I have an 87 IROC that I have recently installed a destroked 400 smallblock into. The engine is "carbed" so therefore I removed all of the wiring harnesses from the ecm. I used a painless harness to re-wire the engine control and I cant seem to figure out what type of alternator to use based on the painless directions. there is an alternator exciter wire thats supposed to go to one of the terminals on the alternator and the other wire supposed to be "jumped " from the main power on the alternator to the other terminal based on the directions. But when I do just that the alternator gets hot..... hmmmm, Dont know if this alternator is the right one of if it is just bad,,, any incite is appreciated. thanks

 

Yeah, that's not a good way to hook up the exciter wire. Your alternator is getting hot because it's over-working, and over-charging the battery. The voltage regulator wants to monitor voltage in the electrical SYSTEM. That's something it can't do accurately by jumping power out of, and right back into the alternator. Read this: Catalog

 

Based on the schematic this should effectively work. the exciter wire is supposed to "wake up the voltage regulator hence it being plugged into one of the ports on the back of it, and the jumper wire is jumped to source voltage and to the other side of the regulator to monitor voltage and charge when needed. The alternator is getting hot without the car running just noticed it when I put my hand on it to take off the valve cover... Im thinking that the regulator is bad or I have the wrong alternator for this painless wiring schematic..

 

Hi I am a new menber from South Africa. I have just rewired my car with a Painless kit but am unable to get the thing to charge. I have a Autolite regulator coupled with a 100 amp alternater. There are no markings on the alternate to tell me which is F and R can anyone help?

 

if you hold the alt the back facing you plug at top the f is on the right

 

asuming you have hold style delco white flat plug terminal 2 if you face back of alt toward you plug at 12 oclock #2 is on the right live at alt batt positive terminal 1 live with key on should charge anywhere from 13.8 to 14.6

 

Thanks Guys you have been a help all is working now.