Crashtd420 Posted July 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 I did that... I show the same voltage at the battery under the bed, same as under the hood, same on any wiring I check.... With my truck I added extra ground on basically eveything... There maybe something else going on but I don't think so... that's why I'm gonna rule out the regulator first. 1 Quote Link to comment
mainer311 Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Most alts from RA are remanufactured. The one that I got has Hitachi cast into the housing, not that it means anything, but it started life as a decent alternator. It’s possible you got a bum one, but I doubt it. 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 (edited) If you would have upgraded to an internally regulated alternator you would have been fixed long ago and not still guessing what the problem is. Edited July 17, 2018 by Charlie69 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 15, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2018 On 7/13/2018 at 8:51 PM, Charlie69 said: I f you would have upgraded to an internally regulated alternator you would have been fixed long ago and not still guessing what the problem is. In hindsight that may have been the way to go.... my hope was to use the 60 amp and not have to rewire or mod anything... either way a new regulator will be here tomorrow.... crossing figures that it fixes that issue.... On a sad note my distributor started acting weird the other day now... I don't think its related but who knows with electronics.... This is a digital unit that I can monitor and adjust with my phone... well I though I felt a hesitation, then what felt like miss fires, I checked wires and plugs, cap, rotor and found nothing obvious ... then I noticed the crank shaft advance gauge on my phone, every time I had a hesitation I could see the advance drop 5 to 10 degrees or more. this was at a steady rpm and speed, even at idle I'd see it drop to only 2 or 5 degrees then shoot back up to 14.... hoping to hear back from the manufacturer monday.... On another sad note, ( ruff time with vehicles lately) my daily driver Chevy is still broke.... I bought that passlock delete module and I apparently got a defective one... just my luck... the final connection was suppose to show 2volts on a specific wire I had 5 volts.... all i know is once i told them that they said send the module back for a replacement..... So now no Chevy and no datsun to drive till I figure this stuff out..... Good thing I got the wife a newer car in January, her old care would have put me over the edge if it broke... all I've had to do to the new car has been an oil change..... 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted July 15, 2018 Report Share Posted July 15, 2018 I have a Matchbox distributor from a 1980 720 L20B 5 speed. I will sell it with the stock factory 1980 coil for $125 plus shipping. This is for the matchbox distributor and coil swap. Also on the Ir alternator swap all you do is remove the regulator and jumper 2 wires and you good to go. This for IR alternator swap. 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 15, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2018 Thanks for the info and offer charlie.... I've read and seen the alternator info, I would actually like to know why my current setup isn't working properly before I did that upgrade... just because I like to know.. I know the wiring for the ir alternator is easy but I was getting confused on what alternator to use.... I went with what I did hoping to keep things simple.... guess I was wrong.... And I'll keep you in mind on the distributor... I spend way to much on mine to just stick it on a shelf... The biggest thing is the 10.8 to 1 compression of my motor, the side draft carb and lack of support near me, plus it seems like the distributors I could get were already remans, so no one wanted to recurve it due to parts... I just wanted control over the advance curve but I guess look where that got me.... I'll be updating this rabbit hole adventure as it goes on.... 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted July 15, 2018 Report Share Posted July 15, 2018 External regulators were used on all Datsuns through '77. From '78 on they are built into the alternator. Two pair of wires are all that's needed to convert to internally regulated alternators BUT if you have an electric choke powered by an electric choke relay this will need to be removed and another switched power source found. 521/620 truck alternators are physically smaller and up to 35 amp output. Datsun car alternators are minimum 50 amp but slightly larger and a tighter fit into these trucks. I think the Saturn 90 amp alternator fits the truck. 