hi guys ,
i have fixed most of my wring problems as a few of u maight have seen some of the post i have been asking about wiring questions .

any ways now my batterys not charging! so i kinda need to know what wires do what . i know the red wire from the alt is the charge back wire . what do the black/white and the blue wire do that go to the regulator ? an is there any more wire that i need to know about that could cause this type of problem.
thanks chad

also since my batterys not charging what wires should be hot with a test light ? an check those with the car runing ?

unless your doing a restoration, go with a 1 wire alternator and ditch all that crap like the external reg and old alt, get a nre internally regualted alternator, that will put out more amps
$100 from summit

unless your doing a restoration, go with a 1 wire alternator and ditch all that crap like the external reg and old alt, get a new internally regualted alternator, that will put out more amps
$100 from summit

i have thought about that but wont i have to cut a lot of wires ? an will i still be able to use my stock brackets ? does any one have pics of what theres looks like an there brackets ?

well yes and no you dont have to remove the wiring for the regulator, it just looks better

and yes you can use all the same brackets, and my alternator looks just about like a stock one

My 69 had a internal reg. alt. on it. All that is needed is two plugs, one that plugs on to the end that goes to the regulator and jumps it in the correct manner and one that plugs into the old alt. plug that adapts to the new int. reg alt. plug. No cutting wires and is still correct if you want to change back. I don't know where to get the plugs, someone here might. Pete

will this make my head light any brighter ? u guys wouldnt happen to have a pic of your engs with the newer alt on then would u ?

The 3 wire alternator has the main charging wire, an "exciter" wire, and a wire that runs to the dash warning light.....basically. If you were to unwrap the harness tape you'd find that there is a soldered junction where one of the wires from the voltage regulator is simply clipped and soldered to the big wire that bolts to the back of the alternator. The other 2 wires on the alternator plug run to the voltage regulator, then the blue wire runs to the dash warning light.

When you switch to an internally regulated alternator you can eliminate the voltage regulator and wiring plug on the firewall by simply bypassing them. The plug for the alternator can be altered so that one of the wires "senses" at the soldered junction, while the other wire goes to the dash warning light. You or I would have to look at a wiring diagram to see which color wire goes where.

I did this change when I installed a 94 Camaro 140 amp alternator. It bolted right in place of the original.

a schematic is available at: http://www.1968firebird.org/68wir/68wir1.html

Dark Blue is the field (to regulator)
Black/Wht is the sense wire (to regulator)
The heavy terminal connects to the battery positive.

Chad, you said "now my battery doesn't charge". Does this mean that it charged okay before you set out to correct some wiring problems? If so, check all of the connectors. The contacts can slide back into the housing and end up not making connection. Also, the contacts are crimped on and the crimp can go bad from disturbing old wiring. You will find connectors like this at the regulator, alternator and the main firewall plug. When you mate electrical connectors, you should put some dielectric grease on them. This will prevent corrosion from deteriorating the connection.

You can repair the original alternator if there is a problem with it. The brushes are available for around $5. The brushes should be replaced on any car with over 75,000 miles on it just to avoid the walk home one day. The diode trio is also readily available. Lastly, they sell new bearings for the original alternator. You can restore the original alternator to new reliability with inexpensive parts and a bit of work.

The electro-mechanical voltage regulator can be replaced with a solid state equivalent. Standard Motor Prouducts lists their VR-103X as a form/fit/function replacement. The reliability of a solid state unit will be superior.

Unless you need more power for audio gear, I would recommend that you fix what is there rather than swap in different parts that alter the wiring configuration.

You can make the headlights brighter by installing the Halogen replacements. A larger alternator will not make the lights brighter at cruising speed. A larger alternator will prevent headlight dimming at idle.