series V alternator and ammeter wiring

[mackem]

I've checked most of the relevant previous posts regarding alternator and ammeter wiring but can't find the answers I need.
I bought the car in bits, wiring removed. I have put the wiring back in, fitted a new Lucas 18 ACR alternator. I don't have a control/regulator box. I believe you don't need a control/regulator box with a 18 ACR.
I read Tom H post regarding amp wiring, As I understand it, I take the 3 brown wire from solenoid, run a thick brown wire from solenoid to one side of ammeter, another thick brown wire from the other side of ammeter back to the three brown wires removed from solenoid.
How do I wire the new 18 ACR alernator in without a control/regulator box? Does it affected the ammeter wiring.
A start to finish idiots guide on wiring both ammeter and alternator would be nice

 

[Tom H]

Mackern,

You've got it right. In the end there should be just 2 wires on one side of the solenoid- the really big wire from the battery and the heavy brown wire going to the Ammeter. Then from the ammeter I think it best to bring another heavy brown wire to the engine compartment and make some kind of solid terminal block and connect the other brown wires there.

And one of the wires connected to that point should be the heavy wire from the large terminal of the Alt.

Originally there were 3 wires connected to the Solenoid:

One brown wire went to the Terninal C1 on the Alt relay- You don't need that one anymore (assuming the Lucas 18ACR has all the regulator circuitry built in - but I am not familiar with that specific alt)

Second brown wire went to the fuse holder - to supply current to the rest of the car (you stilll need it - it should be one of the wires connected to the "terminal block" I described above)

Third brown wire is the heavy one that goes to the Large terminal of the Alt. This is the wire that brings current from the Alt to the whole system - into the battery when charging and to the rest of the car otherwise. It should also be connected to the "terminal block" described above.

Tom

 

[Sandi.eblin]

Need Help

My husband just bought a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine 1725cc 4 cyl 4 speed

He needs some information

1. Where #1 is on distributor cap
2. Is #1 cyl at front or rear of engine
3. point gap
4.valve clearance
5.neg or positive groud
amp gauge says neg to earth ground catalouge says positive ground

He bought this car with a re-built enegine and trans that have net been started

Any help that anyone can give him will be much appreciated

Sandi

 

[64beam]

My husband just bought a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine 1725cc 4 cyl 4 speed

He needs some information

1. Where #1 is on distributor cap
2. Is #1 cyl at front or rear of engine
3. point gap
4.valve clearance
5.neg or positive groud
amp gauge says neg to earth ground catalouge says positive ground

He bought this car with a re-built enegine and trans that have net been started

Any help that anyone can give him will be much appreciated

Sandi

Hi Sandi,

The number one cylinder is the front of the engine, so you can just follow the spark plugs lead back to the distributor. The other way is to remove the spark plugs and turn the engine over by hand and look through the hole at number one with a torch until at TDC (top dead centre). Distributor rotation is anti clockwise. The point gap is 0.15 in and the valve clearance when hot is .012 in (Inlet) and .014 in (Exhaust). The best way to check your electrical system, is to open up the battery hatch a see which terminal goes to the chassis. For a 67, I would assume it to be negative earth.

Regards, Robin.

 

[jumpinjan]

Sandi,
Where specifically are you located? I'm in Kettering, close to I-675. I could give you some help.

Mackern,
Check with my article that I wrote on the MGB ACR alternator upgrade (issue 14, Summer 2005, page 25-26).
Jan

 

[Ken Ellis]

Sandi,
On the top of this page, in the center, is a link called "technical data". Pull that menu down, and at the bottom will is "original tech manuals". Lots o' info there. You'll end up buying one later, but they will get you started.

There's a full service manual pdf out there somewhere... google away if someone doesn't chime in.

Good luck!
Ken

 

[Alpine 1789]

There's a full service manual pdf out there somewhere... google away if someone doesn't chime in.
Ken

Here you go: http://www.rootes1725cc.info/alpine/index.htm

Good luck.

 

[mackem]

Sandi, if you don't mind, can you start your own thread asking your question. I started this thread to ask a question about alternator and ammeter wiring. Your question bears no relation to mine.

Thanks Tom H for your reply. I get the ammeter wiring, but my alternator has 3 spade terminals, 2 large and 1 small. If one of these large alternator terminals takes the large brown wire from the solenoid, which one? What are the other two for?

Jumpinjan, i've just read your article, very good, but as mentioned above, I have 3 terminals on my alternator and would like to know if all three are used or just one.

 

[64beam]

Sandi, if you don't mind, can you start your own thread asking your question. I started this thread to ask a question about alternator and ammeter wiring. Your question bears no relation to mine.

Thanks Tom H for your reply. I get the ammeter wiring, but my alternator has 3 spade terminals, 2 large and 1 small. If one of these large alternator terminals takes the large brown wire from the solenoid, which one? What are the other two for?

Jumpinjan, i've just read your article, very good, but as mentioned above, I have 3 terminals on my alternator and would like to know if all three are used or just one.

Hi,

In defence to Sandi, it was her first post and I think we can give her a break until she 'gets her feet'. I'm sure it was unintentional and you will find that topics stray or get hi-jacked from time to time.

Regards, Robin .

 

[mackem]

OK, we'll let her off. I didn't notice it was her first post

 

[mackem]

I've taken the alternator off to check for terminal markings and have just found out the the two large terminals are conected together as one, which clears up a few things and makes sense of Jumpingjans article.

 

[Tom H]

mackem,

I am 80% sure that the other terminal should be connected to the ignition warning light. From the ignition switch terminal 2 there should be 3 (white) wires, one goes to the coil, passing through the tach loop, one goes to the fuse block to supply current to the car items powered when the ignition is ON, and one goes to the ignition lamp above the ignition switch. Then there is a brown/ black wire that goes from that lamp. That wire used to be connected to the Warning Lamp Relay, which is no longer used. Instead connect that wire to teh smaller terminal on the Alt. (I think). Maybe Jan can confirm. On MY alternator (a Mitsubishi 14231) I have 3 terminals - and one gets connected to the white wire circuit from te Ignition switch. I am guessing that on the ACR you have this terminal is already connected to the main (B+) terminal, as you observed.

One last thought about the ammeter. If you wire it as I suggested, which is how the factory wired it, it will show charging and discharging current, so you can see if the Alt is not charging and the batery is draining. In Jan's article he suggests wiring the ammeter differently. His method will not show the battery discharging and you might be moving down the highway unaware of the fact that your battery is draining. But his method does have the advantage that if the ammeter should fail open, your car could still run on battery power even thought the Alternator was not charging (because of the failed ammeter). My view is that the ammeter failure is unlikely and easily bypassed if it did.

Lastly- one reason you may not find an "idiots guide" is that there are so many variations - SI -SV, Alt vs Gen, new Alt vs old Alt, original wiring vs new wiring, This Alt vs that Alt, Pos Gnd conversion or just Alt to Alt, and mostly trying to figure out what each owner already does understand! For some a diagram is sufficient, some need pictures, some need step by step. I've written enough posts on the subject that maybe I should take a crack at the universal article.

Hope this helps,

Tom

 

[mackem]

It does help a great deal, I have done what you suggested without any problems so far, but I did wonder about the ignition light

 

[jumpinjan]

Then there is a brown/ black wire that goes from that lamp. That wire used to be connected to the Warning Lamp Relay, which is no longer used. Instead connect that wire to teh smaller terminal on the Alt. (I think). Maybe Jan can confirm.

That's correct. Once all the old factory electrics are remove (I show the group in the article), the only 18g wires left is the single brown/black wire and maybe an old black ground wire. The new brown alternator wire required is 10g
Jan