Ironhide

I was looking through Craigslist, as you do, and spotted this. Is this legit? I'm not the seller but I thought you might want to check it out. https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/pts/d/datsun-turbo-kit/6367200182.html

http://www.new-datsun-parts.com/datsun-510-parts-electrical.html

Well, the new voltage regulator is in. Unfortunately, my battery charge keeps getting stolen. The culprit? The alternator. I do not believe it is acting alone either. I assume it is working in concert with the new regulator. The exciter is connected all the time. Any advice. My new plan is to setup a relay to switch it off when I shutdown the motor. And turn it on when i start it.

Meh. It's all about context.

Kinda. My original handle online was "Ironwater" but everyone kept calling me Ironhide because they remembered the Transformer. So I stuck with it. The new alternator is already installed. The new voltage regulator not yet installed. Not until the sun stops trying to kill me...

First a oic of the engine compartment. Then a picture of the front. (The reason the hood is tilting is because I still had the voltage regulator sitting on the air filter.) Finally a picture of the side.

So will everything else afterward. I cant even stand it when i get soup thats too hot and then can't taste anything for eight hours. :hmm:

Well guys thanks for all the input. I picked up the new voltage regulator today, and I'm gonna install it as soon as the sun starts to set. :sweat: It's pushing 110°F in the shade today. After Reading everything you guys have said, I can see what the biggest problems are with what i was thinking. 1. I wouldn't want to overcharge the battery. 2. I wouldn't want to blow all my lights. 3. I wouldn't want to destroy my radio. I don't have one of those. Solutions(?): 1. Add a battery cutoff switch to keep from overcharging. 2. Add 350 watt resistors in line with all my lights. 3. Build a 12volt regulator that can handle all the amps for the radio. Got off easy with that one. As we can see, the cost in time out ways the time gained by my idea. BUT! The "Yeah, i did a totally custom wiring job on my ride. You've never seen anything like it." factor can weigh heavily on the beneficial side of the scale. What you really have to ask yourself is "Will it help me pull chicks?" In conclusion, while the combination of cool, unique, and simple could make you or me decide to do this, you need to remember: be safe, ask for help, and never lick the battery cables.

So, in my 521 the old alternator went to crap. I had it checked at Autozone by one of their machines that tests alternators. And the new one didn't work after installing it. After checking the wiring diagram from the original owners manual, and following wires I came to the conclusion that the voltage regulator was bad. After unbolting it from the engine compartment and grinding the rivets away, i found that it was, indeed, burnt out (a resistor had blown). So I ordered a new regulator and I'll have it in two days. But all this got me thinking... Do I really need the voltage regulator? My truck still runs without it. All the accessories work properly. But, unfortunately, with the way it's currently wired, the battery wont be charged by the alternator without it. This led me to researching about alternators, which led to the differences between one- and three-wire alternators. After some investigation, I came across schematics for the internal wiring. I already knew that alternators rectified three-phase AC into DC to charge the battery; I just didn't know how the rest of it worked. So, after learning all these things I come to you guys. If I changed the setup of the alternator to work without the voltage regulator, say by wiring the exciter wire to a relay attached to a button in the cab and got rid of the voltage regulator would I be better off? Or, Is there something I'm missing in the bigger picture?