electrical problems

[T-stone]

I am having some issues with my 1972 240, i upgraded my cam put a header on replaced radiator, alternator and voltage regulator.

I set the timing and started it got everything tuned, today when i started the car and gave it a little gas the gauges flickered and dimmed.

I shut it off and started it again, after letting it idle again i raced the engine and around 5000 rpm the gauges dimmed again. while running the amp gauge fluctuates greatly. when idling the amps are consistent slightly positive, when racing the engine the amps jump to high positive and fluctuates slightly positive to high positive.

also after running for a while smokes starts coming from the electricals on the steering collum, i found that the right blinker wire was unplugged.

need some help

[SteveJ]

Where did you get your alternator from? Are you sure it is externally regulated? Did you take voltage measurements at the battery with the car off?

[T-stone]

i bought the alternator from aurozone, it specifically said that it was external regulated.

the battery has 12.4 volts when checked with a meter

[T-stone]

scratch that 12.15

[Travel'n Man]

I would be extremely concerned with the voltage regulator!! Where did you get it and are all the connections secure on both the male and female side? Whats going on with your Altmeter?

Is it outside the + side - off the gauge?

[T-stone]

both alternator and regulator are from autozone, connections are secure.

amp gauge runs from slightly positive to past the line of high positive and jumps back and forth at high rpm

[SteveJ]

I just realized I had a typo in my previous post. What is the voltage at the battery with the car on?

As Mitchell suggested, it looks like the voltage regulator might not be functioning properly.

[Travel'n Man]

Be extremely careful with your current set up and driving your car - you could be doing some serious damage to your battery and could include exploding due to exessive overcharging..........IMO. Have you tested your battery while the car is started for overcharging? If not, I would do that ASAP.......IMO

You need to inspect each and every wire on both the male side and female side - you have something not making a good connection in that juction. Once you find your culprit wire you can jump it to the correct wire outside you voltage regulator to correct the connection - or figure out a way to secure the connection in the male and female plug - it sounds to me like a wire has disconnected from either of the sides of the plug to the voltage regulator.

[T-stone]

I found that the new voltage regulator connector wire is shorter than the original one, the connection was secure but had a lot of tension.

it caused a bad connection, i moved the regulator closer rleaving the tension, this made for a better connection.

This fixed the problem

thanks for all the great advice

[SteveJ]

Cool. Now that you've taken care of that issue, if you live near Atlanta, come on out to the Georgia Z Club meetings.

[T-stone]

When and where are these held?

[SteveJ]

Thursdays at TJ's Bar & Grill on Holcomb Bridge Road. Go to the Georgia Z Club website (link in signature) for the details.