Quote:

TO THE DRIVER, STUMPY & AAR CUDA & 5537SG,

I AM THE GUILTY MOPARTS MEMBER THAT STARTED THIS 5 PAGE AND COUNTING THESIS ON THE EFFECTS OF REMOVING A POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE FROM A RUNNING CAR TO CHECK IF YOUR ALTENATOR WAS WORKING OR NOT... I KNOW IT WAS THE BACKYARD (NOT DEALER TRAINED) MECHANIC WAY TO TEST AN OLDER CARS ALTENATOR, BUT THE FACT IS PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON 60'S AND 70'S CARS HAVE DONE THIS PROBABLY MORE THAN ONCE WITHOUT A NUCLEAR REACTION HAPPENING.. I KNOW I HAVE DONE IT ON A COUPLE OF MY CARS WHICH WERE A 1969 AND 1971 YEARS (WITH POINT IGNITIONS) AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY OF THE SHORT OR LONG TERM ELECTRONIC FAILURES DESCRIBED..

TO 5537SG'S POINT(S) I REALIZE NEW CARS ARE ALOT MORE COMPLICATED THAN OUR OLDER MUSCLE CARS, HAVE MORE SENSITIVE ELECTRONICS AND REQUIRE ALOT MORE EDUCATION AND TOOLS TO FIX AND REMOVING THE POSITIVE CABLE IS NOT TO BE ATTEMPTED...AND I WILL USE A VOLTMETER NEXT TIME TO CHECK IF MY ALTENATOR IS WORKING OR NOT..JUST TO BE SAFE

BUT RIGHT OR WRONG, I AGREE WITH AARCUDA AND STUMPY WHEN THEY SAY IT WAS THE COMMON METHOD PERFORMED LOTS OF TIMES ON 60'S AND 70'S CARS WITHOUT CHERNOBAL TYPE MELTDOWNS.. I'VE SEEN IT DONE TOO MANY TIMES..

THE FACTS IN THIS THREAD CAN BE DEBATED, ARGUED ABOUT, CUSSED AT... BUT THAT WAS NOT THE INTENTION OF MY POST.. I WAS TRYING TO HELP SOMEONE GET HIS CAR GOING, NOT TO DAMAGE IT FURTHER.. SORRY IF MY BACKYARD WAYS CAUSED ANY ILL FEELINGS, BLOWN-UP RADIO'S, TACH'S OR THE CHINA SYNDROME..

GUESS I SHOULD OF KEPT MY 2 CENTS IN MY POCKET ON THIS SUBJECT..



theres nothing wrong with adding your 2 cents to this. I dont see how you could be the direct cause of this discusson, but that really doesnt matter. What matters is that people learn the correct way to solve their troubles. Teaching people the incorrect methods will not help them, and may also cause them some troubles that they didnt even know they instigated.

I agree with stumpy and aar cuda too, I never doubted the fact that many people did this to test their charging system. Im even guilty of it myself. The difference is, I had a failure, and it cost me $$$ So, being the type of guy I am, I researched why it happened. Ive since gone on to become a professional mechanic mostly because of my thirst for knowledge in this as a hobby.

But, just because we did it, and some got lucky, doesnt make it the right thing to do. I dont wish for anyone to have ill effects from bad or improper advice, so I think its best to intervene rather than sit back and watch.

In the discussion I offered several easy ways to confirm this, and offered easier solutions to diagnose these problems, the correct way. Regardless of what year the car is.

the only concern I have with your statement quoted above is that you claim the facts can be argued. I dont agree that facts can be argued. Aa fact is a fact. It is a fact that an alternator's voltage will build and build until it finds a way out. It will take out a diode usually in te rectifier which has limits. AARCUDA said so in his description of diodes. But I knew it long before.

If you have done this on Chrysler products, you have a much lesser chance of a failure because Chrysler has blessed us with overkill on most things they made. This includes an alternators ability to dissipate heat.

Typically the only thing to fail in the old chrysler round and square backs is the brushes wear down to nothing. They usually have some brush left, but the slip ring on the rotor actually wears out first by a hair. Most small shops dont bother rebuilding these because its cheaper for them to sell a replacement. These shops will also confirm that the Mopar alternators are the least common in their shops.