64-72 charging system wire up using GM 3 wire internally regulated alternator

[@edwardpapp]

Nice video but how do I also wire the coil and resistor?

[@chriscraft77022]

I have a points ignition video this is the charging system. Not the ignition system

[@michaelnelson9140]

For those wondering what the R terminal is on the starter solenoid ? On the older contact points ignition systems. 12v was too much voltage with the engine running. It would prematurely burn up the points. So they ran a resister to the points in the distributor.and drop the voltage to 9 or 10 volts. The R on the starter, also ran to the distributor, but only sent power during cranking. Giving you 12 v. To the points during cranking, as an aid to help start the engine. 12v.= hotter spark.once the engine has started, you let the key off the crank position, and the 9 volt resister wire was now running the distributor.

[@Buzz135]

Exactly

[@gregwbressler]

#1 alternator exciter terminal wire requires diode inline or key won't turn off engine on 10si alternator. Do not buy new alternator if dummy light does not shut off and engine does not shut off with key.

[@jackflash538]

You make an EXCELLENT teacher! Few folks would take the time to lay out an open air high visibility functonal model for others to view so they can actually "Follow The Wires"(paths) so they can fully comprehend what you are teaching them to do. Great instructional video Chris!!!

[@richardcranium5048]

Dude, I'll dance at your wedding, make no mistake about it, you are the man. I've got an 86' GMC, and the wiring on it is a mess. I've been pulling my hair out trying to get it straight. If only I had found your video yesterday morning. No lie dude, this is the best, most concise, idiot proof, no fuss no muss, instructional video I have ever seen. Much respect to you my Friend

[@buckdude62]

Chris, thank you very much for making these videos. I am 54 years old and grew up turning a wrench or two with my day - first car was a 1970 Grand Prix (my dad had a '69 GP). Currently I have a 1969 Grand Prix (428)- which I screwed up the charging system (don't ask how) - anyway, my father passed away several years ago, and without his guidance, I have used your videos to help me through several fixes - THANK YOU! Completely awesome! Much respect.

[@charlesbrown4834]

What else what else is number one and number Number 2 called

[@fwyx]

thanks man.

[@truebetold65]

Chris..it is people like you who truly change people's lives just by your teaching.. thank you and my Yahwah bless you in Yashauwahs Holy name. Amen.

[@billarroo1]

WOW GREAT explanation, I love it when someone understands that we're not experts, and shows us in basic understandable language 😃😃😃 Thanks

[@GOrdonGREENleaf]

This is the best and easiest to understand video I found to explain this. No nonsense and too the point. You're a great teacher. This helped me with my 50 CHEVY TRUCK 12V conversion. I especially appreciate the safety factors you stress, wire guages, etc. I will however add a 50 amp in line fuse to the hot wire that feeds the whole system to prevent any spikes.

[@filmart430]

This was EXACTLY what I wanted to watch!!! I bought a 63 c10 and it didn’t have an ignition switch. The wires under the dash were all jacked up and spliced with different colors. Needles to say I did trust the wire colors. Thank you very much.

[@thorcole2089]

Big thanks for this I have a 73 pickup with a birds nest of wires that wont run because the last owner wired it all wrong so I plan to strip it down and re wire it but I dont know much about electrical stuff on cars so I wanted to be sure on the basics and you did this in a very simple but informative way that I understand! Again thank you!

[@adrianatoscano6528]

I love though you drew it,because unfortunately not every body learns the same way and as an old woman it takes me more time to get it. I home more people in KZbin can adopt this system and help more people like me learn easy and fast. Thank you very much.

[@andylubbe7733]

Hi Chris, this is one of the most informative videos I have seen. Very helpful thanks. Due to a faulty ignition switch I burned out the starter. On this old tractor I had to replace everything and this helped me tremendously. Great stuff !!!

