1972 RR 440 won’t start after running fine. Battery and fuses seem good. Replaced alternator, voltage regulator and ballast resistor. Any ideas?

[tonyp25]

So I drive it once a week for a few hours throughout the summer. Just recently pulled into a gas station, filled up and then went to start with no luck. There was only a single click and then nothing.

Hooked my battery jumper up and it started after a few tries. Second the jumper disconnected it died. Pulled out my multimeter and battery reads fine but alternator is reading 0. So I drove it home with the jumper attached and luckily made it to my house.

So I replaced my alternator. Tightened down some loose connection and now it won’t start at all. Even with battery jumper connected.

Am I missing something easy? Should I try replacing the battery even though all my multimeters and battery checkers say it’s good? The battery is roughly 5 years old.

Through some pics up in case it’s something obvious. One this is the guy before me wired in an aftermarket radio quite haphazardly.

 

[kiwigtx]

There's some funky looking stuff going on there. Looks to me like someone has spliced into the ignition circuit for an accessory.

Is the starter relay on the firewall clicking/engaging when you turn the key to START?

What's up with that green pushbutton?

 

[Orig69]

Check this black wire coming from the alternator to see that it's not grounding out somewhere.

 

[Pistol Pete]

If the original alternator was acting hinky, it may have fried your coil. I'd start there for the no start diagnosis.

 

[tonyp25]

Check this black wire coming from the alternator to see that it's not grounding out somewhere.

View attachment 1914096

So that wire was frayed and I had to put a new connector on it. I thought maybe that was my original problem. From the pictures below is there a chance I installed it wrong? It seemed pretty straightforward.

 

[tonyp25]

There's some funky looking stuff going on there. Looks to me like someone has spliced into the ignition circuit for an accessory.

Is the starter relay on the firewall clicking/engaging when you turn the key to START?

What's up with that green pushbutton?

I had never noticed that green button before. I’m not sure what it does. Looks like it runs through the firewall near the brake pedal…does it look like speaker wire? I don’t see it coming out in the engine bay.

I know this funky wiring isn’t helping my case but it did run quite well for the past year. Though I’m sure all it takes is something coming loose.

 

[tonyp25]

If the original alternator was acting hinky, it may have fried your coil. I'd start there for the no start diagnosis.

Thanks! Is there a way to check that or just replace with new? I’m a little newer when it comes to working on cars. Is the coil your referring to circled in yellow below or is there a coil under the distributor cap?

 

[tonysrt]

I know this basic, but did you check battery connections? The same thing happened to me, car ran fine shut off to fill tank and no start. I had no tools, had to beg gas station for a 1/2 wrench to tighten connections. Was fine after that.

 

[LowBikeMike]

If you take the charger off and it dies you have a battery or battery connection issue at minimum. Current condition is no crank or no start?

 

[Orig69]

So that wire was frayed and I had to put a new connector on it. I thought maybe that was my original problem. From the pictures below is there a chance I installed it wrong? It seemed pretty straightforward.

View attachment 1914127

View attachment 1914128

The connection looks okay for now.

That wire could be frayed in other places and grounding out when it runs on top of the cylinder head.

 

[LowBikeMike]

Are you sure you're connect to the correct terminal on the alt? Your picture shows a similar connection on the other side of the alt.

 

[Don Frelier]

So that wire was frayed and I had to put a new connector on it. I thought maybe that was my original problem. From the pictures below is there a chance I installed it wrong? It seemed pretty straightforward.

View attachment 1914127

View attachment 1914128

Maybe just the picture but I would flip the wire over 180 degrees. It looks awfully close to the case. You do not want it touching EVER.

 

[tonyp25]

Are you sure you're connect to the correct terminal on the alt? Your picture shows a similar connection on the other side of the alt.

So one I took some pictures of the original alternator so I would make sure and then labeled each wire with painters tape. I unfortunately have made that mistake one too many times. I’m fairly certain they are in the right spots.

This alternator does have an additional stud where the original only had one. But everything else on the casting was identical. The 440 is out of a 75 motorhome but according to Rockauto the alternator I got was good for basically every 440.

 

[tonyp25]

If you take the charger off and it dies you have a battery or battery connection issue at minimum. Current condition is no crank or no start?

So that’s what it was doing before replacing the alternator. It now won’t even crank when connected to the battery charger.

 

[dadsbee]

Alternator has absolutely ZERO to do with engine cranking or not.

 

[Don Frelier]

Alternator has absolutely ZERO to do with engine cranking or not.

Provided the charge wire doesn't have a direct ground path.

Yes

 

[tonyp25]

Alternator has absolutely ZERO to do with engine cranking or not.

Agreed. When it started with a jump but died when I disconnected the battery jumper I figured it was the alternator. The alternator read as 0 with my multimeter and the battery read fine.

Figured changing the alternator was something inexpensive to start with and it was already very old. But now I only get a single click when trying to turn it over (sometimes it doesn’t even click) with the new alternator and new connections.

Just odd that the I was able to jump it with the old alternator and now I can’t with the new one. Maybe totally unrelated.