alternator problems

[Guest donhess64rivi]

my alt. is bad i have a good one that is a one wire quick connect and was wondering if i could splice the wires and use this one. yellow and green are the wires going into the bad alt. on the one that im trying to make work is brown and red.

[RivNut]

Google " one wire alternator swap " and look for an entry from a guy named Rowand. He's written a bunch of really informative articles on these kinds of swaps. It's way too long and complicated to post in this forum. It's a really good article that covers everything including tapping into the original harness, and using the correct color wires. I printed it out some time ago and will use it if I ever do the swap.

Ed

Edited September 23, 2010 by RivNut (see edit history)

[68RIVGS]

. . . also some good reading here: Catalog

[Guest ErikDurocher]

Along the same lines - I may put in a new 100 Amp Alt w/ internal regulator - and saw this Conversion adaptor harness on Ebay specific to early Rivieras. 1963-1972 BUICK RIVIERA ALTERNATOR CONVERSION WIRING KT: eBay Motors (item 290470409923 end time Sep-30-10 15:26:06 PDT)

- Did just read the great "how it works" & 1 wire -3 wire comparison on Madelectrical.com... Haven't yet read the resources by Rowand that RivNut suggests -but will.

***Wondering if you experts (RivNut, 68RivGS, etc.) have any experience w/ this conv. or speculation into pro/con/ease of install?

Advice on best set up? New 100A Alt w/ Internal Reg & this/an adaptor?

Or keep (new) External Volt Reg. & add new 100A Ext. Reg Alt? (Battery is new & Big)

-I just got a new Ext Volt Reg -not installed yet... which the adaptor above would negate w/ a new IR Alt.

- I need to find/fix a wiring problem draining the battery 1st (interior Lights I think)

-current old (63 Amp?) 3-wire Ext. Reg Alt. seems to charge Batt fine... still have standard points ignition working very well. Also have electric cooling fan in the grill and will likely add a modest 250W stereo syst. and upgrade to Xenon/HID headlights... hence leaning toward new 100A Internal Reg. Alt. -& will add volt guage.

Thanks in advance for any tips. -Again...

-Erik

'65 401 Deluxe, Posi, Loaded, Black/Black

[RivNut]

I think I could go for the internally regulated 100 (or more) amp, but I wouldn't go for the one wire alt.

Ed

There' s nothing wrong with the external regulators that you get nowdays. They're all solid state and don't require any adjustments. You can tell if they're solid state if the cover is riveted on rather than screwed on.

[Guest ErikDurocher]

Thanks Ed,

Yes, I'll likely do the 3-wire internal reg 100+Amp Alt... Not really confident of my conversion/adaptor install skills though... My new (not-installed) Volt Reg (I'll likely return now) is solid state.

Think I should get that Ebay adaptor?

[RivNut]

If you're not that confident, why not go for a larger amp alternator and keep the external regulator? You already have the new regulator, no wiring hassles that way.

Ed

[68RIVGS]

Been quite a while Erik since I converted to an internal unit after the original 42A external reg. alternator packed it in, . . . but here goes.

The replacement unit purchased was a 93A 10SI reman AC Delco unit, clocked the same position as the original alt, and I intentionally used an adapter kit to convert the wiring, to avoid any cutting/splicing of the original harness (...should the need arise to make it 'original'), and the convenience of a simple 'plug 'n play' conversion.

The kit consisted of two wiring adapters, one prewired connector that plugged into the external regulator (...after removing the original connector), and the other plugged into the end of the engine harness and had a two wire plug for the reman 10SI alt. The whole process took about thirty minutes, and that included adjusting the belt on the new reman alternator. It maintains an 'original' appearance with the old wires tucked out of view, and there is no more dimming of the lights for those night driving excursions !

[68RIVGS]

I should add - thirty minutes with the old alternator removed !!

The toughest part of the entire re&re job was the removal of that super long pivot bolt on the lower alternator mount, as it was almost welded in place after some 40 years. Needless to say, it took quite a bit of persuasion, and the right "words" to break it loose !

Edited September 28, 2010 by 68RIVGS (see edit history)

[Guest ErikDurocher]

Thanks for the tips guys -good to know. I think I'll save $100 and some time, and get a new 100-140 Amp Ext. Reg Alt & install the new Volt Reg. -After rebuilding my leaky Pwr Steering pump...

...On that note -what are the correct '65 paint colors for the PS brackets (Buick Green?) and pump/reservoir itself (Satin, flat, or Gloss Black?)

[Guest donhess64rivi]

i got a new alternator a new voltage regulator and a new battery. after a few weeks of driving my batt. is dead. when i have a volt meter on the neg of the battery and on the pos. it shows 12.45 when i pull the positive cable of and use the positive cable the meter shows 14.30 the only thing i am thinking is a have a drain somewhere in the car. fun fun but also could a lose serpentine belt cause this or what about the connection to the voltage regulator if they are a little corroded... well thanks for reading

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

i got a new alternator a new voltage regulator and a new battery. after a few weeks of driving my batt. is dead. when i have a volt meter on the neg of the battery and on the pos. it shows 12.45 when i pull the positive cable of and use the positive cable the meter shows 14.30 the only thing i am thinking is a have a drain somewhere in the car. fun fun but also could a lose serpentine belt cause this or what about the connection to the voltage regulator if they are a little corroded... well thanks for reading

Were both the alternator and voltage regulator actually "NEW" or were either re-manufactured? It is not unusual for re-mans of either to be bad out of the box so to speak, particularly alternators. It is also not unusual for batteries today to have internal shorts that show up a few days after installation. If you bought the parts from a larger parts store, they should do a charging/starter circuit analysis for free. Best to let them discover they sold a bad part than for you to take if off and return it.

Any obvious corrosion of wiring harness connectors should have been adequately cleaned off or the connectors replaced before installing any of the three. Additionally, if any stiffness was noted with either the positive or negative battery cables, they should be replaced.

Jim

[Guest donhess64rivi]

i had the alt and battery checked out they are good. i have at least went through 20 batteries thanks to auto zone and their warranties (thanks) but still will end up drained out after so many starts and night rides. i am thinking there is a constant drain possibly. any ideas on how to find this drain. my dad and i put a volt meter on it the battery while car was off it showed 1.43 drain. any ideas

[RivNut]

Until you find the drain, I'd put a cut off switch on a battery cable. Nothing electronic, nothing to lose. But if your clock is working, you might have to reset it every time you hook the battery back up. However, the clock has a feature built into it so if you continuoulsy reset it, it has someway of making adjustments so that it will run faster or slower depending on which way you turn it to reset it.

Ed