[@charlesmares2550]

Thank you for your video, it helped me to understand and to rewire my 1973 Case 580 CK tractor. The alternator that was on the machine had two wires not three, but I went out and purchased a GM Three wire alternator. The prestolite alternator wasn't working so it had to go. Your video was very informative and easy to understand. Now the dummy light works. Thank you again Charles Mares

[@benmillard3755]

Big thanks here as well, helped my 12 volt conversion go much smoother since I couldn't get a single wire alternator. It was very informative and you kept it simple as it should be. Thanks again

[@billgarris2236]

It's true what they say! Use it or lose it. Being a retired heavy equipment mechanic in my late 60s, I worked on all types of cars as a kid and did all this type of wiring work back then. Now I have to refresh the brain seels and you are a great help with that for sure. Keep up the good work.

[@scanner2350]

Great video and very informative. Only thing is that you should have mentioned that the big cable going from the battery to the starter is a POSITIVE cable. Given that the cable is black some people might think that it is the NEGATIVE cable going to the starter.

[@gunnarthompson6152]

thanks for all the vids Chris - i'm building a street strip "71 Cutlass - you've helped me many times. I like the way you present your material- you talk about the same speed that I listen.....you have a knack of simplifying things and I really appreciate that you get to the point and skip all the stupid jabber that so many other You Tubers put in their videos.

[@mitch1950chevy]

Thank you for explaining in detail , a simple way to wire my sbc ...Plus you told me what gauge wire to use..which is what I was looking for..

[@williammarvin8365]

You can just replace the voltage regulator which is where number one and number two connect to. It's a chip and it's a lot cheaper. Then buying the whole alternator A lot of times the stator and windings in those GM alternators do not go bad or like you said the diode or rectifier but the diode and the regulator are pretty cheap and relatively easy to replace. There is brushes in there too like an electric motor but they come in a kit I think or you can buy them separate but they're not that expensive. Of course if you're savvy at rebuilding stuff like that, which you are just throwing that at you cuz that's what I do Good video on the wiring I like it!

[@hartland749]

Good video man! I had replaced the starter on my old Camaro and didn't have any power after I got the new one back on.. A small wire was coming off of the battery hot wire cable that I assumed was going to the junction box. As it turned out the 12 volts to the junction block was actually coming from the starter hot wire terminal, which of course I hadn't hook back up.(to be honest I had never seen that before) I'm glad you mentioned it in the video, or else I would have looking in a whole different area. As soon as I heard you say that I knew what had happened. I'm not a great mechanic, but I understand the electronic part pretty well. Thanks for taking time to do this.I've learned a lot from your videos. David

[@chriscraft77022]

yeah, after 71 they ran a fused link off of the starter to feed everything.. good comment

[@sharyncomstock7066]

David Slack the

[@BruceSmith-ib3gl]

Perfect explination. Thanks man I am in the process of a complete rewireing of my 66 chevelle SS 396 using American Autowire. I ripped out the old and after doing the simple stuff I went to the engine compartment. To say its confusing is an understatement. The wires are different colors than what is normally there. Tough times...

[@Candyvyorn_]

Thank you man this video really explains it in a way other videos couldn’t. Really helped to see you actually wire it up outside of a vehicle. Thank you.

[@MichaelmhAshley]

Thanks for making this procedure so simple to understand. Great job. Working on the wiring for a CJ 2 A(1948).

[@lonnieblackwell9215]

That is the best video that I have seen on hooking up an alternator. Nice work.

[@chriscraft77022]

I have a video on hooking up a gm 3 wire alternator that goes over more

[@rockvillemike6062]

What actually happens when the alternator starts charging is it sends +12v from the alternator to the dummy light bulb. Since the bulb will have +12v going into it from both sides there will be no current 'flow' and the bulb goes out. It doesn't break the circuit to the bulb. That is why on some vehicles if the alternator isn't supplying the full current it should, and the "balance of power" is unequal, the dummy light can glow a little. It's a alert to check the system, both ends of the main circuit, the alternator and the battery which could be malfunctioning as well. Great video exposition, Really great to see the wiring displayed like that, Thanks Just sayin' Mike

[@radd6564]

outstanding vid, thanks for putting the time and effort into this.

[@shawnp001]

I was banging my head against the wall trying to figure out why my 78 C10 was not charging, the harness was all cut up when I got it now I can confidently fix this thank you so much.

[@marcotaggart4572]

This is exactly what I needed. Thank you very much for uploading this video.

