I need a mechanic

[RaisedByWolves]

I dont care what anyone else says............you guys are alright!!! lol lol WE fixed it. I ran a ground wire from the firewall to the motor and sure enough, it works. Thats great! Party at RBW's for all who helped! BYOB

BYOB?


Nah, Ill geta keg or two, but someone has to hit a deer on the way over so we can eat.


Glad you got it sorted out, and I second shoer on the wiring, cant have too many grounds.




.

 

[cmetalbend]

Alternators-No
Generators-yes

Don't think this is all true. When testing alternaters you have a energize switch on the tester and You do have to use it on some alternaters. Now you can buy some Gm's more commonly know as One wires that do this internaly. And it could be that Polarizing isn't the same as energizing, that I'm not sure about. But I can say for sure some alt's don't engage until getting signal from the battery. Oh and never unhook the battery on anything fuel injected to check the alt. while it's runnin. The alt is only there to equalize the outgoing current, not to actually charge the batt. so to speak. Wanna kill a new alt, just hook it up to a discharged battery. Glad you got it fixed.

 

[djohn]

Polarizing and energizing are two different things. The polarizing is done on old style coil wound voltage regulators, anything with a solid state regulator doesn't need to be polarized but yes, most alternators do need voltage from the battery to enable charging.

 

[ShoerFast]

Don't think this is all true. When testing alternaters you have a energize switch on the tester and You do have to use it on some alternaters. Now you can buy some Gm's more commonly know as One wires that do this internaly. And it could be that Polarizing isn't the same as energizing, that I'm not sure about. But I can say for sure some alt's don't engage until getting signal from the battery. Oh and never unhook the battery on anything fuel injected to check the alt. while it's runnin. The alt is only there to equalize the outgoing current, not to actually charge the batt. so to speak. Wanna kill a new alt, just hook it up to a discharged battery. Glad you got it fixed.

Good point, The battery acts as a 1/4 ohm resistor in the alt system, if unhooked and if there is any residual magnitizem in the alternators rotor, the voltage could run unchecked and fry the diode trio or rectifier-bridge.

 

[Ole Farmerbuck]

Good point, The battery acts as a 1/4 ohm resistor in the alt system, if unhooked and if there is any residual magnitizem in the alternators rotor, the voltage could run unchecked and fry the diode trio or rectifier-bridge.

In other words, you're saying leave the dam battery hooked up and use the voltmeter. ok Just fixing the little things now. Dome lights, door hinge, replace fan belt. Just little things. Should be a good pickup, 1/2 ton 4x4 that even works! Interior looks like a new one. Anyway, thanks to all.

 

[mayor]

Way kewl...we gotter goin!!!
Now then....take it too the woods and have fun this weekend!.

 

[Ole Farmerbuck]

Way kewl...we gotter goin!!!
Now then....take it too the woods and have fun this weekend!.

Yup WE did! Im used to using a 6.5 ft bed to haul my face cords for sale so i will have to put a piece of plywood across the bed to mark it so i know how much to throw on now. No prob though. The plywood will come out easy and while in will protect my saws. (plus the back glass)

 

[flewism]

In the age of computer controlled vehicles it's not a good idea to be unplugging/unhooking electrical components on a running engine. You can easily fry regulators, diodes, puters etc.. Even though it was effective troubleshooting for years it's a habit you need to break.

this was never a good idea, in my book The fastest way to fry the diodes in any
alternator is to disconnect it from the battery, with a possible weak or bad ground

 

[Ole Farmerbuck]

this was never a good idea, in my book The fastest way to fry the diodes in any
alternator is to disconnect it from the battery, with a possible weak or bad ground

I klnow i've been lucky all these years then because we run lots of irrigation engined and have never hurt anything YET.

 

[ShoerFast]

In other words, you're saying leave the dam battery hooked up and use the voltmeter. ok Just fixing the little things now. Dome lights, door hinge, replace fan belt. Just little things. Should be a good pickup, 1/2 ton 4x4 that even works! Interior looks like a new one. Anyway, thanks to all.

A fair shade tree Alt test is to turn everything on that you can think of, head-lights, heater fan, wipers at idle and watch the volts, 12.5 - (12.75 if it's hot out), is outta here, 13 is marginal but 14-14.6 is nipples.

Most Alts. will keep up with everything at idle, drop a diode or a loop of the windings you now have 2/3rds and it wont. (but may barely keep up at speed)

A quick TS test to do if you know you have a bad Alt is to touch a iron screwdriver or something to the center of the pulley as it's running (be careful to only make contact with the pulley) it the pulley pulls the screwdriver in or is strongly maginitized, your problem is in the Alt. but if there is not a very noticeable attraction, the problem is in the field wiring , *brushes or Alt. control,,,,and may not be fixed by shotgunning a new Alt.

*Brushes are an easy fix, if the bearings sounded good, why mess with more if there is a $5 dollar fix?

