76 possible electrical problem

[Zed Head]

It's possible that you got a bad alternator housing from the store. The remanufacture process is to tear everything down, sand blast the case, then re-assemble with parts that have tested as "pass". They might have missed stripped threads in the housing. A longer bolt, if you can find one, of the same thread size might catch good threads at the bottom of the hole.

Or you can run a smaller bolt through the hole with a washer and nut on the other side, temporarily so that you can tighten it and verify your wiring work before returning the alt, or hope for the best and return it for one with good threads. It would be hard to hold the bolt and the alternator while tightening the nut though, with only two hands.

The other bolt I was talking about is the one that bolts the bracket to the engine block. The one that the bracket pivots on.

Your nightmare continues.

On the bright side (for me) I went to Autozone and got an $8.99 Duralast belt, it went on easy and the low squeak-squeak-squeak noise from my old worn belt is gone.

[bhermes]

Finally......

After trying a few screws in the new alternator I determined that the threads for the adjustment bolt on the alternator were bad. I returned the alt on Friday and pciked up the new one today. Installed and rewired and voltage at all rpms was 14.5V. So voltage is good. I am not sure if this is what was supposed to happen; however, my brake light stays on all the time that the car is running. When I turn the car off the light goes off. I was thinking that the light should have stayed on even with the car off but not in my case. Not sure what to do with the thing but will begin looking into this.

Back on the road. Thanks to all.

[Zed Head]

Did you use the zcarcreations.com wiring method? I think that method disables the relay, leaving power to the brake check lamp all the time. The relay is under the passenger seat. It cuts power to the light when energized. It is supposed to get power only when the engine is running. I rewired mine to the fuel pump circuit.

It shouldn't drain your battery the way you have it but the light will stay on until you get power to the relay.

Congratulations on getting it done.

Edited.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Zed Head

[bhermes]

Yes on the zcarcreations. I will start working on the relay and light issue in the next day or so.

If anyone is reaqding this post now or in the future give up on the external voltage regulator and go straight to the internally regulated alternator. I went through a few alternator swaps, a couple voltage regulators, and a battery before I woke up.

[grantf]

Wow! you finally got it! cool