[@timdaniels2100]

Good job explaining. I never knew how they were wired. Makes perfect sense. The dummy light is the "Alt" red light on some vehicles. Thank you very much !

[@mooch-dk4ok]

Thank you! Very well done, clear and right to the point. Exactly what I needed.

[@jeffreyslater1656]

If your application is in a tractor with a 6 volt starter (no solenoid) and coil with a ballast resister, the dummie light will go on the S or center post on key switch, and the coil will go to the I or Ign. Otherwise the motor cuts off when the ignition is returned to the ON position. Great video thanks helped alot

[@braedyjohnson1904]

Thx man this helped a lot. Gave me a complete different understanding of it

[@joecoopermeister]

i followed this video and was suscessful running a temporary ignition setup on my 74 chevy c20 after ditching all the factory wiring and replacing the fusable links everything is brighter and the engine woke up thank you for doing it right used all the same stuff

[@chriscraft77022]

watch my 3 wire gm alternator video in case your truck won’t shut off

[@hectorsanchez1598]

What did the fusible links run to, and where did you buy new ones?

[@MudRFunR]

Thanks for sharing this. Exactly what I was looking for.

[@kenneychappuis1853]

Great explanation. Every time you added a wire I took a screenshot. I always wondered about the number one wire on the alternator and now I know. Thank you

[@chriscraft77022]

I have a video on wiring a Gm 3 wire that goes more in depth

[@johnnyblanco3628]

Hey man Thank you for making this video and your 2nd video pertaining to this. I got an old 69 c10 wired ALL WRONG! they used painless wiring kits and trust me it was nothing less than PAINFUL!! This video alone allowed me to come back to thinking simply. as I am a mechanic and this puzzled me for weeks. it took a "2nd eye" for me to get collected again. Good emphasis where needed on particular gauge wiring. Thankyou

[@racerdave773]

I wired up my truck like 25 years ago with out the internet... I'm like how the heck did I do it. This is a very helpful video, I'm wiring

[@robbygee2539]

Great video. Why is it so hard to tell it like it is? Good job here!!!

[@woolrose]

I'm Completely rewiring My 69 C10 with a 1980 350 sbc using American Autowire (AA) Harnesses. Trying to figure out where AA's Brown wire (Alternator Ign) and red wire (Custom Jumper Supplied by AA) connected. The original Alternator harness wire colors were Blue and Red. From your Video, I'm now confident that I'm connecting the correct wires to the 1 an 2 terminals (as shown in your video. Thanks a million. Now I can get some sleep!

[@chriscraft77022]

I have a gm 3 wire alternator video,,, it’s old

[@ananamas]

Outstanding video!!! Exactly what anyone would need to know for this type of project, and super easy to understand. Been looking for about a month for some decent instructions ..., to no avail,, and finally..., these are perfect!!! Thank you so much!

[@kevlaremer]

Awesome, thank you man wiring my old tractor

[@billiegass1142]

Awesome video

[@michaelteems5813]

Very concise and very well explained....I'm wiring a T-Roadster up, so any wiring explanations are great.

[@wade727nelson]

Some of us struggle to learn. Having unfamiliar music playing only makes it more difficult. But thank you for the easy to understand video.

[@chriscraft77022]

early video, sorry

[@williamcolon3647]

Thank you Chris, Great video😀👌🏽

[@715101]

Saved me a lot of drama here, I was about to hook it up all wrong, I've been watching other vids and couldn't work it out, you have nailed it with this vid thank you

[@chriscraft77022]

ask me any questions.. this video is actually an early one... but i know all about wiring anything old school...

[@715101]

Thanks I think I'm all good now I just had trouble getting my head around the dash light and the white and brown wires, but I would like to ask if the main drawback to connecting the White right at the alternator be not knowing if the charge is reaching the battery?

[@chriscraft77022]

@@715101 watch my gm 3 wire alternator hook up video

[@Frio500]

Very nice video, very useful! =D

[@stevemeade6072]

Thank you for taking the time to set up a real time illustration as well as drawing the diagram. Can't ask for anymore than this. Liked and subscribed!

[@jamescampbell4121]

Well done!

