• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

Rookie Mistake - Do not laugh

tk1218

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 23, 2008
Messages
1,067
Loc.
Flower Mound
Ok, had the battery out for a while and put it back in today. Hooked the red wire to positive and black to negative. Did not even look to see where they went, just assumed they were as expected.

Evidentily, the PO had the red to ground and black hot. Smoke happened next, but I got it off the terminal reasonable quickly. Hooked it up correctly and still getting smoke. Some of the wires off the alt have some melting.

Any idea what I need to do to get the wiring straightened out at this point (smoking to stop)? Hopefully not a new wiring harness.
 

nrramse

Sr. Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Messages
522
I've heard that alternators get damaged if the cables are put on wrong, so I would say take the alternator to an auto parts place and get it tested.

Newell
 

Viperwolf1

Contributor
electron whisperer
Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
24,316
Probably toasted the diodes in the alternator. That's why it continues to let out smoke when you fixed the cables. The fusible link should have blown in the harness. Regulator would be suspect too.
 

73stallion

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Messages
16,786
Loc.
Eugene, OR
it happens dude, don't beat yourself up over it. i did it once YEARS ago to a ranger diesel, should have seen the fireworks show!!!
 

aliensecretion

Full Member
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
323
Same thing happened to me about 2 weeks after I bought the thing. Had to replace the battery, the starter and the starter solenoid. Oh yeah, and I replaced the cables to make them the right color. The sparks were cool but the smoke wasn't!
 
OP
OP
tk1218

tk1218

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 23, 2008
Messages
1,067
Loc.
Flower Mound
Thanks for the replies. Any idea where the fuseable linkage is on a early 66?

So if I am lucky, just replace the alt and some of the wires around it? Maybe the IVR and the fuseable linkage.

Thanks again.
 

Viperwolf1

Contributor
electron whisperer
Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
24,316
Thanks for the replies. Any idea where the fuseable linkage is on a early 66?

So if I am lucky, just replace the alt and some of the wires around it? Maybe the IVR and the fuseable linkage.

Thanks again.

Look for the fusible link between the battery side of the starter solenoid and the large black wire feeding power inside the cab. If it was blown you wouldn't get power to anything else so it may be good or just MIA.

Definitely have the alt tested. IVR is probably ok. Voltage regulator under the hood might be damaged. Wiring is hard to say. If the insulation is melted or wire is stiff, it's done.
 
OP
OP
tk1218

tk1218

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 23, 2008
Messages
1,067
Loc.
Flower Mound
Definitely some of the insulation is melted on a couple wires. I will change those out.

Should I changing out where it is melted only or should I change it out all the way to the cab?

The real thick wire off the alt is the melted 1.
 

Viperwolf1

Contributor
electron whisperer
Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
24,316
Definitely some of the insulation is melted on a couple wires. I will change those out.

Should I changing out where it is melted only or should I change it out all the way to the cab?

The real thick wire off the alt is the melted 1.

Keep in mind the current would have been the same throughout the entire length of the wire. In open areas, like under the hood, the wire is more likely to disipate the heat before melting. Under the dash that wire is bundled with many others, trapping the heat in and possibly melting other wires also. Now comes the really bad news. That thick wire coming off the back of the alternator is not going to be very replacable. It runs under the dash, feeds power to everything inside, thens comes back out and is connected to the starter solenoid through the fusible link. My guess is the link has been eliminated because it should have popped before the wire damage occurred.

I really think you should be looking for a new wiring harness.

Ford made that wire just big enough to handle the 60 amp alternators that were available then. It's common for people to upgrade to higher output alternators and they still expect that wire to survive. The fix is to send the alternator output directly to the battery and let the old wire handle only the current needed inside the cab.
 
OP
OP
tk1218

tk1218

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 23, 2008
Messages
1,067
Loc.
Flower Mound
Yes, the wiring has been heavily modified with a second battery hook up and many accessories added like extra lights and the ever present deer feeder.

Long term I knew that a new wiring harness was going to be needed. I guess long term is now short term.

Thanks.
 

mudstud

Contributor
Bronco Bonehead
Joined
May 19, 2005
Messages
1,504
Think of it as an insurance policy. I had my 67 almost catch on fire because of an old harness. The cost of a wiring harness is cheap compared to the cost (sweat and blood) of the Bronco.
 

Michael Homan

Sr. Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Messages
487
Loc.
Dayton,Ohio
like mentioned above, don't fret the stupid stuff. Been there done done that more than once.

I melted the whole wiring harness on an 79 F150. Had to get a new harness,battery,alt,starter.etc,etc,and etc.

Just look at it as a learning experience.and go on.
 

W650Mike

Sr. Member
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
528
Loc.
Eastland, Texas
You’re not alone Bro; we all make mistakes. Only your friends get to laugh and give you a hard time…but only if THEY brought the beer AND help fix the problem!

Your wiring will be better when you're done.
 

lonesouth

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Messages
5,045
I smoked the harness in my 73. Since it was mostly a trail rig, I just ran discrete wires for the fuel pump, ignition and starter solenoid. On/off switch and a start button, GTG!
 

LilRedBronco

Sr. Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2008
Messages
428
Loc.
Belmont, California
Good luck. I had a nightmare once that a battery blew up in my face. I called mom back in Georgia for our weekly chat. She said you know I had a dream the other night where you were in a horrible explosion. YIKES!!!

so I am always freaky around batteries. I would never laugh at an issue like that I might giggle a bit but not full on laughing. ;D

But only because I do the same jackassery type stuff way more often than you do so I am sure you'll be laughing full on me soon. Take comfort in the fact you'll never screw up like I do :)
 

luderchris

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Messages
1,140
Loc.
SouthEast PA
OK -- I just did the same thing. I remembered this thread from a month or so ago.

Had the battery out and put it back in the opposite way as before. Hooked Neg to Pos, Pos to Neg, saw a hint of smoke from the large Pos wire right where it hooks up to what I believe is the regulator. I quickly pulled it off and was so pissed at myself.

I hooked everything back up the right way, expecting big problems, but to my surprise everything is working. I took the truck for a ride and it seems to be running fine. Everything seems to be working.

Am I good to go or is there something I should be checking.

I hope I dodges a huge bullet.:eek:
 

luderchris

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Messages
1,140
Loc.
SouthEast PA
UPDATE for others who may be careless like I was:

Well -- it seems with my little brain fart I fried something that was then causing a moderate battery drain. I got to the MEB round up and the battery was dead. Figured it was just an old battery and ran to the local (15 miles away) Walmart to get a new battery. The new battery would last the day, but it was dead by morning.

This past weekend, I put a new starter solenoid in because that is where the puff of smoke came from when I hooked up the battery backwards -- didn't make any difference. I then decided to switch out the regulator and sure enough it seems like that was the problem. I hooked up a battery overnight and no drain. Just an FYI for anyone who does the same thing in the future and ends up with the same problem.
 
Top