What does this mean???? At night with the lights on in my 64 /6 Valiant w/new alternator I can see the dash and headlights pulsing brighter/dimmer/brighter/dimmer. Maybe 2 pulses per second at any rpm.

I was also surprised ,when I was changing the timing setting with the engine running, to get a spark from the socket extension which was touching the dist. lock down nut and the inner fender panel. Then another spark when I was tightening the lock down nut and the end of the socket wrench touched the rear of the alternator case(not a connector)
Is there something grounded that shouldn't be?

Sounds like the voltage regulator is having a tough time of it and that the engine isn't well grounded. Later cars have two wires coming from the negative battery terminal. The smaller one goes to the body and the larger to the engine block. I recommend running a heavy gauge wire from the engine block to the chassis. I use battery cables with eyelets on both ends and bolt one end to the block where the negative battery cable connects and the other to the K-member. This may take care of your flickering lights and will provide a good ground path for the charging system.

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Joshua

Thanks Josh. It does have a cable grounding the engine mount to the frame. Maybe I should move it to a direct bolt up on the block.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v154/ ... engine.jpg

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Never met an old MOPAR I didn't like.

Well, that cable should work fine where it is, but the battery negative cable should also be attached to the engine.

If you have a volt meter I would put the + lead on the battery negative terminal and check the voltage at the engine block and alternator case. This will show voltage drop in the ground circuit and help to isolate the problem. If all the grounding is good there should be very little voltage between the alternator case and the battery negative terminal.

Clean engine. Is that Cummins beige?

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Joshua

OK, I'll dig out my volt meter and see if I can tell what is going on.

Yes, the previous owner did a real nice job under the hood. I'm not sure what color he used on the block but it is different. I'm not sure what the heart was all about but some laquer thinner made it go away.

Is that flickering of the lights going to cause a problem in the future?

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Never met an old MOPAR I didn't like.

See if the grounding is an issue and if better grounding fixes the voltage fluctuations. If it doesn't then I would look with suspicion at the voltage regulator.

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Joshua

Check the engine to chassis ground strap also.

I think you have 2 separate problems. I think for your first problem with the flickering lights, you need to check that the voltage regulator body is grounded and no paint is preventing a good ground. You can run a ground wire from the body of the v-reg straight to the neg battery to see if the problem goes away.

I think the sparking of your extension is a different problem. It sounds like your spark plug wires are weak and maybe leaking voltage, a new set may be in order.


TopHat

Well, the plug wires appear to be nearly new along with most of the wire and hoses under the hood. I don't think I was touching the wires with the wrench when this happened. Very strange ????
I'll make sure the v-reg is grounded and see if that helps.

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Never met an old MOPAR I didn't like.

I've seen cases where the paint was the problem. Battery cable to block isolated with paint, altenater chassis ground isolated with paint , and engine to chassis ground isolated with paint.
Even seen owners frown when I start scratching away small spots of fresh paint. It's a nessesary evil though.

Yeah, I'm going to buy some very aggressive star washers and install them at all the grounds.

Something else I want to do to this car is put the battery back where it's suppose to be. The prev. owner for some reason relocated it in the trunk under the package tray. It's very hard to get at and I really don't see the point with this /6 .

Anybody know where I can get a stock battery tray or a good repro?

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Never met an old MOPAR I didn't like.

Sorry, didn't find any for your 64. Could later ones be fit?
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67-74 A Body Battery Tray

http://www.nationalmoparts.com/merchant ... 284&step=4

Product Code: EL0065
Price: CDN$ 35.00 / Each
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1967-76 Plymouth Valiant Battery Tray

http://www.1aauto.com/1A/battery_tray/P ... 025/396776

Part Number: 1AZBC00025
Price: $18.95

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Mopar or no car.

Bye the way, who the F**K is Tu Ning?

T H A N K S Rebel_cat

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Never met an old MOPAR I didn't like.