Alternator Upgrade Related Questions (was One-Wire Alternator Questions)

[dirtymac]

You beat me to it.  I was able to check the voltage at the back of the meter, -12.5v.  Something I missed in Rocketman's documentation is that he recommends not using the factory cluster wiring but instead wiring the converted meter in with new wires.

I was not expecting the conversion of the meter to switch it's polarity.  I don't know if that is due to the nature of the conversion or what.

I am fine switching the wires around but I also want to reach out to Rocketman for more details on why the meter's poles have changed.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Hopefully you get a good response!

[Gary Lewis]

Yikes!  We need to figure this out as we'll have others following in your steps.

But I'm using the factory wiring with no problems.  

[dirtymac]

Reversing the wires resolved the problem.  We had to hook the red/orange from C610 to ground and the yellow/light green from C610 into the light green/red and to G3 light green/red.  The corrected the polarity situation.

I will reach out to Rocketman this evening and see what's up.  I can certainly understand why his instructions do not include using the factory harness at the instrument cluster.  Given the age of these vehicles and the rarity for truly new parts it's a risk to use them.  Still, why reverse the poles on the meter?

I'll let you know what I find out and I'll post some pics of the freshly loomed wires tomorrow.

[Gary Lewis]

This is critical info, as I'll need to change the schematic.  And the harness that Jeff has apparently has the wiring backward.  Probably the easiest way to fix it is to swap the wires at the connector into the cluster as those pins are easy to remove.  But I need to change the schematic if Rocketman confirms this is the way he's sending the voltmeters.

[BigBrother-84]

Gary Lewis wrote

But I need to change the schematic if Rocketman confirms this is the way he's sending the voltmeters.

I have no news from Bob/Rocketman…  I sent him my NOS ammeter for conversion, and tracking is confirming the delivery on last April 26th.
I emailed Bob to be sure everything is ok on his side, no sound, no image.

[Gary Lewis]

If you go look at Will's thread you'll find that I have the wires to the voltmeter backwards!  He had to reverse them.  For you it may be easiest to swap the two wires in the connector that goes into the cluster as that is fairly easy to do.  That way there's no change to the wiring I sent you.

[dirtymac]

He has this note scrolling at the top of his page:  I will be unavailable 23 April through 7 May as I will be attending my parent`s interment and helping finalize their estate.

[BigBrother-84]

Gary Lewis wrote

If you go look at Will's thread you'll find that I have the wires to the voltmeter backwards!  He had to reverse them.  For you it may be easiest to swap the two wires in the connector that goes into the cluster as that is fairly easy to do.  That way there's no change to the wiring I sent you.

Ok Gary, I take notes.  I’ll see at it more closely and won’t proceed if I’m not sure.  So don’t be surprised if I ask more questions about the voltmeter connection.
When I’ll receive it…

[Gary Lewis]

Oh, wow!  So sorry for him.  Both parents?  

I'll be digging into Big Blue's cluster soon and will check out which wire I have going where to Rocketman's voltmeter.  Need to make sure how this is wired.

[dirtymac]

Personally, I would not want to touch the cluster connector.  Tight spaces and old plastic are not on my list of things to mix together.

However, do you have a pin layout for that connector? Not that I need it for this but I'm thinking it would be good to have available for the future.

I will add, I am not using my stock cluster circuit board.  I poached one with a partial cluster from an 85 diesel a while back.  Mine had started to peel very badly and the first time we disconnected the plug things went south.  Oh, and the ammeter/volt meter conversion I had Rocketman do was also from that junkyard cluster.

[BigBrother-84]

dirtymac wrote

He has this note scrolling at the top of his page:  I will be unavailable 23 April through 7 May as I will be attending my parent`s interment and helping finalize their estate.

Ok, thanks for the info.

I had good contact with Bob until I sent the package and since then, nothing.

[dirtymac]

He marks the tips of the posts red and black so there is that.

[Gary Lewis]

The pins are pretty easy to swap.  And the pinout is available on our page at Documentation/Electrical/Gauges and then the Printed Circuit Pin-outs tab.

I have a connector loose and hopefully can post a pic tomorrow as to how to swap the pins.

[dirtymac]

My conversion went well.  He was in the middle of moving to a new, larger shop when I sent mine in, so it took an extra week or so for mine to come in.  Otherwise, I'm very happy with it.  Easy purchase.  Good communication and quick turn around in my opinion.  

[BigBrother-84]

Gary Lewis wrote

The pins are pretty easy to swap.
[…]
I have a connector loose and hopefully can post a pic tomorrow as to how to swap the pins.

Subscribed.

[Gary Lewis]

As an aside, we are in the shop where the shelter is having watched a tornado go about 15 miles west of town.  May not get out to the shop too early in the morning as we are watching another set of storms heading our way, but maybe not with rotation.

[dirtymac]

Stay safe!

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yikes!
The recent footage of tornado damage I've seen is quite harrowing.  🌪️

Will, glad the instrument is functioning correctly, and it's just a harness problem.

[Gary Lewis]

We are safe.  But Barnsdall, a town 20 miles away, took a direct hit.  We watched on TV as the rotation started SW of us and tracked about 15 miles west of us and then watched as it made a beeline to Barnsdall.  And they are guessing it was an EF3 with a debris field to 20,000 feet in the air.

Then it went right up to Bartlesville.  Barnsdall is a burgh but Bartlesville is a major city in OK.

Now there is another storm firing up near Wagoner, which is where John/Machspeed is.  Just texted him and he's ok - so far.