Sorry for posting a non slant 6 engine question in here, but I had great help last time and just thought I would try again. So I swaped out the alternator on my boat, Chrysler 318 engine, to an internal regulator type and forgot to take out the external regulator, and subsiquently burnt up my resistor, coil and ext. reg. I replaced all, but now have a wire just hanging out that used to go to the ext. reg. and the oil pressure swith. I asked Napa what i should do with it and they said cut off the wire coming from the oil pressure switch to the ext. reg and attatch it back to the other side of the oil pressure switch. Does this seem feesable, I dont know anything about wiring. Also, before i noticed the resistor burnt up i was having trouble with it dying when it warmed up out on the water, does this seem like it could be the resistors fault, or are there other things i should check also?
Thanks for all the help.

I'm not sure I understand. What alternator did you use? Was it a Chrysler alternator, or a different manufacturer? As far as I know, Chrysler never used an internally regulated alternater. If you used an a "aftermarket" internally regulated alt, there would have only been one wire to hookup, the large 12 volt battery/charge wire. The original two regulator wires would not have been connected to anything. Where did you connect these wires?
PS: why did you change the alternator, in the first place?

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

I used an aftermarket alternator with 1 wire hookup and there are 2 wires coming from the alt to voltage reg, 1 is a field wire connected to the ground on the alt and a ground on the engine, so no problems there. the other wire is coming from the solenoid, through an oil pressure switch and to the voltage reg. Since there is no ext voltage reg. what do I do with the oil pressure switch wire going to the reg? I changed it because I want to put more things on the boat that i would need power for, and i took the old one in and they said i should replace it.

Do you have a wiring diagram for your boat?

You should NEVER use an automotive alternator on a boat. Boat alternators and starters have a spark shield to prevent igniting gas vapors. Many a boat has burned down to the waterline by using automotive parts. If the aftermarket alternator is a marine part, you are OK.

FYI, I work on boats all summer, and my brother was a park ranger in Colorado for 27 years, working on lakes.

That having been said, I can't see why the same wire would go to a regulator and oil pressure switch. The oil pressure wire should go from the oil switch to the oil pressure gauge. The other side of the gauge (in the dash) goes to the key switch (battery +). The wire from the regulator should have gone to the field terminal of the regulator.

Finding a wiring diagram for a boat is tough. It is best to draw out the wiring the way it originally was, and then you (or someone) can figure out how to change it (if necessary). I would recommend putting it back the way it was and getting the alternator rebuilt if it was bad. It costs a lot less that a new alternator, and any alternator shop should be able to do it. That will insure the integrity of the system. I don't think this is something you should change without knowing EXACTLY what you are doing. (My 2 cents)

_________________
Chuck Rivers, Webmaster

Agreed. Besides an auto alt will NOT pass a CG insp. It wouldn't pass state insp here either...

_________________
MRO....

Cheap, Fast, Reliable.... Pick 2...

Later Mopar trucks and vans (and possibly cars) used one of the alternator field wires to power the electric choke but routed the circuit through the oil pressure switch. Follow circuit P1-18 DB in the following wiring diagrams. It starts at the electric choke, goes through the oil pressure sending unit and becomes J1C-14RD. It then goes to the (+) "spider" breakout and attaches to one of the field terminals on the alternator.

If you follow the wires going from the voltage regulator in the following diagrams, you will see that they also trace back to the field terminals on your alternator. These diagrams are for a 1982 Dodge van and have many many many circuits that your boat does not. However, the charging system and basic motor wiring should be close enough for you to trace the circuits you do have and find out where everything goes.

Thanks for all the replies. This is a marine alternator, and now thinking back i should have just gotten it rebuilt, but its gone now. As far as the wiring diagram i just scanned it into my computer, but don't know how to put it on here, how did you do it? It shows exactly what I am up against.

I use photobucket for pictures. It is free and easy

Here you go!

_________________
Chuck Rivers, Webmaster

Cool thank you, so you see a wire coming off the solenoid going to an oil pressure switch, then the voltage regulator, that wire is still connected to the oil pressure switch but i took off the voltage regualtor, what do i need to do with that oil pressure switch and/or the wire?