what should my alternator gauge read?

[surfer-b]

Sorry Chuck, thats the best I can get with what I have. I have had this since around 90 or 91, I had the guys at Toms Bronco send that to me. I will work with it here and see what I can do. As for the schematic it has been coerrct for all the ones I have had but I havn't had any older than 73 or newer than 76. I would say the 77 would be the same though.

 

[chuck]

Here is the first page of the manual I scanned the dia. from. Maybe the extra wire is for the econoline or club wagon?
Not sure what "U" means, I couldn't find that on my book.
Forgot to attach the drawing, here it is.

 

[Viperwolf1]

U as in U15, U14.

 

[Viperwolf1]

Here is the '77 version of surfer's diagram.

 

[chuck]

Sorry Chuck, thats the best I can get with what I have. I have had this since around 90 or 91, I had the guys at Toms Bronco send that to me. I will work with it here and see what I can do. As for the schematic it has been coerrct for all the ones I have had but I havn't had any older than 73 or newer than 76. I would say the 77 would be the same though.

That's cool. I think I figured out what the problem is. My copies are "F" series and I should be using the "U" series. The 68-69 bronco book is a ford book so I think ford must have made a change later to make the meter show battery charge/discharge. I can't seem to get the cover posted but will try again later.

 

[Steve83]

The meter shows Drain & Charge. The truck can never charge, and the alternator can never drain, so there would be no point having the meter between the truck & alt. It has to be between the battery & the other 2.

Deleted because it was RONG!!! :-[ TOTAL brain fart there...

Swap it to a voltmeter. ;D

 

[chuck]

No matter what the amp meter will never show the starter draw. The starter sol. draw will show but not the starter because when the sol. is picked up the starter is connected to the battery so the current flow is from battery to starter and does not go through the meter. The current is way too high to pass through the meter, 300-400 amps?
It would seem that the 69 and back? is diff. but look at the wiring above for the 77 and you will see that the alt feeds the load then passes through the meter and then goes to the battery. That would mean that the meter only reads the current coming from the battery to feed the load (-)and going from the alt. to the battery (+)to recharge it. That is as good as it getts without a volt meter.

 

[Quick & Dirty]

This appears to have been settled already, but I'll throw this in.

It's a nice drawing and a good way to connect things up but it's not what ford did. Assuming your junction is the starter sol.

This is a pile of '74 vintage Bronco wiring.
The junction is the white block in the middle of the dash, about 20" from the fuse block. One black-yellow on the right is power from the alternator, the other goes to the fuse block. The black-yellow on the left loops to the ammeter, the red comes back and out to a fusable link on the starter solenoid/battery cable.
The yellow goes to ignition switch, the black -orange to the headlight switch.

Edit. I made my paint sketch less simple to better illustrate the actual wiring.

 

[Viperwolf1]

No matter what the amp meter will never show the starter draw. The starter sol. draw will show but not the starter because when the sol. is picked up the starter is connected to the battery so the current flow is from battery to starter and does not go through the meter.

Absolutely correct. The ammeter can only show the current flowing through it.

 

[Quick & Dirty]

I just noticed the horn relay connects to the starter solenoid post. So blowing the horn will show as charging.

 

[surfer-b]

Absolutely correct. The ammeter can only show the current flowing through it.

X3, it works the same as a hand-held clamp amp meter when showing the amp draw for a elec. motor or whatever. Whether its AC or DC current it will only show if passing through the loop.

 

[chuck]

X4, this thread has been good for me, I learned, thanks.