Farmall H alternator

Hello i installed a delco Remy 10si Alternater 12 volt with the 3 wire setup and wiring diagram from yesterday tractor archieves. I have a new amp gauge that show i am drawing about 9 amps when the lights are on when the engine is running and when the lights are off,the amp qauge is in the middle at zero.HOW can i tell if the alternator is working.I have a pertronixs ignitor kit(pointless ignition) so i dont want to disconnnect the battery when the engine is running. thanks

It is not working, or it would not show discharge. Check the wires against Bob M diagrams. JimN

(quoted from post at 21:04:55 02/28/09) It is not working, or it would not show discharge. Check the wires against Bob M diagrams. JimN

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If the wire to feed the lights is attached to the the wrong side of the ammeter (battery side), and the leads to the meter are reversed, it will act like this even it the alternator is working.

If the alt were working and the engine was running, and the battery near full charge, the needle should stay withing a needle width of the zero, with or without the lights on, amp gauge either way. If the lights were on the wrong terminal they would not show on the meter. In any case it would sure be easy to assess if we were standing there with a fluke in hand. The diagrams should get it operational.

He said the draw was with the lights on and engine running. The power to the lights would not be going through the ammeter but the amount of amps necessary to run the lights would be going through the ammeter from the alternator. If the ammeter is wired with the leads reversed, the meter would show a discharge when it is actually charging.

That works for me, interesting discussion, but the poster needs to be into the diagrams, not this talk JimN

Hi,i used bob M wiring diagram number 5.It went pretty easy but i guess i will have to check again in the morning.The only issue that i did have was the wire From the amp gauge to the starter on Bobs M diagram.I have that wire going from my amp Gauge to my battery plus side.That looks like the same electrical point? I have all new wires ,proper gauge,new switch and new warning light,my warning light(green) is always on when the engine is running.

(quoted from post at 00:47:35 03/01/09) That works for me, interesting discussion, but the poster needs to be into the diagrams, not this talk JimN

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For whatever reason, I haven't a clue, but some of those kit's wiring diagrams show the ammeter connected only in the alternator output wire, so they measure only alt current. Then if the user reverses +/-, when the lights are on , alt output increases & the meter shows the greater alt output current as a negative. I do not know why TISCO and Atlantic both do that. Virtually the whole rest of the world used a 'net' reading connection, meaning in/out of battery(load/chg combined).
Dumb.

One way to tell if the alternator or generator is working is to place a voltmeter on the battery and when shes not running a good battery should read around 12.6 volts. Then when running at decent RPM if all is wired correct n the genny or alternator is working, THE BATTERY VOLTAGE SHOULD RISE to at least 13 to 14 or 14.5 volts or more depending on alternator and battery and RPM etc. Also the lights should glow noticeably brighter at slow idle versus fast RPM if the charging system works.

Regardless if a genny or alternator, the ammeters SUPPLY terminal usually just has one wire, thats the one to the battery often via a wire to the starter switch/solenoid where the big battery cable atatches. Its other LOAD terminal wires to the alternators big main output stud/post of a BAT terminal on a Voltage Regulator or Cutout Relay PLUS feeds hot batteyr voltage to loads like lights n ignition via their switches..

A pertronix elec switch or points ignition would still draw approximately the same current given the same coil cuz the coil is the load and the switch (points or elec) is simpy the On/Off current switch.

Many alternator set ups cause a fairly high initial current draw right after a start up but then after a while n the battery is back up it drops off to only a few amps

John T Florida Flywheelers was great......

The way I check is to put a screw driver against the back bearing on the alt. when it is running and if it is magnetize it is working. Bob

The rotor being magnetized does NOT prove the alternator is actually outputting power, much less charging at the CORRECT voltage.

It ONLY means the field is energized, magnetizing the rotor.

If it is a LED light, or a very small wattage bulb, it will not conduct enough current to excite the alternator. put a 10 ohm resistor across the bulb leads and it will work!!! JimN

Hi Jim N i have a small wattage light.I will try the 10 ohm resitor across the light.Do you have any ideas on the wattage(size) of the 10 ohm resistor? thanks for the advice john