['69ragr]

I am having a frustrating time with a drain on my battery, 1969 GTO convertible. I have installed new battery, and alternator (internally regulated with a M&H bypass plug to the original regulator), I have MSD 6al installed. I am not good with electrics at all. I boost the car to get started, check the charging system and the multimeter reads 14.5 on the battery which tells me the alternator is working, leave it over noght and the battery will not start the car and only reads 9.5 on the meter. I then removed the ground from the battery and jumped to the post with a test light and it comes on, which I am told tells me I have a draw. Then proceeded to pull fuses to see if the test light goes out, but none did. I am at a lost. ANY INFO OR GUIDEANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Thanks,
Dean

[george kujanski]

If you pulled all the fuses and still have a draw, it's on the unfused circuits.

The major unfused circuit is the alternator. Pull the two wire plug out from the
side of the alt and check with your test lite. If no change, disconnect the main
output cable and check.

If pulling the plug removes the draw, make sure the two wires in the plug are
not reversed. The wire on alt term 1 should eventually go to the brown wire at
the old reg connector after going thru the M&H jumper. Alt term 2 should have
battery voltage all the time, not term 1.

George

['69ragr]

Thanks for the quick response George, I was getting a bit long winded in my initial post but I did remove the plug/clip to the alternator figuring that it was an unfused circuit and the test light did go out. Since I did extend the harness to the alternator when I relocated it to the other side I may have spliced the wrong wires, I will check. George can you please confirm how I figure or check what is alternator terminal 1 or 2, I know there was a red and a white wire that was on the clip that goes into the alternator that I spliced to the original harness.

Thanks again,

[george kujanski]

Looking from the back of the alt, the left one is term 1. The number should also be cast into the housing near the terminal, but it could be worn off. You should have it connected to the white wire, the white wire then should end up at the brown wire at the old regulator harness.

George

['69ragr]

George I did not recieve your mail until I got back from lunch but I checked what I had.
I have power on the white alternator wire which is connected to a black/grey stripe harness wire. No power on the red alternator wire which is connected to blue wire in the harness. And finally the black to the post on the alternator connected to a black/red stripe harness wire. No were in the harness that runs atop of the valve cover is there a brown wire. Let me know what you think.
__
| R|
| |_
| _|
| | Alternator terminal clip
|W|
--

[george kujanski]

You stated you had a M&H harness plug at the old reg connector. that's where the
brown wire is; it went to the old reg term4. It won't be along the valve cover,
it only goes from the firewall bulkhead connector to the old reg term 4.

Find that wire and trace the connection thru the M&H adaptor; it should finally
end up at alt term1.

From your diagram, tho, since alt term 1 has power on it and term 2 does not,
I'll bet if you switch the two you'll be in business. Term 2 is the term that
needs power all the time.

Here's what's going on: the old alt had two small wires going to it, a blue and
a blk/white. When converting to a internal reg alt, the same two wires are used;
they just need to go to the proper alt terminals. The M&H adaptor takes care of
the jumpering needed at the old regulator connector, all you need to probably do
is switch the two wires at the alt to correct the prob.

george

['69ragr]

Thats what I figured you were getting at George. I will try this evening and get back to you. Thank you very much for the direction.

Dean

['69ragr]

George, I did the switch of wires, checked for a draw and there was not one--good. Started the car, battery was charging, all was good until I tries to turn the car off at the key inginition, it would shut off --bad. I am at a lost. So I removed the M and H plug to try the old voltage regulator (also pulling the two center tongues out of the rubber M and H plug) and then checked if the battery was charging and of course it was NOT. So I have and plug with two center plugs out (can I just stick them back in, or are they connected to something in the boot) and an original voltage regulator that will not allow charging. HELP and of course I am booked to go to the track this Friday.


Sorry to be a pain,

Dean

[george kujanski]

I don't follow.... what happened when you tried to shut the car off? If it wouldn't shut off, that's a typical problem when using a MSD-6al.

If that's the case, what you need to do is add a diode into the brown wire circuit. cut the wire, and add the diode, the end with the band on it pointing towards the alternator.

You can get the diode at Radio Shack, get a 1N4001 thru 1N4007...any of those will do.

Again, if that's the case, what's happening is: alt term #1 is backfeeding into your ignition circuit, it's got just enuf power to keep the MSD-6al alive. The diode acts like a check valve so it can't backfeed. You can also add a switch in the brown wire circuit for the time being.

George

['69ragr]

George I did the wire switch at the alt. , there was no draw, hooked the battery up, boosted the battery, all was running and alt. was charging the battery. Went inside to turn car off at key and it would not shut off. I have the MSD trigger wire connect to a black/pink wire. I have been running the MSD on this wire with old regulator and old alternator for years. Does it matter that I pulled the two center connectors out of the MH rubber boot, I stuck them back in, is there anything attached inside the boot to the two center connectors that would make a difference?
Dean

[george kujanski]

As I mentioned in my email, the shutdown problem happens when an internally regulated alt is used with a MSD box. The problem has nothing to do with the M&H adaptor you are using.

The problem does not occur with the externally regulated alternator because the old alt operates the idiot lite differently.

The diode will fix the problem. MSD also has the information on their web site.

George

['69ragr]

George I just want to thank you for all your assistance , followed your instructions and all is still good. Actually did make it to the track that Friday for the first time. My first run ever on a track netted 11.8 at 114 mph. What a blast! I felt much better knowing that my electrical problem were gone (for now?), thanks to you.

Best regards,
Deno