wiring

[triple60squares]

question are 60's still 12v positive ground or did ford go to negative ground by then ?

does any one know how to switch from the generator to an alternator? wiring diagram a DEFINITE plus

if they are positive ground what would be involved in making it a negative ground

[simplyconnected]

The last Ford car with positive ground was in 1955. I have one.

Retrofitting to an alternator is VERY easy, but there are a few things to watch out for:
You may need to fabricate your own mounting bracket.
Consider an alternator with enough output amps to run an electric fan.
Put a FUSE on the output, with enough amps to protect the wire because all alternators have SCRs and diodes that can short to ground at any time (and drain your battery all at once). You can hobble home if your alt fuse is blown.

All new alternators have the regulator built-in. They use a 'sense' wire that connects to your GEN LIGHT. The other wire simply goes to the battery. Make sure your grounds are good.

Don't use a "one-wire" setup. It works, but not the way you would expect it should, and your GEN LIGHT won't function properly.

CLICK HERE for a diagram and setup procedure. Hope this helps. - Dave

[Guest]

Hey Keith,
Here is what I done.
Houston we have power!
Boy it was a booger. I'm going to try to explain what I done to complete this project. Special thanks to Ray Clark for all his information and his input.
I tried to contact C.R.A.P. for bracket and never got a response. So I used what I had and it don't look bad at all. And best of all it works!!!
Disconnect and remove battery!
First you want to purchase one wire GM Del-co alternator with internal regulator and pulley. Remove old generator.
Measure from the radiator (the radiator is a stationary point of reference) to get you a dimension to the center line of the crank pulley and the fan pulley, (this dimension should be the same) write this dimension down. The alternator pulley needs to be the same dimension.
If your bracket is like mine it was all one piece, You got the front part that mounts to the water pump, a cross piece that ties to the rear part that bolts to the block.
Take a reciprocating saw and cut cross piece out, close to the back part and close to the front part.
Measure from the radiator back to front part of bracket, write that dimension down.
With pulley on new alternator hold rule, center line of pulley, on dimension you got on fan pulley and crank pulley center line (should be same) see how much you need to get to the front of mounting position on new alternator. EXAMPLE: mine was 3/4"
Remove fan and fan pulley from engine. Remove front part of alternator bracket. Remove upper stud, it will come out with vise grips and twist.
Now you need to make a list of things you need. I needed 12" 7/16" all-thread rod, two lock washers, two nuts, 2" x 3/8" bolt, 3" x 3/8" bolt, 6" x 1/2" ID galvanized pipe, 4" x 1/2" ID galvanize pipe, 3' number 8 wire, wire-end terminals and metric bolt and lock washer to fit Alternator hole for adjustment mounting bracket.
With the extra dimension you need to get front bracket out to be in line with outer pulleys, cut you two pieces off the 4" x 1/2" galvanized pipe (this is best done in vise)
Next is for the replacement for the stud you removed from the water pump. Take the 4" x 3/8" bolt and cut off threads and cut it long enough to accept the top part of front bracket plus shim, drive it into place where stud was and install galvanized pipe shim.
With the pieces of pipe you cut, shim out the front part of the bracket (stud and bolt) Attach front bracket to water pump. Use the 2" x 3/8" bolt.
Now measure from the front bracket to the rear bracket and deduct the Alternator mounting position. (Mine was minus two inches) this will give you the dimension you need to cut the 6" piece of pipe. Cut 6" pipe to that dimension.
Next measure from front bracket to back bracket and add enough to that dimension to except two lock washers, two washers and two nuts. Cut your all-thread rod to that dimension.
Remove tension bracket (mine had two bends in it) get bracket on solid surface and straighten bends with hammer (it needs to be straight) after you have done this reinstall.
Use your all-thread rod, put washer, lock washer and nut on one end. Start this into rear bracket and install pipe you have cut as shim. Work alternator into place and slide all-thread rod threw front bracket. Now install washer, lock washer and nut (hand tighten only) Bracket will be on front of alternator.
Now that alternator is hanging, jack up car set car jack stand in place and get under it. Align lower bracket and install metric bolt and lock nut (hand tighten only) Bracket will be on front of alternator.
Reinstall fan pulley and fan. Install belt. Tighten tension on belt, tighten tension nut and nuts on all-thread rod.
Take ARM wire (yellow wire that was attached to generator) and attach it and new number 8 wire with wire end connector to back of alternator. Tape up other two wires as they are not needed.
Attach other end of new number 8 wire with wire end terminal to battery side of solenoid. (where positive or red battery cable is connected)
Now to the voltage regulator. Gut it, disconnect any connections inside, and underneath, It is not needed, but I left mine because I wanted it to look original. Reinstall and hook it back up the way it was.
Arm post on voltage regulator you should have yellow heavy gauge wire and small yellow wire with black stripe. Go to wires on drivers side at firewall and look for small yellow wire with black stripe, cut it.
Reinstall battery.
Start car and check on fire wall for 12 volts, (I found this at relay in front of passenger) turn car off check for voltage again at that location, if it is dead attach wire then run to yellow wire with black stripe coming through firewall. Tape off other wire coming from Voltage regulator.
Start car and check voltage at ARM and BAT at voltage regulator, you should have 12 volts or a little more. (I had 13volts)
You should now have power and GEN light should go out when car is running.
Richard D. Hord