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted July 16, 2018 Report Share Posted July 16, 2018 (edited) I understand. This distributor I found is tighter than the one in my L20B in my 520. It and the coil are OEM with 179,000 mile showed on the odometer. If you end up needing this distributor I can look into getting it recurved to your specs on your dime. Doc 510 does distributors or maybe the Distributorguy here on Ratsun. Edited July 17, 2018 by Charlie69 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted July 16, 2018 Report Share Posted July 16, 2018 Distributorguy is Jeff Schlemmer and runs a shop in MN called Advanced Distributors. He is very knowledgeable. Re-curving a distributor is actually very easy, but you need to know what to modify. Unless you've done one before, I would leave it to a pro. 2 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2018 1 hour ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said: Distributorguy is Jeff Schlemmer and runs a shop in MN called Advanced Distributors. He is very knowledgeable. Re-curving a distributor is actually very easy, but you need to know what to modify. Unless you've done one before, I would leave it to a pro. Yes and he will probably be first to tell you unless it's an old original one the one you get at the parts stores all suck..... I inquired about it 2 years ago that's why I went with 123 ignition.... But I think everyone is getting ahead of me.... its possibly just a failing coil and nothing to do with the dizzy.... the though is now is when the motor stumbles rpms drop which also drops the mechanical advance.... So I need to make sure this isn't just a miss fire from the coil first before I blame the dizzy.... I was gonna wait till after i put my voltage regulator in tonight and take it for another drive... and then dig into the miss fire deeper.... I also plan to relocate the coil to a vertical position vs the factory horizontal location.... it seems to be recommended for an aftermarket coil... I tried discussing that in another thread but that just seemed to open up a debate that I should just use a factory coils because they don't fail .... 2 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2018 Well first piece to the puzzle solved... new voltage regulator helped.... It was showing 13.8 idling... I was able to turn all lights and fans on and still showing 13.6 before it would have been down to 12 - 12.5.... One thing I'm thinking is increasing the size of the wire from the alternator to the distribution block I'm using... because of the battery relocation under the bed I'm wondering if that's affecting the running voltage... I am running a 1awg power cable to the back... and for my main grounds... is that possibly to big? When the battery cable fell off the other day it showed 14.2 while running, but with the battery connected I have a slight drop.... atleasts its compensating for the load now..... tomorrow I'll test a few things with a volt meter.... I can disconnect the alternator and see if the voltage increase to the 14.2 and maybe add a temporary jumper to increase current to the distribution block... I also was able to rotate the coil into more of a vertical position, and I have a second coil ready to go for a test drive tomorrow. my hope is to pull over and swap the coil the minute I fell a miss fire, but i actually wanna see if rotating the coil does anything first... 1 Quote Link to comment
mainer311 Posted July 17, 2018 Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 (edited) No such thing as too big when it comes to wire. The bigger the wire, the less of a voltage drop since the impedance per foot goes down. 1awg isn’t going to hurt anything. I’m running 6awg, but my batt is in the stock location, so it’s a shorter lead. My new fuse block has an 8awg wire going to it from the battery. At idle, voltage at mid 13’s is pretty good, since the RPM’s are lower. Edited July 17, 2018 by mainer311 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted July 17, 2018 Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 9 minutes ago, mainer311 said: No such thing as too big when it comes to wire. Extremely true. Did not know the battery was re-located. I assume you have a piece of 1 gauge welding cable from the positive battery to the starter lug to prevent voltage losses??? Lugs crimped and soldered on?? Rather than run another wire all the way to the battery, run a larger gauge wire from the alternator to the starter lug. I did this on my 710. I has a 100 amp Altima alternator on it. It came with a cable about the size of my little finger and was larger than the stock battery cable! It's the blue strip one below. Battery cable beside it. Rather than run a wire up to the battery terminal and no good way to connect it, I just ran it to the starter lug where the battery cable was anyway. I crimped and soldered a connector on the end and made damn sure it was enclosed in that split harness protector and thoroughly wrapped in electrical tape. Normally it should go through a fusible link to protect it. 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted July 17, 2018 Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 Mike in the picture above where you ran the extra cable to the starter solenoid lug, take it back off and hammer the terminal back flat. then reinstall. The problem with this set up is the solenoid stud is not long enough to accommodate the 2 large wire terminals and over time the weight of the wires and the thin nut used on the solenoid stud will eventually strip the stud and then you will have to replace the solenoid. Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 Thanks mainer311 and mike.... sounds like I need to bump my starter and altenator up a gauge..... I believe they both have 8 gauge .... my positive terminals look like this... they have a different way to secure the wire.... holds a 1,4, and 2- 8 gauge wires... might have to rethink that setup. the ground is similar with a set screw.... Remaining crimp Connections are solid... My main grounds are 1awg, from battery to frame... and engine to frame... then a 4 gauge ground to the cab.... I didn't ground to the bed because I added a dedicated ground to the rear harness... all lights have a ground wire... 