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Need Alternator Help - Powermaster 7019 Replacement

videoword

videoword

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68 Satellite running a 318LA. My voltage has always been low at low RPM with cheap Autozone alternators. Picked up a Powermaster 7019 to swap out - now the voltage is reading even lower! Even at higher RPM, needle doesn't move into positive charge.

I did not run a ground cable, old alternator didn't have a ground post. Is the necessary? Could it be the problem?

Any thoughts on how to get this thing to charge properly? It should provide almost double the output of the old alternator!

Thanks for the help.
 
How is your voltage regulator? The early ones could be tweaked a little bending the a post under the cover. When they changed to solid state regulators in 1970, they had some charging issues due to bad grounding of the regulator to the fire wall as both surfaces were painted. Sanding the paint off the back of regulator attaching tab and the firewall attaching area corrected it. I put a dap of grease on the sanded areas to prevent corrosion. Never had an issue since!
 
I wasn't sure if it was single or duel field. Did read those instructions, but I have no ground wire. Will have to make one. Any advice?

Last time I did an alternator I just did a plain swap, so this is a little different.
 
Ok, so I made a ground wire and it totally worked. Getting charge. More consistent needle than the old alternator. Thanks everyone for clearing that up for me.

But I am surprised - with the headlights on I'm still reading negative charge. What's next for me to look at? Voltage regulator? Coil? Or did I somehow fry the new alternator?

She runs good, rebuilt engine, new mopar certified electronic distributor. Needs some carb work, but seems like I shouldn't be having voltage issues?
 
You never clarified how’s it being used. Dual or single wire. If it’s being used as a single then the spare terminal needs to be grounded to the case. The easiest way to do that is to take the washer out that separates the brush from the case. Put a meter on the spade terminal and case to verify you have it grounded. Then ground alternator to the body. The Powermaster 7019 is a replica of the round back that was original to the car but out of the box it is set up for a 2 wire.
 
texas69bee said:
You never clarified how’s it being used. Dual or single wire. If it’s being used as a single then the spare terminal needs to be grounded to the case. The easiest way to do that is to take the washer out that separates the brush from the case. Put a meter on the spade terminal and case to verify you have it grounded. Then ground alternator to the body. The Powermaster 7019 is a replica of the round back that was original to the car but out of the box it is set up for a 2 wire.
Click to expand...

It's single wire, I believe. Ungrounded it didn't work, I ran a wire to the engine ground - now it is charging, but still on the weaker side when lights are on.
 
videoword said:
It's single wire, I believe. Ungrounded it didn't work, I ran a wire to the engine ground - now it is charging, but still on the weaker side when lights are on.
Click to expand...
Then you have to also ground the leftover spade terminal to the case
 
texas69bee said:
Then you have to also ground the leftover spade terminal to the case
Click to expand...

There are three posts and three wires. The main battery line, a green wire which appears to go to the voltage regulator (and was present in the original configuration), and a third post which I have run to the engine ground.

Do I need to change my ground from the engine to the case?
 
You have done it right, if I am reading it correctly. If the second spade terminal is going to a good ground, then there is no need to ground the case. The case is probably grounded anyway through the mounting bolts. On the single field wire alt., the case has to be grounded.
 
videoword said:
But I am surprised - with the headlights on I'm still reading negative charge.
Click to expand...

Welcome to early Mopar charging systems. If you want to keep the needle in the charge side, you'll need an aftermarket high-output alternator.
 
R/T Boy 67 said:
You have done it right, if I am reading it correctly. If the second spade terminal is going to a good ground, then there is no need to ground the case. The case is probably grounded anyway through the mounting bolts. On the single field wire alt., the case has to be grounded.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to test the specific voltages when I get home, but any thoughts as to why I'm still getting negative charge when I turn the headlights on?

Dipstick said:
Welcome to early Mopar charging systems. If you want to keep the needle in the charge side, you'll need an aftermarket high-output alternator.
Click to expand...

Isn't that what I got with the Powermaster? It's 65(idle) - 95(max) amps.
 
Last edited:
Just had a NAPA alternator where one terminal, the normal "+" terminal from the pre 1970 regulator, was a normal sized terminal, but the other terminal was much wider, about the total width of the brush holder. Because I did not have a larger terminal to ground it, I removed the brush holder and removed a bit of the isolator that centers the terminal, then re-assembled with no isolator washer between the brush holder screw and the terminal so the large terminal is now grounded to the case. Note that this was for a 1966 model with a pre 1970 style regulator (although one of the stock looking regulators that have electronic internals.)
 
So, just to update. The ground cable did solve the problem. Charge is good now - with headlights on as well. If you have a mostly stock 318 and put in a Powermaster, make sure that it is grounded. You'll have to make your own wire.
 
451Mopar said:
Just had a NAPA alternator where one terminal, the normal "+" terminal from the pre 1970 regulator, was a normal sized terminal, but the other terminal was much wider, about the total width of the brush holder. Because I did not have a larger terminal to ground it, I removed the brush holder and removed a bit of the isolator that centers the terminal, then re-assembled with no isolator washer between the brush holder screw and the terminal so the large terminal is now grounded to the case. Note that this was for a 1966 model with a pre 1970 style regulator (although one of the stock looking regulators that have electronic internals.)
Click to expand...
This is exactly what I was trying to tell the OP.
The field terminal that is not used will then be grounded to the case and then the case to ground.
 
You said you swapped out old alternator for a Powermaster, that both was ungrounded. How do you know if the old was bad then? Also, you stated the light was still dim. Was the car running at the time or not? I put relays to the forward lights so the power wasn't deleted through the system and with just battery, not running, theyre bright. I got the relay kit from, and many members here has the same kit, from a member crackedback. Just FYI.
 
On the pre-'70 alternator, one field is grounded at the brush holder.
 
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