C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help? - NCRS Discussion Boards

C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

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  • Richard M.
    Super Moderator
    • August 31, 1988
    • 11302

    C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

    Ok,

    With my handy dandy wiring diagram I found in the folder with her new(old) swc, I've been tracing this problem I'm having. When we got the car the PO said the battey goes dead after some time and thought it was the clock. Well, discovered yesterday while working on a cold engine, I leaned on the alternator, and it was warm, very warm. All I could figure was the field was on. Sure enough, with key off, I get 12.5v at the field teminal, and 9.75v at the R terminal(black). Traced for a while and can't figure why.

    The regulator supplies the field voltage(blue wire), coming from the "F" terminal via a #20 dark blue wire to the alt 2 pin plug. Reg terminal 4 is a #20 black w/purple tracer wire which goes to the firewall plug behind the fusebox. It then turns into a #20 brown on the other side. This brown goes to a junction with 5 other browns, and comes from the accsy position of the ign switch. I see it switch to 12.5v when the ign is on or accsy on. With terminal 4 disconnected at the regulator I still get 12.5v at the blue field wire. Terminal 3 of the reg is always 12.5v, coming from the junction of the #12 red battery wire at the horn relay tie point.

    My wiring diagram shows the 5 red wires as a 2 separate junctions at the horn relay tie points, one with 3 wires, the other with 2 wires. The actual relay has 2 screw terminals for these wires, but all 5 wires get tied together because the 2 relay terminals become one junction. Is this right? If so, then maybe my regulator is bad. It's a riveted replacement so I can't get in it without drilling them out. Also, I don't seem to get any movement in the ammeter in the dash when loaded or running. I know the alt is charging when engine running as I get ~13.8v at the battery.

    Ideas?
    Thanks,
    Rich

    Here's my wiring info and copies from my motors manual
    Attached Files
  • William C.
    NCRS Past President
    • May 31, 1975
    • 6037

    #2
    Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

    Ok, easy part first, the ammeter is actually a sensitive voltmeter that measures voltage drop across the opposing ends of the power feed wire in the engine compartment and from that provides an indication as to charging or discharging. The most common culprit is corrosion on the terminals at the connection from the engine and foreward lamp wiring harnesses into the fuseblock. Many posts on this in the archives. As to the discharge you are seeing, anve you had the alternator checked for bad diodes, this is a common problem given the age of the early arternators, with the regulator being a close second.
    Bill Clupper #618

    Comment

    • William C.
      NCRS Past President
      • May 31, 1975
      • 6037

      #3
      Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

      Ok, easy part first, the ammeter is actually a sensitive voltmeter that measures voltage drop across the opposing ends of the power feed wire in the engine compartment and from that provides an indication as to charging or discharging. The most common culprit is corrosion on the terminals at the connection from the engine and foreward lamp wiring harnesses into the fuseblock. Many posts on this in the archives. As to the discharge you are seeing, anve you had the alternator checked for bad diodes, this is a common problem given the age of the early arternators, with the regulator being a close second.
      Bill Clupper #618

      Comment

      • Richard M.
        Super Moderator
        • August 31, 1988
        • 11302

        #4
        Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

        Hi Bill.....thanks.

        The alternator is a new rebie just installed by the PO, I think to try to solve this very problem. I haven't had it tested but it's definitely charging. If I connect and disconnect the field wire when running it reads 13.8volts at battery when on, 12.5v when off. When I read 12v at the "F" terminal of the plug, the plug is off, so I'm just reading the regulator output. I'm thinking it's bad, always stuck on. I'm getting a drill and going in.......

        Rich
        ps anybody have a idea why I don't get notified by email when I get a reply anymore? I don't recall changing anything. Anyone else having a problem?

        Comment

        • Richard M.
          Super Moderator
          • August 31, 1988
          • 11302

          #5
          Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

          Hi Bill.....thanks.

          The alternator is a new rebie just installed by the PO, I think to try to solve this very problem. I haven't had it tested but it's definitely charging. If I connect and disconnect the field wire when running it reads 13.8volts at battery when on, 12.5v when off. When I read 12v at the "F" terminal of the plug, the plug is off, so I'm just reading the regulator output. I'm thinking it's bad, always stuck on. I'm getting a drill and going in.......

          Rich
          ps anybody have a idea why I don't get notified by email when I get a reply anymore? I don't recall changing anything. Anyone else having a problem?

