[redbird68]

thanks guys

Bill - battery has never been in the car yet so no power.

WB - the alternator is internally regulated. i installed the conversion kit shown in the pics; jumper for alt plug and block where you would normally attach to voltage regulator.

i have used all of these exact parts before on a 68 and all was well - alternator, conversion kit, starter/solenoid and harness.

i do not remember checking continuity though before hooking up battery, maybe this condition existed then too. right now i am afraid to hook up the battery until i understand what is causing the 'short'.

[redbird68]

update - i unhooked all wires from solenoid. there is no longer continuity from hot post on solenoid to case of starter, so i assume the starter/solenoid is fine.

disconnected wires from alternator and checked for continuity from heavy wire post on back of alternator to ground, no beep so all good there.

touched lead to the wire terminal that connects to back post on alternator, other lead to a ground and got a beep. This is with wires still disconnected from solenoid and single wire adapter disconnected from voltage regulator plug.

the center 2 of the 4 spade connectors on the voltage regulator harness plug also have continuity to ground

looked closer underdash and wires are pretty butchered up. car ran and drove before though. was a 6cyl column shift car

it seems starter/solenoid and alternator are fine and issue is in the underdash wiring? any chance this is normal?

thanks again

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by redbird68

it seems starter/solenoid and alternator are fine and issue is in the underdash wiring? any chance this is normal?

thanks again

It's hard to identify shorts as opposed to 'normal' readings when you are checking resistance while things are still wired into a larger circuit. Especially when motor/generator windings and such are involved.
For instance, coils and motor windings are a dead shorts to an ohm meter but offer impedance when in use. A capacitor will read 'open' to a meter but will pass an alternating current right through it.
A schematic helps. Study it and look for ways to isolate the part under test.