ELECTRICAL GREMLIN (Probably from AMC) IS IN MY ROAD RUNNER WIRING

[wild bill]

Helloe Everyone. Hope you r having fun driving your mopars! You know that if u dont' drive it someone eventually will. Yeppers! First let me say that this forum is great! I could not have gotten this far with my1969 Road Runner restoration without the forums help! My newest problem has to to do with an electrical gremlin! And this gremlin is a little some of a beach! If you know what I mean. I wrote recently of taking a journey down alternator choice lane: Whether to go with OEM equipment, or switch to a one wire power master alt with more amps. I went with the one wire. Previously i stated that I had the OEM style alt with external volt regulator, and both fried on me because I thought that the sterio amp, and large capacitor I installed where drawing too much juice. Well I installed the new PM with 90 amp, single wire, and internal regulator. I disconnected the amp and the capacitor. when I started the car ((383) with automatice trans, no power steering, no power brakes (and certainly no air) on the alternator began to squeal on me (massive power draw) and the pully was so hot I could not touch it. Well what now I thought. it seems like we have tried everything to find the gremlin. We pulled the harnesses one by one, and started the car on the battery only (so as to not fry the new PM) we disconnected all non-essential (to start car) systems, and when we touched the alt power wire to the positive side of battery, the squeal was still there. I stated it is a "one wire" alt by PM. I also have an MSD capacitor box, and electronic ignition. I was wondering if anyone ever had such an issue. We think it may be a bad starter (but the starter is brand new, and starts the car just fine with no sign of problems. HELP!

 

[oldbee]

It sure ain't the starter. Does alternator squeal if "one-wire" is not hooked up?Did you check for good ground on alternator?

 

[Mike67]

The squeal is sounds like a belt pulley issue...does it go away at higher rpm?
Take it and have it tested. Might have a bad bearing from mfg...

 

[oldbee]

There's an idea-- is the pulley original to car? Wrong width on pulley compared to belt width?

 

[wild bill]

It sure ain't the starter. Does alternator squeal if "one-wire" is not hooked up?Did you check for good ground on alternator?

No it does not. Nor does the pully get hot. Only when we touch the alt wire to the positive battery post does the alt squeal. then when we remove it stops. Yes we ran a test light to the case of the alt (negative) and touched the positive to the positive battery terminal the light goes on. Their is an attachment point to ground the case, and I will now attach a wire to it just in case.

 

[Mike67]

When a load is added there is a slight increase in drag on the alt as well.

 

[wild bill]

The squeal is sounds like a belt pulley issue...does it go away at higher rpm?
Take it and have it tested. Might have a bad bearing from mfg...

Alt is brand new Power Master I have the ck sheet from factory,. No squeal when we take load off. The belt is tight. Pully is OEM, and belt fits fine. However, will re ck all.

 

[wild bill]

When a load is added there is a slight increase in drag on the alt as well.

Yes. thier should be. However, the first OEM alt we had seized up and the volt reg fried (first). Now I am concerned that the new PM is also going to go the way of the goonie bird if I leave it attached.

 

[oldbee]

Shorted cell in battery making alt. go to max charge?(but then, starter probably won't crank over). We have to figure this out before end of Nov. Can't talk to you then- Go Buckeyes!!!! Lol

 

[oldbee]

Almost sounds like internal regulator is shorted and telling alt. to go full blast.(?)

 

[RT K_line]

like oldbee said it sounds like an internal problem with the alt. but you should have the battery load tested too.

 

[wild bill]

Shorted cell in battery making alt. go to max charge?(but then, starter probably won't crank over). We have to figure this out before end of Nov. Can't talk to you then- Go Buckeyes!!!! Lol

thanks for your input. We did consider this and changed batteries. no change. when we touched the alt (one wire) to the positive battery post, same resu load on alt caused it to squeal.

 

[Mike67]

I would call power master and see what they say. I was reading on thier site that depending on which model you have that in order for the regulator to "switch on" it has to see at least 1200 rpm, then it regulates after any speed, this has to be repeated each time after the motor is shut off.

 

[texas69bee]

I'm on my second Power Master. The first one squealed like a stuck pig. If those pulleys are not perfectly aligned it will squeal. Take a straight edge and make sure all pulleys are in line front to back. If needed shim what you can. I should also mention that on the first one it would squeal when I turned it by hand. There was a tab just under the pulley that had come loose.

 

[Ranger16]

Get a spray bottle with water in it and mist the pulley. If the squeal stops, it's a belt problem.

 

[oldbee]

I've seen problems with new-style alternators. Run the engine with a low-charge battery and the alt. is toast from working too hard&rev-up to get it to charge(?). What's up with all that. Never had to worry about it yrs.ago.

 

[dvw]

If one or more of the diodes internal to the alternator go open in both directions of current flow the alternator will whine, get very hot a cause a high current draw with the engine off.
Doug

 

[Shorthorse]

I've posted this before but give Power Master a call. I had some issues and sent them an e-mail. I received an e-mail on a Saturday asking me to give them a call so I did. Throughout the process I received the best customer service and continued communications that I have ever received from any company I've ever dealt with.
One tip that has worked well for me. When checking for alignment, rest a small diameter rod in the grooves of your pulleys (belt removed of course).

 

[wild bill]

I've seen problems with new-style alternators. Run the engine with a low-charge battery and the alt. is toast from working too hard&rev-up to get it to charge(?). What's up with all that. Never had to worry about it yrs.ago.

thank you all for your input. All the input was helpful in solving my problem. Oldbee and Mike67 special thanks. You keyed me into looking at belt. Heres what went wrong: (1). I dont belieeve the 1st alt fried at all. I think the mech volt did fry as it was smoking; (2). After you folks keying me in, I looked at the belt and pully (from up top). nothing on the belt, but when I touched it their was something shinning on my fingers (3). I looked at pully next. Here, I seen liquid (?) dripping from the pully. No smell like antifreeze (No wonder I used EVANS waterless); (4). next looked for coolant else where-found it. On pully and a pudle on KMember lip; (5). looked for source of leak. Lower hose. It seems some (yahooo) didnt get the factory clamp on the way. It seems a fine spray (just enough) was spraying on the lower water pump, and then hitting the crank pully and belt. And u guessed it, causing the belt to slip. Thus the squeal!!! no elec gremlin all. Everything fits with this scenario. Thanks to all 4 the input it was invaluable.

 

[oldbee]

Whew!!!!! Took a load off my mind,lol; just who was the dufuss who screwed up the clamp?lol again, sounds like me at times.