[@gregthompson1429]

Excellent video. Your vid is the only simple explanation (3 wire alt) diagram and demonstration I’ve been able to find. Thanks. Hands down nothing out there compares. With all that said shame on you for using a BLACK cable from the battery to the starter. 😳 it’s easy to find a mistake once you educated me. 😁

[@chriscraft77022]

the factory cables on old cars were ALL black... those are factory reproductions for a 70 chevelle... watch my 3 wire alternator hook up video

[@gregthompson1429]

There ya go and now we all know without a doubt why you are the teacher. Appears that I have even more to learn... That’s ok I had already subscribed. Again Thanks for the excellent vid

[@modestozarate2122]

thank you good video. .

[@mikebonilla2450]

thanks again want more info visit

[@codysevedge7581]

This video saved my bacon man, you really broke it down simple enough for a beginner like me. Thank you!

[@jpopular]

Perfect video

[@MaverickQue]

ALOHA 🤙🏽 If only the whole entire world know what you have shown on this video and have the knowledge. Especially for the uncivilized areas to homelessness this system would helped many people around the world where there is no electricity at all. #knowledgeisPOWER

[@daltongroff9749]

great video!! rat rod is on the road again and my headache is gone. wiring isn't my fortae so you saved my life!! very slow and you explained everything

[@chriscraft77022]

this is actually my worst wiring video.. let me know if you have any questions.. check out the 3 wire GM alternator hook up video..

[@bigegine]

Thankyou man👍

[@paulbell2188]

Thanks for the very good video. This helped me diagnose a short which happened to be on the starter wire going to the alternator. I was able to follow the wire - The wire was broken off. It is a 1972 LeMans.

[@jadensjourneys144]

Bro just found this channel, I have a 1962 chevy I bought it doesn't run and im no mechanic so I will be watching your videos !!! Thanks big homie !!!

[@jlanier923]

Thanks for the wiring chart. My dads old tractor had a problem charging. You just showed me what the problem was. Thanks

[@markperez2438]

video was great. after watching I was able to fix a problem with my corvette that had me ready to throw in the towel. lol. and it took about an hour and cost me 10 bucks. thanks again brother. u r. the man!!

[@petergale6594]

great video but that music is very off putting

[@santanaman6783]

i have an 86' Chevy C10 and i started to do lots of repairs. one at night noticed a big huge sparks... when i looked at my bulk of wires from harness, their was like 5 wires exposed to metal and so after repairing the wires noticed my charching system would not charge. this was about 8 months ago so after a struggle of new alternator new battery fixing wires i was upset could not find the issue. so ive been upset let truck sit now no tags and seen this vid. it has giving me hope!!! im starting all fresh and rewireing the whole charging sytem like on this video hope it works for me or else im burning the truck to the ground. engine has 88,000 orig. miles from previous owner n the old man never requested pink from bank, so i did that was easy and i do have pink in hand but i will also burn pink slip on the ground next to truck if it dont work!

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

Turn the music off!

[@daleslover2771]

William Garrett turn the freaking music offfffffffffff!

[@r.joseph8911]

but I LIIIIIIIIKE it!

[@Kyle-jb3hr]

It's barely noticeable 😑

[@marvinmacon9673]

William Garrett p

[@bodeandigs]

Whaaaaaaaaaa :(

[@johannjohann6523]

it's usually a 4 Ga. cable from battery to starter, or larger. It certainly doesn't hurt using a larger cable. Just make sure to use "Tinned OFC Copper cable" so it does not corrode being out under your hood. cool video

[@ElManuDrums]

this is the best explanation ive seen. other videos have been just like wtf are you talking about.

[@puninderhans6402]

Today am going to install alternator n starter on my 15 kva generator....thanks....its the best explanation video i found

[@tannerhawley5357]

Great video man I’m 17 and trying to start my fresh rebuild 350 probably watched this 5 times lol thanks for the vid

[@chriscraft77022]

I have the 3 wire alternator video you should check out

[@GreenFarmer-kr2lm]

wwwwwooooaaaw thanks Sr. !!! i replaced my accessories band, what a headache ! but in the pulling to fit it... i disconnected a wire, and now i know that i plug in the wrong place, my c10 alternator have more than 2 pins in the back. THANKS AGAIN !!!

