Click-smoke-click-start

[flyboy71]

Ok let me paint the picture. I have the front clip off the truck except the rad support so I can start and run the 302 on my parts truck on occasion. I realized right away that I had to ground the solenoid to the chassis since the inner fender is not there anymore to provide a ground path. I've been starting it without fail now every time, until yesterday. I connected the + battery cable and hopped in like usual. Turned the key, click, dim lights, two more clicks, same thing, so I figure the battery is low or my connection is poor, and then I see smoke wafting up from the engine area. I made haste to get out front to see and from what I could tell it came from the alternator. I messed with my grounds again, got back inside and it turned over fine that time. Ill have to look over the wiring diagrams I guess but it seemed like my poor ground caused excess current through the alternator. Any other ideas?

[Thunderfoot]

That was probably it, if your ground from the battery to the engine is not good (main battery ground) then it will try to ground through the alternator ground wire to the voltage regulator (small wire) you might want to check out that ground wire on the alternator it might not be there anymore

[flyboy71]

The ground wire looks fine. No melted insulation or anything bad from what I can tell. My next thought was whether I smoke the diodes in the alt too. It was hard to tell exactly where the smoke came from at the alt but it was wafting up from that vicinity as I watched in horror from the cab. Theres nothing else electrical over there so it almost had to be the alt. I dont let it run long enough to see if it charges the bat and the guage doesnt move at all to let me know. It didnt move before this either.

[fordman]

you could take the alt off and take it to have it tested.

[rjewkes]

if it was loose and got enough movement going could the ground wire from the battery spark and smoke? also while at the parts store if the alt is smoked a simple upgrade off of an 88 or 89 pickup would be that alt. give you 100 amps and tou'd only have to change the connector on the field wire and maybe the stator if you have one.

did this and turns out to be the same volt reg, i went ahead and got a new vreg anyways of course my vreg was my charging problem. But i allready had the alt laying around. also it needs a slightly longer adjustable mount deal and needs the extra room from bolting through the back of the upper hole.