Boy, did I luck out yesterday.
The alternator in Aaron's Dart Sport died on him early this week. He hasn't had to do any major driving, mostly back and forth to school, so I found an opportunity to take it to our local alternator repair shop. $10 and two new brushes later, it was ginnin' like a new one.

The repairman commented on the "old, ragged" alternator, but everything was working fine, except the worn brushes. A complete rebuild would run about $80, so I figured we'll take our chances. I believe this is possibly the car's original one, and Aaron and I knew we were taking a chance on putting it back in after we rebuilt the car. He got about 6,000 more miles out of it.

Incidentally, I asked him about his experience with these ammeter-based Chryslers. I told him about the horror stories I've heard about melting gauges and dashes, and told him about the suggested ammeter by-pass. This shop has been around for many years (it was here when I was in high school over thirty years ago). He said he has never seen one melt down, yet. He did say he has seen loose connections at the ammeter terminals cause problems, and he has seen the plastic bulkhead connectors melt and cause connection problems, but never the dash.

I only tell this as just more insight from someone in the business for a long time, not to start arguments over the merits of the modification that many swear by (or swear at).

Jerry

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There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

Since getting the alternator checked out last week and the brushes replaced, the needle is back in between the top two index marks on the ammeter, but it wiggles. Since I don't regularly drive this car, I'm not sure if it always did that, before the alternator quit charging (bad brushes).

Is it typical for the needle to fluctuate, but stay between the marks? Of course, it takes a dip when the headlights are turned on, or the turn indicators are used. How should it properly be functioning?

I guess I should mention that the car has factory A/C and the tag on the alternator was stamped "50A". Does that mean it will put out a maximum 50 amps?

Jerry

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There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

Yeah thats typical of what my car does anyway. Mine's kind of hilarious, it goes down everytime my sub hits a bass note. As long as the needle is on the charge side it's usually good.
50A should mean 50 amps, yeah.
-Allen

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1962 Valiant V-200
170 C.I. Super Six, HEI, Dutra Duals

I LIKE that guy! I've been saying the same thing for years. Even with 100-amp alternators on 2 of my cars, I have not fried an ammeter. I know of a way I *could* fry it (race the engine while giving someone a long jump-start) but that's not exactly "normal" operation.

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