 

[Lurch2]

this was never a good idea, in my book The fastest way to fry the diodes in any
alternator is to disconnect it from the battery, with a possible weak or bad ground

The old Ford external relays used to be real sensitive too, but hey, it sure beats walkin.

With the current electronics you're risking a lot more serious=expensive damage.

 

[cabinman]

NO offence intended

Just tossing this out there:

Do alternators need to be 'polarized'?

Dude,. your age is showing,..alota people here dont even know what your talkin about,? LOLOL E,J,

 

[cabinman]

Easy` now

Few year ago I had worked for a propane company that was owned by a true 'Rocket Scientist' . The owner worked with NASA after one of the Titans shelled apart just after it left the launce pad. (maybe you remember the news clips of a huge fire ball?) That rocket exploded due to electrical grounds. This is going some where,,,,,

Working as Maintance Manager on his trucks, everything he had ran on propane, and everything was computerized to monitor the propane it burnt, cool stuff! But if the grounds and wires were not heavy enough there were problems, dirty electric Robert called it.

Working with ol-Robert, it did not take long to learn how to wire his equipment, if you read the chart for wire gauge requirements, and doubled it, you were on his team. Especially if you added extra ground-wires.

To this day everything I run has quicker battery recovery, brighter lights and more constant electrical operations just by running heaver wire then it came with. It is really nice to have hi-beam lighting on low-beam and killer hi-beams, or heater motors that push you back in the seat. (well that might be a stretch)

Moral of the story, wires and grounds can never be to thick.

I agree Grounds , are REAL Important, Waz, He serving a special brownie during the presitation that showed the brighter lights, all because WE use a # 10 gauge, not a # 8 gauge, Just kidding,..LOLOLOL

 

[ShoerFast]

I agree Grounds , are REAL Important, Waz, He serving a special brownie during the presitation that showed the brighter lights, all because WE use a # 10 gauge, not a # 8 gauge, Just kidding,..LOLOLOL

I bet you are, as #8 is bigger then #10.

 

[cabinman]

The First Time

Secret about unhooking your battery when working on your electrical system. If you unhook the ground side the battery is isolated and unless you are really accident prone you won't arc your wrench. Much easier to unhook the ground and not have to worry about handling a "hot" wrench that might hit the fender or some other grounded part.

Also, take your rings off if working on the electrical system and you didn't unhook the battery. Bad things can happen to your wedding ring if you get in the wrong spot.

You are the FIRST person,..That has seen, heard, or told ,..The ring story, besides me, Shame on you,..(For not telling the whole story) Imagine unhookin a battery in your vehicle, wrench in hand, and you unhook the positive cable first,....HERE is where it gets UGLY,...The wrench in your hand is on the positive BATTERY terminal,...Also the wrench in your hand is touching, the ring on your finger,...ALSO the ring on your finger, makes GROUND,...IE,.. your hand hits the fender,...MOST batterys are in the 700-900 amperage range, AND that is going to LITE your ring up to a real bright oragne color, ...The first thought IS, take the ring off,..AS its sinking into your flesh,......... WATER PLEEEEZE, T,C, E,J,

 

[cabinman]

Good Point

I bet you are, as #8 is bigger then #10.

I MISSED TYPED,..YOU OBVEISLY DIDNT GET THE MESSAGE,....Maybe I need to paint you a picture,.....

 

[chowdozer]

In the age of computer controlled vehicles it's not a good idea to be unplugging/unhooking electrical components on a running engine. You can easily fry regulators, diodes, puters etc.. Even though it was effective troubleshooting for years it's a habit you need to break.

Toasting the electronics of the rig would be a secondary problem if the spark off that battery cable meets up with the hydrogen coming out of the battery. Seen it happen.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

.Maybe I need to paint you a picture,.....

Will there be lots of Red in it?



.

 

[cmetalbend]

This is silly anymore

Do you guy's realize you can drive to any Oreilly's or autozone and they'll check the Batt, and alt for nothing. They can even tell ya if it's a diode,rectifier, regulater, or brushes. Probably more. Kinda makes knowledge less valuable. Pisses me off when the 16yr old help plugs in the fancy gadget tells me the diode's out, but doesn't know what the he** that is. Only knows a new alt is 94.99 plus exchange.

 

[Ole Farmerbuck]

Do you guy's realize you can drive to any Oreilly's or autozone and they'll check the Batt, and alt for nothing. They can even tell ya if it's a diode,rectifier, regulater, or brushes. Probably more. Kinda makes knowledge less valuable. Pisses me off when the 16yr old help plugs in the fancy gadget tells me the diode's out, but doesn't know what the he** that is. Only knows a new alt is 94.99 plus exchange.

This pickup had a new alt on with the receipt in the glove box. Reason for taking the alt back was when i turned on the lights, the meter showed no charge. They checked it, said it was good. Store manager said that was the cheapest alt he could buy for it.....1 year warranty. He said i could trade it for one with lifetime warranty so i did. He thought it would be 20 bucks higher. I say fine. When we're all done, HE PAYS ME 9.00 back!! figure that one out! Oh well...its fixed and i have a lifetime alt.