I decided to take my wife out for ice cream in the Laurentian tonight. We stopped for gas (It's now ONLY $1.21/litre here) and went for a bit of a drive before stopping at the local DQ. I turned the headlights on as it was getting dark and noticed the turn signals wouldn't work. I turned them off, they started working. We weren't far from home so I told my wife we better stop there and take her car. So I get home and by then the headlights are barely glowing. I grabbed my multimeter and sure enough, with the headlights on I only have 9 volts. Looks like the alternator has seen better days! I shut off the lights, parked the car in the garage and attempted to restart it- completely dead! On the bright side, at least I got the car home. On the down side, more $$$ to spend. I guess 30 years of storage will cause these sort of problems.
Fortunately Todd, that alternator is very easy and very cheap to rebuild if that is what's wrong. It might only be a regulator also, and that is cheap too.
Don't be discouraged. Old cars have a way of doing stuff like that!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
I would lean more towards the regulator. You can manually excite the alternator field and that will tell you if the regulator is doing it's job. Isn't this the best part of owning an old car? It's usually when your wife is with you though.
They can be a fickle Mistress!! I punished mine, by putting her up on jack stands.. Shes' not so sassy, in the air lol Keep at it... Its better than a $486.00 oil change on a 2002 Camry with 28,oookm (Mum was spending my future money again) Carl
I have to agree that the ALT is pretty easy to work on and your year regulator should be out side the Alt so you do not even have to open the ALT. Oh and another thing to check, just to make sure is your grounds and your +'s conections that they are clean all of them in the engine bay snug (tight but do not man handle them). I check mine twice a year, when I take it out some time in the summer some I coat with white grease others Rust Check. Too help stop rust and crorrosion on the contact spots wipe off the extra that i do not want there. I hope some this will help. Good luck have fun
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1973 Grand Am 400+4 Auto duels ex.-Pontiac 1976 LeMans Olympic SPC 350.-Chev 1977 LeMans 350.-Chev 1977 GMC Truck C15 1/2Ton/home made flat now 305 200HP
I picked up a Bosch alternator on Saturday. Stupid me should have checked it when I got it. I got home and found it was for an early car-externally regulated. I saw the guy look it up and he had the proper year (I told him to look for Impala as they get the deer-in-headlight look when I say Laurentian). Can anyone tell me what years are compatible? I would assume up to about '77?
Unless you're talking the large case alts, std. size small alts (w/ a few exceptions like 'Vettes), mid '72 was the change from external reg. to the internal reg. alts for most mass produced GM products..
The easiest thing to look for is the external reg. units had the smooth housing and square plug..
The ribbed housing and flat plug are the internal reg. units..
Some early '72's had a combo of ribbed housing but still the square plug so are external reg..
Ribbed or smooth housing aside, square plug is external reg, flat plug is internal reg..
Your '69 should've had an external reg. when new but like most cars has probably been converted to an internal reg. unit?.
Good luck!.
-- Edited by Ghost Post at 11:47, 2008-08-11
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I like real cars best...especially the REAL real ones! ----------------------------------------------------------------
Do you mean an external regulator mounted on the firewall?? The alternator I got from Bosche didn't have provisions for the plug. Mine looks to be the original alternator. The Bosch just had screw terminals.
Sounds like yours is the 68 style...early 69?. Regardless of 68 or 69 style, yes your car would originally have had the externaly mounted regulator.. Again, mid 1972 model year cars was the changeover to internal reg units on mass produced cars, the exceptions being 'Vettes, some Firebirds and a few others that got the internal reg units earlier..
You should update yours to the internal style as they are cheap and easily available.. There's a conversion plug available most auto parts store carry also if you still have the external regulator, you can bypass it inside and leave it in place.. If you're wiring has already been modified, look carefully as maybe that's where the problem actually is?.
There's probably some good conversion info if you search online too as the swap is common being the internal reg. Delco unit is the popular choice for all kinds of vehicles, not just GM products..
Good luck!.
-- Edited by Ghost Post at 13:23, 2008-08-11
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I like real cars best...especially the REAL real ones! ----------------------------------------------------------------
Sounds like yours is the 68 style...early 69?. Regardless of 68 or 69 style, yes your car would originally have had the externaly mounted regulator.. Again, mid 1972 model year cars was the changeover to internal reg units on mass produced cars, the exceptions being 'Vettes, some Firebirds and a few others that got the internal reg units earlier..
You should update yours to the internal style as they are cheap and easily available.. There's a conversion plug available most auto parts store carry also if you still have the external regulator, you can bypass it inside and leave it in place.. If you're wiring has already been modified, look carefully as maybe that's where the problem actually is?.
There's probably some good conversion info if you search online too as the swap is common being the internal reg. Delco unit is the popular choice for all kinds of vehicles, not just GM products..
Good luck!.
-- Edited by Ghost Post at 13:23, 2008-08-11
If this is any help?I just got a conversion plug from Performance Years.It's not listed,but I phoned the help line and the # is 27555. Doing the resto on my 70 I ordered a new wiring harness.I'm also running the internal regulator and didn't want to cut up a new harness.68-70 Pontiac run the same V8 auto engine harness.I assume the connections are the same with the chevy motor only lenghts would be different.
Were the external regulators still the old points style type in 69 or were they solid state? I honestly dont remember seeing a regulator on my car. I'll have to double check when I get home tonight..
It's easier than this one looks but here's a link to a guys conversion from external to internal reg. unit including more details and wiring schematics than you'll probably ever need?.
Were the external regulators still the old points style type in 69 or were they solid state? I honestly dont remember seeing a regulator on my car. I'll have to double check when I get home tonight..
'69 chevrolet b-body regulator is mounted next to the radiator on the driver side of the rad support todd. they were still points style.
Well whaddya know. There it is! It's the original to boot . I guess I better order one of those. That would probably explain the intermittent charging. Can anyone recommend a source for a decent regulator? GM still stock them?
Todd The date code is 68 but the part number is for 1969. You must have an early production car. The same alternator housing was used for several years on many Chevrolet engines. The regulator would be a points type originally. If you order a new one it will be electronic.
Well whaddya know. There it is! It's the original to boot . I guess I better order one of those. That would probably explain the intermittent charging. Can anyone recommend a source for a decent regulator? GM still stock them?
Todd
-- Edited by 69Laurentian at 21:47, 2008-08-11
the general and/or ac delco still sells them todd, pn 1119519 be sure the regulator has a good ground.
We're back on the road again. I got the correct alternator (a Delco) and figured even if my old one was fine, it is 40 years old so it's safely in storage now. I also got a Delco regulator. If I get picky the original cover can be bolted on in place of the newer style cover on the replacement regulator. I fired her up and gave her some gas and had the magic 14.4 volts. When for a 1/2 hour drive and all seems well. I also picked up a 180 T-stat from GM. I'll install that when I get some more ambition.
It's usually when your wife is with you though.
Its better than a $486.00 oil change on a 2002 Camry with 28,oookm (Mum was spending my future money again) Carl
