Bad day in Ohio. Worked on my 1975 teener all weekend, got so into it that I was skipping meals and not sleeping. This was the weekend that I would get it off the jack stands and take one last spin around the block before the winter sets in. I had started an alternator replacement job about 2 months ago but never finished putting the new one in. I got that done despite the fight with the tin and those damn cheese head screws! I put new transmission mounts, and trigger points in and a few other minor things and at 3PM I had success in my eyes. I took the car off the jack stands and reconnected the battery.

That is when it happened. Pow, sparks at the positive thermal and smoke coming out of the corner of the engine where the alternator sits. Damn……I am thought I did everything right. I will provide more info in the next day or two, but one suspicion I have is the old wiring harness. I wrapped parts of it with electric tape for it showed signs of wear. If I recall, one of this board's members make harnesses. Can someone point me to him for I suspect a new harness with be a good investment considering I do not want to buy many more alternators? Also if anyone has some words of wisdom, or at least a funny story I sure could use it. And is there a way of checking out all the wires before frying another alternator

did you have the alternator grounded??

There is a thread about a rebuilt alternator that the positive stud was long, and shorted out on the metal cover on the back of the alternator.

All electronic components run on Magic Smoke.
Once you let the smoke out, they don't work anymore!

Sounds like diodes in the alternator?

For wiring harnesses, see Jeff Bowlsby:
http://members.rennlist.com/914_wiring_harnesses

--DD

QUOTE (dralf @ Nov 6 2005, 02:35 PM)

Bad day in Ohio. Worked on my 1975 teener all weekend, got so into it that I was skipping meals and not sleeping. This was the weekend that I would get it off the jack stands and take one last spin around the block before the winter sets in. I had started an alternator replacement job about 2 months ago but never finished putting the new one in. I got that done despite the fight with the tin and those damn cheese head screws! I put new transmission mounts, and trigger points in and a few other minor things and at 3PM I had success in my eyes. I took the car off the jack stands and reconnected the battery. That is when it happened. Pow, sparks at the positive thermal and smoke coming out of the corner of the engine where the alternator sits. Damn……I am thought I did everything right. I will provide more info in the next day or two, but one suspicion I have is the old wiring harness. I wrapped parts of it with electric tape for it showed signs of wear. If I recall, one of this board's members make harnesses. Can someone point me to him for I suspect a new harness with be a good investment considering I do not want to buy many more alternators? Also if anyone has some words of wisdom, or at least a funny story I sure could use it. And is there a way of checking out all the wires before frying another alternator

can't win for losin eh?

sorry bout your alternator.....


b