alternator question

[Bubba_891]

Ok so after getting my starting dalima taken care of I have moved on to cleaning wiring up. IDK if anyone has there alternator run thru a solenoid on the passenger finder but mine is was wondering is this correct cuz ive never seen it this way. Ive always seen red wire from hot on alternator going to battery and ground going somewhere on the engine and then gauge wire plugging in. Can anyone shed a little light my way or show me a good schematic on the way it should be. Like I said something just dont seem correct here. Not to mention the 6-8 wires that I have found that lead to nowhere at all.

 

[theguruat12]

To the solenoid is correct. Here is a short little video that explains the external regulator wiring:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjdaTypqj6o

 

[Bubba_891]

Ok thanks that helped a lot mine is wired correct then just a new thing to me I guess.

 

[franklin2]

If you study whats going on, the connection on the solenoid is the same as the battery +. They are just using the solenoid as a connection point instead of the battery. You could take the wire from the alternator off the solenoid and move it over to the battery +, and it would be the same thing electrically speaking as it is now.

 

[theguruat12]

Exactly what Franklin said. However, just in case you're tempted to move it, I wouldn't. The fewer terminals on the battery the better, because the hydrogen gas coming up around the posts oxidizes copper wire.

 

[Bubba_891]

well I may end up doing that because the + wire that goes from battery to the solenoid for the alternator is already part of the + battery cable. ill go take some pictures and post them up here so yall can kinda see what im saying..

 

[Bubba_891]

You must be registered for see images attach

ok sorry couldn't get any closer but here it what is going on.
BIG RED wire =goes to + battery post
ORANGEISH/RED =wire going to + fender start solenoid
Blue =heat blower
little BLACK wire on the bottom there goes to the + terminal on the alternator.

question is couldn't I just run the big red wire over to the alternator + terminal and get rid of the solenoid and all the crappy wiring there?

 

[franklin2]

You must be registered for see images attach

ok sorry couldn't get any closer but here it what is going on.
BIG RED wire =goes to + battery post
ORANGEISH/RED =wire going to + fender start solenoid
Blue =heat blower
little BLACK wire on the bottom there goes to the + terminal on the alternator.

question is couldn't I just run the big red wire over to the alternator + terminal and get rid of the solenoid and all the crappy wiring there?

Well, you need all that crappy wiring, so it's either going to be gathered up all over the solenoid + terminal, or all over the battery + terminal. I can't see your picture, but that solenoid is the main distribution point for all the truck's electrical. That would be the fuse box, the ignition switch, the glowplug system, and several other things I can't remember off the top of my head. So all that wiring is very important, and you will find square looking rubber things in all the wires, they are fusible links.

And they use the solenoid to fire the solenoid on the starter. I suppose you could run the wire from the old solenoid directly to the starter solenoid, but they put it there for a reason, I suspect to lessen the load on the ignition switch and the neutral safety/clutch switch. If they could save a $1 on each truck they built and eliminate something that wasn't needed, I am sure they would have.