[shepardb]

I have reciently upgraded my 1965 Impala engine. I now have a 350 4 bold main, with a 1982 style alternator. I want to keep the existing in dash "GEN" light working. The old set up took a sample off of the regulator. How do I hook the new alternator up so the lights work properly.

[66Caprice]

There should be a brown wire that runs from the generator light to the old voltage regulator. If you move that wire over to the alternator then it will make the generator light work. I'm assuming you have an alternator with a built in regulator with the battery post and a 2-plug connector. On the connector, I think #2 is for voltage sense and the #1 connector would be for the generator light. I just did this wiring yesterday, but don't have the car in front of me right now.

[shepardb]

Yes it has 3 wire coming out of it. One to the battery, one for the built in voltage reg, and one for a gauge type. In the impala, it has an idiot lite. Will it still work?

[66Caprice]

It'll work. The brown wire will send 12v to the generator light, and the other wire to the generator light already has 12v to it from battery. What happens is when your ignition is in Run and engine is off, the generator light lights up from 12v fed from the ignition switch. Next, you start the engine, then the alternator is sending out 12v on the brown wire that also goes to the generator light. That will produce zero potential on the light and turn it off. I'm not looking at the wiring diagram here, but that's the basic principle. I did this yesterday too - getting too old to remember!