[jopizz]

The wiring for the alternator will depend on whether you use an old Ford style alternator or a GM one-wire or three-wire alternator. I opted for the GM three-wire alternator. The C.R.A.P. bracket looked good but it will only work with a Ford alternator. I decided to buy one of those generic generator-alternator adapter brackets that are sold on Ebay and other sites. It uses the existing generator bracket. I also used the existing long water pump bracket but I had to make an extender piece as it's not quite long enough. The wiring is very simple. I used a 4 gauge starter cable to go from the main power lug on the alternator to the battery side of the solenoid. I put a 100 amp fuse on there for safety. The other two wires come off of a little pigtail adapter that you can buy at any auto store. One wire connects back to the main power lug and the other I connected to the existing yellow generator wire that goes to the voltage regulator. That powers your generator light. As Richard mentioned I gutted the old voltage regulator and kept it for looks. You also need to keep the other yellow wire that goes from the regulator to the solenoid connected as that also powers your horn relay. Other than getting a slightly different size belt that's all there was to it. The bracket is not quite as stable as I would like but so far so good.

John

[triple60squares]

thanks richard , for the informative responce

my plan was to buy an alt like the one on my 360 in my 72 f100 and use brakets i got off a 63 352 in the junkyard

and buy a rebuilt water pump flike the one on my truck or one for a 63 f/e
i figure if i did that everything i would come out just like it would from the factory i just have to supply new bolts,nuts, spacers etc
( im apurist in the sence that i refuse to put a obvious looking GM part on my ford)

my biggest worry is the wiring i really dont like messing with it and my biggest fear is watching my wireing harness burn up after ive messed with it it would not make for a happy day

also i plan on keeping the external voltage regulater just because its supposed to be there i dont really see the fuss over the one wire alts if you know how to run your wires you cant really see them anyway

so let me see if i got this right after getting the alt pulley lined up and the alt mounted i run one wire from the power lug on the alt to the battery side of the solenoid (im guessing where the battery cable mounts) then i cut the yellow wire w/the black tracer at the regulater and plice a wire onto it and run it to?????? and then i connect another wire to the power lug on the alt an it runs to where?????

john, could you give me a better description of the 2 wire adapter or a part number?

thanks for all the help

[jopizz]

The trouble that you are going to have is that the 352 in the squarebirds doesn't have the hole drilled in the block for the later style alternator bracket. It's doable I guess but I've never tried to drill and tap it.

John

[triple60squares]

The trouble that you are going to have is that the 352 in the squarebirds doesn't have the hole drilled in the block for the later style alternator bracket. It's doable I guess but I've never tried to drill and tap it.

John

ok that presents a problem doesnt it

[jopizz]

If you have your heart set on using a Ford alternator I would buy the C.R.A.P bracket even though it's rather expensive. Although I don't like one-wire alternators that's what I would use. The older Ford alternators require a different voltage regulator so it's not going to look the same and the wiring is much more involved. If you're proficient in that area it's not that hard. I've done it before.

John

[simplyconnected]

...so let me see if i got this right after getting the alt pulley lined up and the alt mounted i run one wire from the power lug on the alt to the battery side of the solenoid (im guessing where the battery cable mounts) then i cut the yellow wire w/the black tracer at the regulater and plice a wire onto it and run it to?????? and then i connect another wire to the power lug on the alt an it runs to where?????...

These answers are detailed in my first response. Look at "Question #1" and the answer.