Need someone in the KC area (electrical)

[rickf]

Thanks Rick. I just wish I could just see in real life W/ pictures where things go. I can't stay between the lines lol.

Once you lay the harness in the vehicle and get the main looms in the direction they go the ends will be pretty close to the places they belong. The wire tag numbers make it easy from there on out.

[acudanut]

Rick, where does #57 plug into. ??
Also I only have 2 fuse breakers. 2 plug ins for 2 @27 'wires at one breaker, and 2 plugs ins for 2 #25 wires. looks like there should be three, but no extra plugs ins or breakers.
I am getting there. I am waiting on Red River. They sent me a bad Dimmer switch with one pin broke off. Still waiting on the on/off switch.
Thanks, Mike

[rickf]

#57 is a ground and plugs in at the alternator, the flasher unit and the dashboard grounds. The A2 used two breakers and not three. The third breaker is the #77 circuit for the electric fuel pump and safety switch. If you plan on using that setup you are going to have to add some wiring to the A2 harness. You should have had three breakers on a straight 151 but considering it's past anything could have been changed.

[Fil Bonica]

The 57 he is talking about is the grounding point going to the ground wire that is connected to Instrument cluster
It appears on an A2 instrument cluster and not necessarily on others.
Simply secure a short wire to the instrument cluster panel and connect it to 57..
Hope this helps.

Fil Bonica

[acudanut]

Okay, thanks guys. Much appreciated. !!

[acudanut]

The 57 he is talking about is the grounding point going to the ground wire that is connected to Instrument cluster
It appears on an A2 instrument cluster and not necessarily on others.
Simply secure a short wire to the instrument cluster panel and connect it to 57..
Hope this helps.

Fil Bonica

BINGO.

[rickf]

Yup, I forgot you are working with an early chassis. That is a redundant ground since the originals were just grounded through the mounting screws but that was not the best situation and hence the added ground wire on the A2's.

[acudanut]

Okay. need help with some wires. Gas looks like 27/28....Battery 27b....Oil pressure 27/36...Temp 27/33.
Anyway, I know my wires to the 60 amp wires are wired correctly. #5 is hot, the other big one is a ground. Mounted on the outside of Alternator. The bolts and wires work perfectly in their respected places. HOWEVER, WHEN I TURN ON THE POWER, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE.
I NEED HELP.
Also. I have a Big #3 grounded.
What did I do wrong ???

[rickf]

This is going to be real hard without more info or pictures. That declaration can mean anything has happened.

[acudanut]

When I say all hell breaks loose. I mean "Batteries start frying, smoking and burning"
Is my wiring numbers match yours ?

[kmam]

That sounds like you have a direct connection from battery to ground somewhere. You can do a quick check by disconnecting the battery and placing a multimeter reading resistance between the lead that connects to the + of the battery and the lead that connects to the - of the battery. Then turn on the power. If the meter reads 0 ohms resistance when you turn the power on but does not when the power is off you have a dead short somewhere.

I have been following your thread on this and I think it would be worthwhile getting someone who is comfortable with circuits, electronics, etc to give you a hand before you do some damage. Not doubting your ability but it would be a shame if a simple mistake ends up costing and we all have our specialisations... Mine is certainly not mechanical so I have been fortunate to have a mate who is a diesel mechanic to help me in my restoration.

Good luck

Howard

[rickf]

I agree with Howard that you need someone there in person that can look this over. Just turning on the switch at worst would short out the number 5 wire from the ignition switch to whatever circuit was grounded out and that wire would vaporize LONG before the batteries would smoke. It would take a dead short from the the battery positive to ground to cause enough of a short to smoke batteries. This cannot be accomplished by turning on the switch. Everything you described to me was correct as far as routing so I don't know what to tell you since I cannot see it. Did you completely cut out ALL of the old original wiring that was in there? I mean ALL of it?

[acudanut]

The Batteries were not smoking but sparking at connections melting the posts.
All old wires are gone. Everything plugged in easily. It was not as hard as I thought it would be.
With the new harness, it is impossible to make any mistakes at the Alternator. The ground can't be bolted in the wrong spot and neither can the power #5. (They are different sizes).
I wonder if one of the four wires to the power switch (off/on) could be in the wrong order. COULD THIS BE THE CAUSE ?

[Fil Bonica]

There is a direct short ,
If ss you say the alternator is wired correctly then look at the wiring around the starter switch or the battery compartment.
Is there any sign of harness damage?


Fil Bonica

[rickf]

If the wires were plugged in wrong the only consequence would be that either things would not come on or they would be on all the time. It would not cause the issue you are having right now. Since this happened ONLY after you turned on the switch then the short has to be on a circuit after that point. From the switch to the alternator, to the instrument panel or to the engine. It cannot be on the wire at the starter switch since that is before the ignition switch and if it were then it would have smoked as soon as that wire was connected or as soon as the batteries were connected. This has to be on one of the following wires, the #12 wire to the distributor, the # 568 wire to the alternator, both of which come off of the #12 wire on the ignition switch OR the #27B wire to the volt meter or the #71 wire to the wiper motor which you don't have. These are the only wires off of the ignition switch that are not protected by a breaker. The rest of the #27 circuit to the dash panel is protected. Where is the # 71 wire going?