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Voltage regulator question, Which wire goes where?
- Thread starter reamer
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2003
- Messages
- 51,619
Ford did use two different setups on different vehicles, but all Early Broncos had the same 3-wire setup.
F, S and A positions were used, but not the I position on our ammeter equipped rigs.
Don't quote me on the positioning in your connector, without confirming the positions on the regulator which usually has the "FSAI" markings next to each connection point.
But judging by the pic, F is at the bottom, and I is at the top.
They work like this:
1. F - Field wire is the Orange one and is likely just broken off of that capacitor thingy at the lower end of the pic. I've seen those used on the A wire, but never on the F wire.
This wire connects directly from the regulator's F post to the alternator's FLD post.
2. S - "Switched" (original designation is "stator") is the Green w/red wire and has 12v from the ignition switch in the ON position only.
3. A - "Always hot" (original designation "armature") is 12v all the time. Should be exactly the same voltage as the battery at any given time. It is spliced into the large Black (or could be Black w/yellow stripe) inside the harness.
Paul
F, S and A positions were used, but not the I position on our ammeter equipped rigs.
Don't quote me on the positioning in your connector, without confirming the positions on the regulator which usually has the "FSAI" markings next to each connection point.
But judging by the pic, F is at the bottom, and I is at the top.
They work like this:
1. F - Field wire is the Orange one and is likely just broken off of that capacitor thingy at the lower end of the pic. I've seen those used on the A wire, but never on the F wire.
This wire connects directly from the regulator's F post to the alternator's FLD post.
2. S - "Switched" (original designation is "stator") is the Green w/red wire and has 12v from the ignition switch in the ON position only.
3. A - "Always hot" (original designation "armature") is 12v all the time. Should be exactly the same voltage as the battery at any given time. It is spliced into the large Black (or could be Black w/yellow stripe) inside the harness.
Paul
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2003
- Messages
- 51,619
Yes, the Black w/red wire is a grounding bond between the regulator and the alternator.
It simply goes under one of the screws holding the regulator to the body. The other end is part of the original strain-relief "connector" on the back of the alternator.
Is the original harness still intact at the alternator? If so, then the small metal ring that sticks out of the side of the molded rubber strain relief is the other end of that wire, and can attach to any of the small studs with nuts on the back of the alt.
There is actually one marked "GRD" but it often is not the most convenient one for the way the connectors are laid out. That's ok as long as it's attached to the body of the alternator.
If that harness is no longer intact or present, then you can find the other end of that wire, or just make your own grounding wire between those same two points.
Paul
It simply goes under one of the screws holding the regulator to the body. The other end is part of the original strain-relief "connector" on the back of the alternator.
Is the original harness still intact at the alternator? If so, then the small metal ring that sticks out of the side of the molded rubber strain relief is the other end of that wire, and can attach to any of the small studs with nuts on the back of the alt.
There is actually one marked "GRD" but it often is not the most convenient one for the way the connectors are laid out. That's ok as long as it's attached to the body of the alternator.
If that harness is no longer intact or present, then you can find the other end of that wire, or just make your own grounding wire between those same two points.
Paul
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2003
- Messages
- 51,619
Yes, there is another section of harness. It would match that plug in your hand, and extend down to the alternator with just as you describe, three ring terminals and that metal grounding tab I mentioned earlier.
I say "three" because for '73 yours should have had an electric assisted choke on the carb and that was the first year that Ford used the White w/black Stator wire connection on the back of the alternator.
In our case, the wire did not go to the regulator at all, but only straight up to the choke. However I thought it was integrated into the harness connection.
And speaking of that connection, yours looks like the '72 and earlier type. I wonder if some early '73's got the old style still, or if they kept that until '74? What month was your Bronco built in? Does it have a "Q" in the sixth position of the VIN by any chance?
If you can't find your other half, or it just no longer exists, you can make your own pretty easily I would think. Or you could check the Mustang sites to see if they have anything. Or LMC or Dennis Carpenter or Scott Drake. We carry parts from those last two at least, so probably have not see anything like the alt harness yet.
The problem with using the Mustang stuff is that you have to make sure it's from a vehicle that had an ammeter instead of just a BAT light.
You could buy them for certain year Broncos for awhile, but most of them went away within a year or so, and I'm not sure '73 was one of them anyway. Haven't seen any of them for awhile now.
Paul
I say "three" because for '73 yours should have had an electric assisted choke on the carb and that was the first year that Ford used the White w/black Stator wire connection on the back of the alternator.
In our case, the wire did not go to the regulator at all, but only straight up to the choke. However I thought it was integrated into the harness connection.
And speaking of that connection, yours looks like the '72 and earlier type. I wonder if some early '73's got the old style still, or if they kept that until '74? What month was your Bronco built in? Does it have a "Q" in the sixth position of the VIN by any chance?
If you can't find your other half, or it just no longer exists, you can make your own pretty easily I would think. Or you could check the Mustang sites to see if they have anything. Or LMC or Dennis Carpenter or Scott Drake. We carry parts from those last two at least, so probably have not see anything like the alt harness yet.
The problem with using the Mustang stuff is that you have to make sure it's from a vehicle that had an ammeter instead of just a BAT light.
You could buy them for certain year Broncos for awhile, but most of them went away within a year or so, and I'm not sure '73 was one of them anyway. Haven't seen any of them for awhile now.
Paul
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