[tahats]

Greetings,
I have read some of the post about this subject and I am still not clear....here is my story: I have a 1959 Corvette driver that had a alternator already on it with a four connector voltage regulator. The car ran fine with no problems. Then came the day I decided to re-wire the car with a new harness. I bought a 59 Corvette harness AND a 1959 three connector voltage regulator and wired up the car. It started, lights worked.....but the battery was running the car with out being charged. I purchased a new 4 connector voltage regulator and set out to wire it up as it was when I first purchased the car ( I threw away the drawing I made of the original hook up on the 4 connector when I bought the 3 connector) Anyway, I have F and 2 wired with the plug to the alternator. It is grounded and the larger red battery wire is coming from the ammeter to the alternator......that leaves 3 and 4 on the voltage regulator empty. I do have another wire from the ammeter that I think goes to 3....but that still leaves 4 empty. Any answers?? Oh yeah, on the diagram I down loaded from a past thread, is my ammeter considered a junction block? It seems to be the junction of 4 wires from the harness and the one from the voltage regulator.
Thanks in advance,
Tim Allen

[Bob W]

Did you use the 59 regulator for the 59 Generator ? You need to use the regulator for the alternator. Some place I have a drawing. The regulators with 4 posts are for cars with an idiot light in the dash while there is a 3 post alternator regulator for cars with ammeters.

Bob
willisb@kos.net
http://members.kos.net/willisb/

[edgewoodrx]

I've done a few GM alternator conversions. Never tried to use the regulator wires, but this is the no brainer way:

I'm assuming you have the old syle internal regulator alt with the single pole on the back and the 2 prong connector on top. Attach the wire that goes to the battery to the back of the alt. Next, with the 2 prong plug installed, pigtail the larger of the 2 wires directly to the same single post on the back that holds the batt wire. This leaves only 1 small wire left over that comes out of the 2 prong plug. Use your existing "Field" wire (make sure it is hot with the key on) and connect it to the left over wire. This is the exciter wire for the field.

You can actually use any hot source (12 volts is OK) for the energize wire, but you may end up with feedback issues which would cause the engine to continue running even with the key off. Using the existing field wire from the voltage reguator should make it work just fine.

On the off chance you do end up with a feedback problem, a cheapo 2 or 3 amp diode from Radio Shack will fix it. Simply put it in line with the energize wire. Make sure it is installed in the right direction. The colored bands toward the alt as I recall. This will allow the current to flow in one direction only and alleviate any problems. Hope this helps.

Mike

[Bob W]

I think he has a mid 60s alternator the needed a regulator , but, the single wire alternator would make life easier.

Bob

[docvette]

Doc here,

Here ya go:



Doc

[tahats]

Originally Posted by Bob W

Did you use the 59 regulator for the 59 Generator ? You need to use the regulator for the alternator. Some place I have a drawing. The regulators with 4 posts are for cars with an idiot light in the dash while there is a 3 post alternator regulator for cars with ammeters.

Bob
willisb@kos.net
http://members.kos.net/willisb/

Thanks Bob, Sorry my explanation may have been a little confusing. When I bought the car, it had a 4 connector voltage regulator. The alternator was the Delco battery post, ground post and the 2 pin plug for the F & R connection. Somehow the guy I bought it from had it hooked up using the ammeter and original wiring harness. The car came from the factory with a 3 connector voltage regulator and a generator both of which had been removed. I am not ready to restore the car back to the factory set-up yet. I just want to get it driving again. I bought a new Powermaster retro Delco style alternator (external) and a new 4 connector voltage regulator.
Thanks, Tim

[tahats]

Originally Posted by docvette

Doc here,

Here ya go:



Doc

Thanks Doc, I will try it out
Tim

[tahats]

Originally Posted by edgewoodrx

I've done a few GM alternator conversions. Never tried to use the regulator wires, but this is the no brainer way:

I'm assuming you have the old style internal regulator alt with the single pole on the back and the 2 prong connector on top. Attach the wire that goes to the battery to the back of the alt. Next, with the 2 prong plug installed, pigtail the larger of the 2 wires directly to the same single post on the back that holds the batt wire. This leaves only 1 small wire left over that comes out of the 2 prong plug. Use your existing "Field" wire (make sure it is hot with the key on) and connect it to the left over wire. This is the exciter wire for the field.

You can actually use any hot source (12 volts is OK) for the energize wire, but you may end up with feedback issues which would cause the engine to continue running even with the key off. Using the existing field wire from the voltage regulator should make it work just fine.

On the off chance you do end up with a feedback problem, a cheapo 2 or 3 amp diode from Radio Shack will fix it. Simply put it in line with the energize wire. Make sure it is installed in the right direction. The colored bands toward the alt as I recall. This will allow the current to flow in one direction only and alleviate any problems. Hope this helps.

Mike

Hey Mike, I wrote a response to Bob which may explain my set-up better. It is an external alternator which is running with a 4 connector voltage regulator. The alternator has a battery post, ground post and a 2 prong plug in the middle F & R. It is the old style Delco retro model made by Powermaster (Summit) The bad thing was I made a drawing of the wiring before I ripped out the wiring harness for the car and somehow lost the diagram for the regulator / alt hook up.
Thanks,
Tim