          Comment

          • Richard M.
            Super Moderator
            • August 31, 1988
            • 11302

            #6
            Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

            Fried!.....I expected relays inside and I find this solid state circuit. I was hoping to fix a stuck relay contact, clean it up, and be done. Looks like a new one is in order. Is the real GM Delco non-solid state part still available?
            Rich




            Attached Files

            Comment

            • Richard M.
              Super Moderator
              • August 31, 1988
              • 11302

              #7
              Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

              Fried!.....I expected relays inside and I find this solid state circuit. I was hoping to fix a stuck relay contact, clean it up, and be done. Looks like a new one is in order. Is the real GM Delco non-solid state part still available?
              Rich




              Attached Files

              Comment

              • Timothy B.
                Extremely Frequent Poster
                • April 30, 1983
                • 5177

                #8
                Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

                Rich, My suggestion is that you call John Pirkle and let him restore a #628 alternator and #512 regulator with the correct dates for your car. By the time you spend $$ to fix, then take it apart again at some point to install the correct parts you would be better off. These parts are unique to 1963 model year on Chevrolets. That nice 63 will love you for it!

                Take the alternator and regulator to a shop and have them tested so you know you have found the problem before spending any money. Tim

                Comment

                • Timothy B.
                  Extremely Frequent Poster
                  • April 30, 1983
                  • 5177

                  #9
                  Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

                  Rich, My suggestion is that you call John Pirkle and let him restore a #628 alternator and #512 regulator with the correct dates for your car. By the time you spend $$ to fix, then take it apart again at some point to install the correct parts you would be better off. These parts are unique to 1963 model year on Chevrolets. That nice 63 will love you for it!

                  Take the alternator and regulator to a shop and have them tested so you know you have found the problem before spending any money. Tim

                  Comment

                  • John H.
                    Beyond Control Poster
                    • December 1, 1997
                    • 16513

                    #10
                    Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

                    Rich -

                    Did you check the little box at the bottom of the response form to be notified via e-mail of any responses? If you've changed your e-mail addy since you filled out your profile and haven't updated it, the robot is sending responses to your original e-mail address.

                    Comment

                    • John H.
                      Beyond Control Poster
                      • December 1, 1997
                      • 16513

                      #11
                      Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

                      Rich -

                      Did you check the little box at the bottom of the response form to be notified via e-mail of any responses? If you've changed your e-mail addy since you filled out your profile and haven't updated it, the robot is sending responses to your original e-mail address.

                      Comment

                      • Richard M.
                        Super Moderator
                        • August 31, 1988
                        • 11302

                        #12
                        Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

                        John,

                        Thank You! I was looking in my profile for that and didn't see it. I must have accidentaly unchecked the box in the response a while ago.

                        Comment

                        • Richard M.
                          Super Moderator
                          • August 31, 1988
                          • 11302

                          #13
                          Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

                          John,

                          Thank You! I was looking in my profile for that and didn't see it. I must have accidentaly unchecked the box in the response a while ago.

                          Comment

                          • Richard M.
                            Super Moderator
                            • August 31, 1988
                            • 11302

                            #14
                            Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

                            Hi Tim,

                            Last night I brought my alternator in to mmy local parts store for test. It passed all tests. I was able to buy a cheap aftermarket regulator too. Installed and tried it last night and everything works just fine now. Also, surprisingly the ammeter now works ok. THe shorted regulator must've been doing some strange things.

                            I'll likely be contacing John for a correct regulator.

                            One issue though. The alternator in the car now is a 60amp rating. The car now has AC so the original 42 amp #628 may not be strong enogh for it. I may get a #628 anyways for future correctness to original.

                            Thanks,
                            Rich

                            Comment

                            • Richard M.
                              Super Moderator
                              • August 31, 1988
                              • 11302

                              #15
                              Re: C2 '63 Alternator/Charging trouble Help?

                              Hi Tim,

                              Last night I brought my alternator in to mmy local parts store for test. It passed all tests. I was able to buy a cheap aftermarket regulator too. Installed and tried it last night and everything works just fine now. Also, surprisingly the ammeter now works ok. THe shorted regulator must've been doing some strange things.

                              I'll likely be contacing John for a correct regulator.

                              One issue though. The alternator in the car now is a 60amp rating. The car now has AC so the original 42 amp #628 may not be strong enogh for it. I may get a #628 anyways for future correctness to original.

                              Thanks,
                              Rich

                              Comment

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