The Drainer

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SonOfThomp

Well Known Member
OK, the fun never stops. We have three cars, and two of them currently have issues.

One of them is the '61 Bel Air.

She drains the battery like a (insert metaphor here). Really, it's been am on/off/sometimes thing, so I bought a new battery last night and installed it. Cranked robustly.

This morning, the battery was all but dead. Jumped after only a couple of minutes' charging. Kept enough of a charge to start again as I checked after arriving at work . . .

So, it runs fine, so I'm guessing that the alternator (yes, it's converted) is providing juice.

WTF?

Cheers
SoT
 
Ronnie Russell

Ronnie Russell

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
Is the alternator a " 1 wire "?? They have a reputation of draining a battery. If not , it sounds like the built in regulator.
 
S

SonOfThomp

Well Known Member
Thanks for the response - I am puzzled.

There are two wires that go onto the post in the back of the alternator, and two that mount via a clip on the side. One wire goes to the battery.

Since this is a conversion is it possible that the voltage regulator is wrong or wasn't replaced?

A buddy suggested a short in the starter.

Hmm.

Where is the "built-in regulator"? In the alternator or the voltage regulator? or????
 
Ronnie Russell

Ronnie Russell

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
The older style alternators used an external regulator. Should be easy enough to locate. The later alternators have a built in regulator inside the alternator. Wiring the later model alternator is very simple. Identify your system and get back with me.
 
models916

models916

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 7
Overnight?

MORE LIKE A SHORT. New charged battery would not go dead overnight without some sort of drain. My problem used to be the glove box light. Would drain the battery after a couple of days of non use. Until I could find the drain, I used one of those battery disconnect switches.
 
Brian Thompson

Brian Thompson

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
Use a digital voltmeter to find the short. The DVM can be used as an amp meter. Put the black and red wires in the correct spot for this. Once this is done, disconnect the negative battery cable and connect either the red or black wire from the dvm to it. Then connect the other wire from the dvm to the negative battery post. You should see the amp draw at this point. DO NOT START THE CAR!!! You will burn up the dvm wires and possibly the dvm.

From here, start to pull the fuses in the fuse box one at a time. Checking the amp draw after pulling each one. If the draw decreases, then you know which circuit is the culprit. re-insert the fuses and follow that circuit disconnecting everything (accessories and bulbs) one by one, until the draw goes away.

If the draw does not decrease after all of the fuses are removed, move to the engine compartment and disconnect the wire to the Alt/Gen, voltage regulator and starter.

Hope this helps....

BT
 
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SonOfThomp

Well Known Member
Images

Attached. I realize that it could be a short just about anywhere . . . maybe Luck will shin eher light on me and someone wiser than I will see something amiss.

Cheers!
SoT
 

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Tic's60

Tic's60

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
My 65 does just that because of the alternator just like you got, we might have even got the same idea from the same website.lol . Have any thoughts different charge up your battery pull the alternator wires off and see if it still charged.
I pull my battery cable since I am too damm lazy to go get another alternator right now.
You can I heard put a diode in and stop the drain as well.
 
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SonOfThomp

Well Known Member
One of my first suspicions when 'issues' arode (and they were sporadic at first) was, in fact, whether they had done the recharging system correctly. The generator was still in the trunk, and it was a fresh renovation, so I am pretty sure it had just been converted.

The picture I'm getting here is that it was indeed 'done wrong'. Are any of the components in PIC #2 that are new to the alternator-based system? Or jsut the same stuff as with the generator?

The Fix: a single wire alternator?

Many Thanks
S0T
 
Ronnie Russell

Ronnie Russell

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
Use common Chev alternator with built in regulator. Make a short ( 3 inch) jumper wire to go from #2 blade terminal to the 12v terminal on the back of the alt. #1 blade terminal to gen charging light wire going inside the car. 10 gauge wire from 12v terminal ( alternator) to battery. Do not use any of the old generator stuff. Very simple, dont try to make it complicated.
 
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SonOfThomp

Well Known Member
Ronnie Russell said:
Use common Chev alternator with built in regulator. Make a short ( 3 inch) jumper wire to go from #2 blade terminal to the 12v terminal on the back of the alt. #1 blade terminal to gen charging light wire going inside the car. 10 gauge wire from 12v terminal ( alternator) to battery. Do not use any of the old generator stuff. Very simple, dont try to make it complicated.
Click to expand...

Can I do this with the existing alternator?
 
Ronnie Russell

Ronnie Russell

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
The alternator I am familiar with has 2 blade terminals marked #1 and #2. Because of your current wires, I cannot tell. I would take the alternator off the car and take it somewhere to be checked. You must be sure your unit is healty before going further.
 
I

IgnitionMan

Banned
Too bad you don't accept e/mails from other board members. I'd have sent you a diagram to connect the alternator up as Ronnie says, which is both the easiest/simplest and most inexpensive way to do it. No fancy, expensive stuff, just good old common sense and the way GM did it on the later model cars these internal regulator alternators were fitted with.
 
RCE1962

RCE1962

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
I have a little Cheyenne stepside pickup truck. I don't use it too much. I had a big honking cranking amp battery in that truck installed last year. Now it was dead. Started OK with a boost. I thought it was the alternator. The local shop said no and installed another battery. They said the original battery did not register "anything" when tested...usually has something left. The truck sat with the new battery in it for about a week until I tried to start it....nothing...not a click.

It boosted OK and I drove it for about 20 minutes. Stop and start again OK. the next morning ....not a thing. Now I'm thinking....something must be on and I don't know about it. "Parasitic draw". Turns out it was a glove box light. The previous owner scotch-taped the light switch to the Off position. This switch was found dangling behind the dash and not where it was supposed to be. Over time the scotch tape had stretched and completed the curcuit to suck power out of the battery.

Once you know your alternator is OK. Its time to go hunting.

P.S. It gets pretty cold here during winter.:roll Sometimes snow is a problem :roll . This little red 4X4 truck has a V-6, sits high and has Big Boots. What a treat to drive this thing especially when the municipal snowploughs haven't done the roads yet. :D Set the heater/defrost on high and head for the nearest "Timmys". (Tim Horton's Coffee Shop).


Ron
 
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SonOfThomp

Well Known Member
IgnitionMan said:
Too bad you don't accept e/mails from other board members. I'd have sent you a diagram to connect the alternator up as Ronnie says, which is both the easiest/simplest and most inexpensive way to do it. No fancy, expensive stuff, just good old common sense and the way GM did it on the later model cars these internal regulator alternators were fitted with.
Click to expand...

Thanks,. Ignition man. I didn't know that my profile was set up that way. I'll fix that!

BTW, all - I still have the generator; it was in the trunk when I bought the car. Would it be simpler to just use that, instead??
 
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