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted July 17, 2018 Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 Specially a relocated battery. As current flow is the same in any part of a circuit the weakest link is the smallest positive or negative wire. Grounds must also be the same size as the positive. Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted July 17, 2018 Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 4 minutes ago, datzenmike said: Specially a relocated battery. As current flow is the same in any part of a circuit the weakest link is the smallest positive or negative wire. Grounds must also be the same size as the positive. Except length is also a factor, so only true given same length wires. If 1ga from battery to starter, 4ga is fine from alt to starter lug... 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted July 17, 2018 Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 Yes the charging system is only 35 amp so a much smaller wire is fine. I'm thinking starting, when a battery flows hundreds of amps to the starter. 1 Quote Link to comment
mainer311 Posted July 17, 2018 Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 18 minutes ago, datzenmike said: Grounds must also be the same size as the positive. Learned that the hard way when I was 16 and installed my first "system." Used a thin gauge wire for ground on the amp. Connected the battery, and the wire proceeded to glow red hot. 1 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted July 17, 2018 Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 If you don't have a good battery cable terminal crimper, there is a cheater way to get a good connection. Put the terminal in a vise with the barrel end facing up. Strip the cable to the needed length, shove a piece of heat shrink over the cable (push it back a few inches). Brush both the cable and the barrel end with flux then heat the terminal up with a torch and fill up with solder. While it's still hot, plunge the battery cable into the terminal and hold steady until it firms up. Then take it out of the vice and peen it with a dull punch (or a cheap hammer type battery lug crimper). Push the heat shrink over the end and shrink it. I did batt cables this way for years until I finally bought one of those hydraulic hex crimpers. For the junction blocks, I really hate those ones with the set screws (as in the pic above). They really tear up the wire and are not a permanent solution in my opinion. 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 3 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said: If you don't have a good battery cable terminal crimper, there is a cheater way to get a good connection. Put the terminal in a vise with the barrel end facing up. Strip the cable to the needed length, shove a piece of heat shrink over the cable (push it back a few inches). Brush both the cable and the barrel end with flux then heat the terminal up with a torch and fill up with solder. While it's still hot, plunge the battery cable into the terminal and hold steady until it firms up. Then take it out of the vice and peen it with a dull punch (or a cheap hammer type battery lug crimper). Push the heat shrink over the end and shrink it. I did batt cables this way for years until I finally bought one of those hydraulic hex crimpers. For the junction blocks, I really hate those ones with the set screws (as in the pic above). They really tear up the wire and are not a permanent solution in my opinion. I basically did the cheater way as you said for the larger crimps ..... I've never been thrilled with the one in pic either, that's one of those I had it so I used it scenarios, I'll be looking at that setup real soon.... my ground ones are different and much better in my opinion.... I'll grab a pic later..... 2 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 That's what I'm using for my ground on the motor and the battery.... I guess it didn't have the set screw, its more of a compression fitting that screws in..... 1 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 So the whole coil mounting seems to be more about poor quality then anything else... for now I'll leave it vertical till I can purchase a good quality coil.... My pertronix coil is definitely bad... was missing at idle... put my old accel coil on and things ran much better, unfortunately that was only in the garage not on a test ride.... So my ride to work will be my test ride.... if all goes well I'll be ordering a new coil tomorrow.... Any brand suggestions that aren't garbage? 1 Quote Link to comment
mainer311 Posted July 17, 2018 Report Share Posted July 17, 2018 (edited) Most of them are overpriced once they get a brand name sticker thrown on them. I’m running a 1ohm Accel (with matchbox) and it runs great. Any reason you can’t go back to the old coil? What primary resistance does that fancy pants dizzy require? Edited July 17, 2018 by mainer311 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2018 I will be running my old coil tomorrow morning... it's an accel, 1.2 ohm..... I was running a recommended 3ohm, but I can run as low as a 1ohm... 1 Quote Link to comment
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