Double D racing Posted January 13, 2012 Report Share Posted January 13, 2012 i jus aquired a 1971 El camino with no motor or tranny.not lookin for total restoration but makin it an everyday vehicle.i noticed the big ole regulator on the header panel and started to try to remember how to run the newer style alternator with built in regulator...i know this has got to be a simple solution...done it a few times a few years ago...killed too many brain cells since then or jus gettin older....anybody ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesHigdon Posted January 15, 2012 Report Share Posted January 15, 2012 i jus aquired a 1971 El camino with no motor or tranny.not lookin for total restoration but makin it an everyday vehicle.i noticed the big ole regulator on the header panel and started to try to remember how to run the newer style alternator with built in regulator...i know this has got to be a simple solution...done it a few times a few years ago...killed too many brain cells since then or jus gettin older....anybody ??? This is one of the most popular retro-fits we do to older vehicles; in fact we fit GM three wire alternators to just about anything out there. First off I typically recommend a mid-eighties GM full-size alternator (well say the base model unit for an ’86 Caprice with a 350) donor. You can buy them as cheap as $45 in the 66 amp variety (your stock unit was most likely a 63 if the truck had AC) or you can get them as high as 200amps from some aftermarket suppliers. For cheap higher amp units look to ’90-’92 Suburban modes with AC, these are mostly 105 amp. Keep in mind if you’re junk-yard shopping that getting the crank, water-pump and alternator pulley off a mid-eighties GM full-size will allow you to switch to a serpentine style alternator/water pump belt. Second, wiring. You can buy the alternator plug from any parts store (spec. it for the donor). Run the white wire to a keyed power source, this is the wire that switches the alternator on. You can also use this wire to power a “dummy light” or to run a voltage gauge (or amp gauge with some modification). The El Camino should have a junction block under the hood that you are going to run the other two wires to; the red wire out of the connector can be 10-12 gauge and the one off the post should be 8 gauge. You will run the main power feeds from the cabin off this junction. Third, protection. You should never have a wire from the battery directly to the charging junction as this could overcharge the battery. I run a single line from the battery to the constant hot on the starter (the big post) and then back to the junction block. I also typically like to run a 60 amp mega-fuse (Napa carries a nice holder for them) between the battery and the junction block just in case the battery shorts but it can be left-out. I run stock-style fusible links on ALL wires coming to the junction block as both a cushion and protection in-case of a short; these can be bought as bulk fusible link-wire (Napa again) or from most electrical specialty suppliers as pre-made ends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwmbishop Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Well covered! But I do have a question. Why not omit the three wire and go straight to the one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesHigdon Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Well covered! But I do have a question. Why not omit the three wire and go straight to the one? Thanks, the one wire is ok for a low draw situation without accesories and where the battery charge is kept at a constant (fully charged) state but lacks the "voltage sensing" function that the #2 (red) wire on a three-wire feeds to. The one wire charges at roughly 14.2 Volts no matter the load while the three wire can charge as high as 16 volts or as low as 10 volts depending upon loading. As a secondary benefit the #1 (white) wire on a three wire allows you to run either a "dummy light" or a voltage gauge where as it's not directly possible on a 1 wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwmbishop Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Well covered! But I do have a question. Why not omit the three wire and go straight to the one? Thanks, the one wire is ok for a low draw situation without accesories and where the battery charge is kept at a constant (fully charged) state but lacks the "voltage sensing" function that the #2 (red) wire on a three-wire feeds to. The one wire charges at roughly 14.2 Volts no matter the load while the three wire can charge as high as 16 volts or as low as 10 volts depending upon loading. As a secondary benefit the #1 (white) wire on a three wire allows you to run either a "dummy light" or a voltage gauge where as it's not directly possible on a 1 wire. Thank you! I have a 110A one wire on my tow vehicle and was planning on putting in a dual battery that uses an auto sensing isolator (system works awesome in my Jeep). Now I am thinking to do that I may want to unconvert and go back to a 3 wire. The auto senor combines when voltage is above 15.3 on the primary and isolates when it drops below 12.8 - so it may not reconnect (without manually overriding) to bring the aux back up after heavy use! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double D racing Posted January 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 thanks guys.gonna put that one on file for future references. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesHigdon Posted January 19, 2012 Report Share Posted January 19, 2012 thanks guys.gonna put that one on file for future references. You're welcome. I'm glad you could find the answer here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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