El Camino Central Forum banner

1966 wiring / voltage regulator help please

9.8K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  jpmdaddy  
Yep----that is an internally regulated alternator you showed in your pic.

The voltage regulator on the core support is not needed.

To keep the wiring simple-----the smaller red wire in that 2-wire connector can be
wired directly to the Alternator post----it is just a voltage 'sense' wire.
Not the absolute correct way to wire it, but GM did the same thing, only farther down in the harness.

The brown wire in that connector needs to go to the ALT light in the dash.
If you do not have an ALT light, it can be wired to an ignition or accy terminal in the fusebox.
Without the lamp, you will need a resistor or resistor wire to prevent "running after the key is turned off'.

The lamp in that circuit---(that you probably do not have due to the previous owner) needs to see
some voltage on BOTH sides of the lamp (positive pin and the base ground), this keeps the light from coming on when you are driving and the alternator is charging.

When the alternator quits charging, that brown lead switched to ground inside the alternator and the dash light comes on.