Basically I just got this 66 dart with a redneck special 400 big block and the wiring isn't that bad but not great considering it's mostly original. Basically I think the distributor has been changed it has 2 wires so it's not points it's electronic I think. But I don't see an ecu???... Then it's the alternator there are 2 wires. I have all of the original wiring and I have diagrams on how to do the points/electronic ignition thing. But it works without the ecu.... And the car won't charge....


Basically I was thinking about running a fat wire from the alternator to the starter relay where it would end up anyways. But I'll just skip the whole in the car stuff with the voltmeter. Then I was gonna use a fat wire to the starter.

Why do I need the external regulator when the alternator is internally regulated? What do I do? I'm just kinda lost.

post a picture of the inside/under the cap of the dist. maybe it has a Pertronics or some other kit installed.

Here they are

And

Pretty much I can get it running the way it came. Ignition on a switch. I just can't get this brand new alternator to charge.

Single field alternator

Ya, that is some sort of electronic set up. Doesn't look like a stock/original dist. and cap either. Someone will recognize them. Maybe follow the wires and see if there is a hidden box/ecu somewhere.

It's an old Mallory distributor it looks like...with a Petronix perhaps, what does the label say can't quite make it out under the rotor?

(Perhaps an old Unilite or just a dual point that has been converted.)


As for the single field alternator...pretty basic to wire one up.

You can always attach a ground wire where the second field would be then to a known ground on the chassis to make sure.

Single field alternator is pretty simple. You put 12v on the field and the alternator puts out. If it doesn't then the alternator is kaput. You can run a jumper for a quick test and measure at the output stud on the alternator. If it put's out like that then you need to figure out where the 12V to the field terminal is being lost in the rest of the system. You see Oz's schematic, you gotta have 12V to the regulator, a good ground to the regulator and it's cycle 12V out to the alternator to turn it on and off (if it's the old mechanical type, the electronic versions are smoother).

Looking at your engine compartment pic, the regulator is that black box to the driver's side of the master cylinder. It should have 12 on the IGN terminal with the key in run. The FLD terminal is the one that goes to the alternator field, make sure someone didn't swap the wires around.

Put 12v to the alternator field and it works!!! Cool guys that's what I needed to know. Got the ignition on a switch. Runs.. Thanks fellas

when you say 12V to the alt field you mean blue wire (ign1 "run") switched 12V to the "ign" terminal on the reg and the "grn" terminal on the other side of the reg goes to the (1) field terminal on the alt as Supercuda said? if so you're good there (as opposed to 12V directly to the alt field terminal which will NOT Fly (for long) which it kinda sounded like, just checking. If it is a Mopar alt it ain't internally regulated & needs the reg no matter if there are 2 field wires or 1 field wire (not including the big "batt" output stud/nut). If those red and black wires in the dist go to the positive and neg terminals (respectively) on the coil then you have a pertronix (no ECU type) dist. EDIT the pickup/ECU are combined in that round black gismo under the rotor in your pic

As RR said, you have to run a regulator to control the alternator output, putting 12V to the field stud of the alternator is for testing purposes only, you are full fielding (max output all the time) if you leave 12V hooked up the the field terminal on the alternator.

In the stock, original setup the 12V to the alternator field terminal is cycled on and off by the regulator, that's the black box to the driver's side of your master cylinder in the pic above. There are two wires to that regulator, one is switched 12V, should be there when the key is in run and should be very close to, if not identical, to battery voltage. The other wire does to the aforementioned filed stud on the alternator. The original regulator is mechanical in nature, it turns on and off cycling 12V to the field terminal. Internal to the regulator connected to the IGN terminal is a fusible link (looks like a strand of wire) I have seen them pop and open rendering the regulator dead. If you have nothing coming out the FLD terminal (this is the terminal on the regulator that is hooked tot he alternator field terminal) and you do have the switched 12V on the IGN terminal of the regulator then you can replace the regulator and should be good to go.