very fat and very dumb 40 Report post Posted December 2, 2018 So I started the Mach for the first time yesterday. After a very short time the wires going to the alternator started smoking, I shut it down but it was too late. Copper is showing on both sides of the alternator wiring connector. I have a few questions. - What might have caused this? -Do I have to pull out the entire harness to figure out how much damage might have been done? - When I get the harness fixed how do I ensure this doesn't repeat itself? Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gordonr 4 Report post Posted December 3, 2018 That sucks. Your going to do some disassembly though. Pull the Alternator and pay attention to the harness routing to see if was pinched/crushed as the burned wire will originate from that point and will be obvious. From there a visual inspection of the wrapped harness portion where the loose burned wires enter. The thing about a burned wires wrapped in a bundle they will transfer there heat to the other wires as a heat sink and can fake you out as the harness wrap can appear ok. The damage can show and be a couple feet away. So unwrapping for inspection is important. Some pics would be helpful before and after disassembly also. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
unilec 57 Report post Posted December 4, 2018 Couple of thing we need to know, there could be an internal issue with your alternator, maybe the diode pack, what size is your alternator( suggest you have it check by an auto spark), what size gauge wire is the wire that burnt out and have you any idea what you current draw is, bearing in mind that upgrading to electric fans can cause a large large increase in current draw. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Midlife 814 Report post Posted December 4, 2018 Wrong alternator harness? (tach dash and standard dash) force a different alternator harness... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
very fat and very dumb 40 Report post Posted December 7, 2018 I appreciate the input. I’m out of town but will post pics ASAP. Thanks guys, I’m a little freaked out by this and I appreciate the support immensely. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
very fat and very dumb 40 Report post Posted December 9, 2018 Here are the pics Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gordonr 4 Report post Posted December 10, 2018 It looks like your ground (blk/red) got a little toasty. Does the chassis ground on the back of the right head ok or is it hurt as well?Did your car crank easily? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gordonr 4 Report post Posted December 10, 2018 It also looks like your main engine ground should be mounted lower on the right side of the block and not on a painted bracket? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danno 128 Report post Posted December 14, 2018 Yes, double check the engine block ground wire to the firewall, like Gordonr suggested. If that is gone, bad, the connections to it are loose, or corrosion on it, then this can happen. This is an additional ground wire that is really no supposed to carry that much current, and yours did. That wire will need to be replaced, the perfect job for Randy (midlife). If the wire is still connected, you can still use it for testing things. If the car runs fine when the lights and fan are off, and the battery keeps charging, then nothing else is damaged. Turn on the fan to high, and turn on the high beam headlights, and that wire will probably warm up. That means the engine ground wire to the firewall is bad. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
very fat and very dumb 40 Report post Posted December 27, 2018 Although this will make me look like a complete moron I think it's important to disclose what happened. I had the ground wire on the alternator connected to the stator by mistake. The harness is in the mail to Midlife so he can bail my dumb ass out. The good news is that while digging through my stuff looking for the old alternator I found what appears to be an original alternator (rounded castings instead of square), it's currently being rebuilt. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
unilec 57 Report post Posted December 27, 2018 Just chalk it down to a lesson learned ;-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Conway 264 Report post Posted December 27, 2018 That goes a long way in solving the mystery. Thanks for the post. Brian Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RPM 1,190 Report post Posted December 27, 2018 Yeah, thanks for posting the cause. So many people never do. Just chalk it up to the cost of education, cause education is not free. We've all been there brother. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Midlife 814 Report post Posted December 28, 2018 3 hours ago, RPM said: Yeah, thanks for posting the cause. So many people never do. Just chalk it up to the cost of education, cause education is not free. We've all been there brother. I believe the statement goes something like this... Wisdom comes from experience; Experience comes from making mistakes. How many mistakes have you made? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RPM 1,190 Report post Posted December 28, 2018 Then I must be pretty darn wise. And Randy keeps making money from people gaining wisdom :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