[@RedPillLife1966]

Excellent video. Helping a friend with his 1986 C10. Thanks

[@felipemoreno1569]

thanks so much for the video. am restoring a 442 1968 and someone put on it a 455 from another year and the harness dont fit on the engine. this can work perfect. thanks Chris!

[@actorzone856]

been doing some research on alternator terms from valeo GM, and others, my list of alternative terms are. 1. Warning lamp", IND, 1, L, R, D+, 61, Field, charge light, Exciter, 2. The big terminal, B+, main batt, O/P, B, 30, positive, wire colour red. 3. Battery sense, stator, 2, DF, S, 4.Tacho, W, P, AC, Tap, 5. Earth, negative, D-, Neg, ---, wire colour Black. if you reference these terms you have a good starting point to figure out alternator markings, Amp meter connects in series B+ from alternator to Plus (+) on amp meter via fuse rated at alternator output to battery Pos. Volt Meter connects across battery B+ to Neg. some alternators need excitation, once spinning, connect a wire momentary between B+ to Exciter terminal, only needs to be connected for a couple of seconds as once excited alternator keeps charging, I am making a timed relay via the key switch to excite my generator on tractor as wont excite before engine starts need to be spinning to start alternator charging.

[@ibrahimksesay9955]

God bless you with more knowledge. Clearly explained beyond my expectations

[@nategreenfield1349]

This is great my 77 gmc c60 will not charge this video made me understand how it works. I'm just gonna run new wires exactly like this an be done with it. Thanks

[@chriscraft77022]

i have an alternator hook up video too

[@nategreenfield1349]

@@chriscraft77022 can you send the link

[@kremerrak]

Chris, Great video. Thanks. Replacing the generator in my 58 Chevy panel truck with an alternator. The difference is the ignition key merely completes a circuit and the starter is engaged with a foot pedal. Please help me apply your video to my situation. Thanks!

[@KountryCuz1]

Thank You So Much For the Video ! I am Rewiring my 70s Ford Backhoe and this works Great Thanks again !

[@takalanithendo7179]

I m find it so interesting i got stuck nw with my truck hire in queenstown on my way to Johannesburg with alternator i watch couple of this then i fix it my self so its a good feeling i feel like a hero evry1 was stressed

[@skd5432]

Chris you need to include a Fusible link / Maxi fuse into the circuit for safety.... Good Simple video .... Nice work.

[@Richar602]

Good video but can’t stand music in background

[@edspencer7121]

At time time I didn't have the money to purchase a 10si alternator to convert from the generator on my 3010 John Deere. What I used was an old Motorcraft alternator and wired it to an AC Delco voltage regulator. Both parts were lying around the shop, so what the heck? Works just fine.

[@rking4234]

Good man for putting the time in to generating the mock up like that. Hard to visualize otherwise.

[@chriscraft77022]

it is hard to visualize... that’s why I made the video because this wiring is always messed with for some reason

[@nbahighlights130]

this video was 5 yeard ago but it helped me alot to understand the alternators wiring diagram

[@NomadicGearhead]

Cool as heck. Love how you stuck the ign switch & dummy light in a clear plastic to mimmick the dash. Very easy to understand. Awesome.

[@ronaldanderson3816]

Thank you so much. I got the tractor running and the battery is charging! Liked and Subscribed

[@chriscraft77022]

watch my gm 3 wire alternator video if you have any problems

[@jwrhynejr.6689]

Thanks for your effort to explain wiring for this setup!

[@jthetunes1]

I know this an older video but I have a feeling its about to save me a whole lot of pain. The only question I have is can the dummy light be any old light or is it a specific type of light? Huge thanks for this video also!!

[@shawnomack3927]

Really easy to understand. Super helpful, Thanks!

[@alandust2188]

Best video I have come across of the subject. It would have been better without the noise in the background which is a little distracting when someone is trying to learn. Thanks for the diagram and especially the wire gauges!

[@TeresaTaton-m6e]

i have been looking for this info for ever. very easy to under stand. all the other on the net is bullshit. thanks for the info

[@baileyj123]

Great vid. Had many people tell me different things about wires. Great video!

