??? apart, I still don't know how many "Bolts" it is.
Big blocks, small blocks...that's in every make, Ford, Chrysler, GM, AMC...
As far as the heads, you mentioned, them's are aftermarket products. But then there's the HEMI head ( that stands for hemispherical ).
-- Edited by Gazoo on Tuesday 6th of May 2014 10:03:46 PM