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What is the best way to test my parts for quality?

Answer Book

Answer Book

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I have a 1968 Satellite 4dr, 1968 Road Runner, 1974 Dart Sport and a 1973 Dart Sport 340
Some parts I might be able to test right on the car - I think. Some parts I can't.

Is it (OK) to take a part and place it on a work table in the garage and hook (directly) to positive and negative of the battery to test (OR) should I hook a resistor in between part and positive side of battery? I do not want to send to many volts to a good part and turn it into a bad part just by testing it.

Any suggestions or things to "look out for" while removing certain parts?

Does anyone know what "electrical" parts from the satellite that will not work for the Road Runner?
 
All of the cars are pretty much the same and have used pretty much the same electrical parts. Locations may vary from car to car. But most never changed from 66 to 69 However if you have electronic ignition it may not be the same setup as an older points style ignition. Do yourself a favor and download the FSM for your year make and model. Find the electrical section and look at the layout and compare it to your car. There were little changes over the years but mostly Charging system and ignition. POints to electronic and single field to dual field alternators. Some upgrades you might consider are upgrading to a solid state voltage regulator and fixing the fire prone ammeter. Google MAD Electronics.. I think will get you to the ammeter bypass. This is one of the single most used modifications you could ever do.

But mostly everything can be tested on the car. If you are wondering about stuff like starters, horns, wiper motor and alternator those things can be bench tested. Stuff like voltage regulators, heater resistors, ecu "AKA Orange box" can also be bench tested but Id rather do them on the car.
 
Last edited:
BeepBeepRR said:
All of the cars are pretty much the same and have used pretty much the same electrical parts. Locations may vary from car to car. But most never changed from 66 to 69 However if you have electronic ignition it may not be the same setup as an older points style ignition. Do yourself a favor and download the FSM for your year make and model. Find the electrical section and look at the layout and compare it to your car. There were little changes over the years but mostly Charging system and ignition. POints to electronic and single field to dual field alternators. Some upgrades you might consider are upgrading to a solid state voltage regulator and fixing the fire prone ammeter. Google MAD Electronics.. I think will get you to the ammeter bypass. This is one of the single most used modifications you could ever do.

But mostly everything can be tested on the car. If you are wondering about stuff like starters, horns, wiper motor and alternator those things can be bench tested. Stuff like voltage regulators, heater resistors, ecu "AKA Orange box" can also be bench tested but Id rather do them on the car.
Click to expand...
Do you bench test with connections directly to battery or do you have to have a resister hooked up between the part and battery?
 
Fran Blacker said:
Instrument panel be careful 12v in the wrong place, poof.
Click to expand...
Thank you! That is one of the parts from 73 I need to check. All those parts have to be bench tested. And some of the RR have to be also. Would hooking a resister up between battery and instrument panel prevent this problem or does it need to be there no matter what part I test?
 
Just don't stick your tongue on one end, and plug the other end into an electrical socket.
 
Might put an inline fuse between battery and component. That way if the part is bad w a dead short, you don’t cause any excitement.
 
You also need to be careful of the 5 volt side of the cluster.. Which is your fuel gauge, water temp sender. They are both off of the rectangle box plugged into the back of the cluster. Its a voltage regulator. MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT run 12v on the 5 volt side. Smoked pcb is a result if not smoking the 2 gauges.
 
BeepBeepRR said:
You also need to be careful of the 5 volt side of the cluster.. Which is your fuel gauge, water temp sender. They are both off of the rectangle box plugged into the back of the cluster. Its a voltage regulator. MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT run 12v on the 5 volt side. Smoked pcb is a result if not smoking the 2 gauges.
Click to expand...
Thank you!
 
Best bet is if you want to test the fuel gauge and the water temp gauge is to take 2 AA batteries 1.5 volts each and put them end to end and tape them together. Then a wire off each end and it should be 3 volts. Take those wires and touch the voltage side to the fuel gauge and the other grounds on the body. If it works it should go about 3/4 tank and thats it. 5 volts would bring it to full. I think the same test is doable for the water temp gauge.

 
Last edited:
BeepBeepRR said:
Best bet is if you want to test the fuel gauge and the water temp gauge is to take 2 AA batteries 1.5 volts each and put them end to end and tape them together. Then a wire off each end and it should be 3 volts. Take those wires and touch the voltage side to the fuel gauge and the other grounds on the body. If it works it should go about 3/4 tank and thats it. 5 volts would bring it to full. I think the same test is doable for the water temp gauge.

Click to expand...

GREAT info!! Thank you!!
 
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