I just purchased a new 100 amp Chrome alternator for my small block (350) '69 Camaro. I'd like to know if I can use this alternator on my Camaro without any modifications. My old alternator has a plug-in and another red wire held to the alternator on a stud with a nut. I would guess that it would be considered a 3 wire setup with an external voltage regulator (correct?). My question is, can I use this alternator and plug in my wires and hook up the single red wire just like my old one? The guy at the local Hotrod Shop I bought it from said he thought I could use it for either a 1 wire or 3 wire application. It has a plastic cover that I can remove to reveal the plug. My concern is when I opened the box, there's a piece of paper with instructions stating "NOTE: 1 wire alternators require only 1 wire to operate. Reconnect only the main output wire to positive lug and remove or tape off all other existing wires. Do not remove plastic cover from regulator terminals on 7127 1 wire models". I want to use my existing plug-in and red wire. Can I do this? If the new alternator is set up for either 1 or 3 wire applications it must be internally regulated. How can I use an internally regulated alternator with my external voltage regulator setup. How can I determine whether the alternator I just bought is a 1 wire or a 3 wire or capable of either application? Please help me ASAP. Thanks! Bill

The home page has a collection of technical reference info which includes the 1-wire alternator conversion. Go to http://www.camaros.net/techref/ftecref14.html

-dnult

You'll have to excuse me but I'm not very good at electrical wiring and maybe I'm making this more difficult than it really is. Maybe someone can help me understand this, but as I see it I can't use my existing plug-in. I have to convert it to a 1 wire setup and I'll be installing aftermarket guages but I'd still like my idiot light to work. If this is true then all I need to do is hook up the red battery wire to the alternator post and eliminate the plug-in entirely. To get my idiot light to work in the dash, I just need to cap the white and orange wires at my external voltage regulator (inside or outside the regulator?), splice the blue and brown together at the voltage regulator and run a jumper wire on the alternator (what size wire?) from the battery hookup stud to the #2 terminal and run the blue wire in the harness to the #1 terminal on the alternator where the plug-in used to be and cap off the white wire there, correct? If this is correct, how can I tell which would be the #1 and which would be the #2 terminal on the new alternator? Thanks! Bill



[This message has been edited by redlines4us (edited 12-22-2002).]

Think the first thing you need to check on is what you bought. Not sure what a "7127" is. Think you have a Powermaster 17127 but I'm guessing. That should be a 3-wire alternator but double check with with the Powermaster techs. After that the questions are easier. Here ya go. http://www.powermastermotorsports.com/Chrome/GM_Early_Style/gm_early_style.html

This is the alternator I have. As I said it's a model #1727RD chrome 100 amp one wire alternator (Old label). The original label can be seen through the new label on the box. The new label reads "Engine Works" #13600 Chrome One-Wire Alternator 100 Amp. I figure the company may have changed the model number and used the old box.
It says on the website that you only need the battery wire to hook it up. Any suggestions as to the idiot light hookup? http://www.tuffstuffperformance.com/



[This message has been edited by redlines4us (edited 12-22-2002).]

The site says "1 Wire or OEM hookup". I'd still double check with their tech reps if OEM means that it is a 3-wire. If it is an optional 3-wire hook-up alternator it wires up the same way as a 10SI Delco in Wes Vann's instructions to get the idiot light to work.

redline,
what type of alternator do you have right now? Do you have an external regulator or internal? If you have an external regulator then you will have to convert your car to an internal type before you can use this alternator. If you have an internal regulator then your should really consider using that alternator as a standard regulator, not a 1 wire type. The 1 wire alternators require the car to reach 1000 or 1200rpm before the alternator will start to charge. With the standard type regulator the alternator will start to charge as soon as the engine starts running.

Uh, Redline's last post was almost five years ago. :)

You need to change that red wire to the batt if you're going to run the 100AMP alternator. It's probably #12 or #14. You need at least #8 for that.