[@markk3652]

The reason that the light goes off is that the circuit has a ground through the alternator before it starts to spin. The 12v coming from the ignition switch needs that alternator ground to light the light, once the engine starts, the alternator sends 12v back towards the ignition switch on that wire. 12v on both light conductors with no ground makes the circuit null and void, no difference of potential.

[@KING4aday46]

Great explanation of how to wire everything up. 👍

[@jacquespoirier9071]

for best result, the post 2 ( voltage sensing ) wire should be tapped to the battery post of the starter solenoid, some tap it to the battery post of the alternator but it makes that the voltage drop at the system because of the rersistivity of the alternator wire so as the load increases, the voltage drops.

[@chriscraft77022]

actually, that is the worst place to put it ..that’s why the factory doesn’t put it there only dirt track cars and tractors that have very little amp draw

[@buckdude62]

Thanks again for this video - regarding Blackbird's comments - I get it - and like I said, much respect for making these videos - but I did get good info (I think) from his comments regarding the fuse information. Thanks again.

[@chriscraft77022]

spend the money and get a good wiring diagram... it will show you where the factory used a fuseable link... this is based off my 70 chevelle and this part of the system absolutely DID NOT have any fused links or fuses on it... they fused stuff off the junction block to power everything and then fused it again on the fuse box... black bird knows what he is talking about, though.. i have more videos about the alternator hook up and related topics..

[@buckdude62]

Thank you for your reply - I agree, I need a good wiring diagram (who knows what changes have been made over the years. Thank you!

[@chriscraft77022]

it is funny how many people talk shit to me in my videos and then finally buy a wiring diagram..... it makes a world of difference...buy it....my cars fire on the first crank and you can drive them anywhere.....

[@1Thatstrangeguy]

"The only wires I know are from a GM" Ah I see you are a man of culture.

[@jeffcox4184]

Or he is like me and mostly only have had chevy’s and prefers doing my own work, thus my knowledge on vehicles is Mostly gm!

[@ericstern1754]

What a moronic comment...at least he throws tech knowledge for DIY beginners - only thing you do is spew hate. Pls refrain from commenting if u have nothing positive to say.

[@edspencer7121]

excellent video, straight forward and understandable. I'm going through a rewire on my 3010 john deere and alternator replacement. Someone done a hack job on the wiring in the past, the 10 gage melted the insulation and harness around it so basically starting a fresh harness from the ignition switch. And the dummy light has the lens melted ( go figure) which leads me to the question " If I run a volt meter in place of the dummy light is it wired in the same way?" I will be running a 3 wire 10si. just subbed FYI👍

[@chriscraft77022]

the volt meter can be wired off anything...but it has nothing to do with #1 dummy light position.. dont run it off the dummy light.. dummy light #1 is an exciter wire.. watch my 3 wire Gm alternator video..

[@scottstimpert9431]

All that explanation was really good but if you went that far, you should’ve finished explaining where the accessory wire goes to off the ignition and where to hook the ground wire up from the battery. The ground wire from the battery does that just go to the frame or does it go to the alternator Bracket somewhere? Or does it go to a grounding spot on the solenoid or starter somewhere?

[@ericwilkes238]

Thanks man I been working on converting a 65 corvair that I put on an s10 frame with a 350 v8 up front where the trunk was. now I am try to wire it up.

[@chriscraft77022]

your car already has a wiring diagram that you should use .. this is how you wire up something that has no wiring

[@mrpurcountry]

Most ignition switches feed 12 volt to the number two terminal on the alternator when the switch is turned on the same as the blue wire going to your generator light.

[@georgewyndham9894]

Thank you for this straight forward hands on explanation. Very helpful. Question though, should the #1/dummy light just be wired to Acc instead of to Ign as an alternative to trying ignition first?

[@georgewyndham9894]

Well, I just watched the June 2016 3 wire hook up video, and you answered the question. No more Radio shack in Canada, need to find another source for a diode.

[@racerdave773]

Very cool, I forgot how to do this 😂😂 Great video, very helpful

[@billyscanlan]

Artwork. Thank you for taking the time to share