I have a 66 malibu 396, added a 1wire alt, big lug on alt to pos on batt. Nothing else is attached yet grounds, horn relay. Neg of the batt is grounded to the block and am starting the car after a lot of restore. Am not using the plugs for old alt and it is going to use an accel dist. The starter works I can jump it but I get nothing with the ignition switch. The only other wire I have run is the purple wire from the harness to the s terminal on the solenoid. Help and thanks

Suggest you drop the one wire and get an alternator with remote sense lines (like the facotry had). Lots of info on this issue at
http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/remotevoltagesensing.shtml

Ron

The starter works I can jump it but I get nothing with the ignition switch
I assume that means the starter works IF I jump it but doesn't work with the ignition key.



The alternator has nothing to do with the starter operation except for keeping the battery from going dead.

Does it have a neutral safety switch?

Purple wire in harness feeds off the Neutral safety switch which feeds off of the ignition switch.

Got a volt meter?

Nothing else is attached yet grounds, horn relay. Neg of the batt is grounded to the block and am starting the car after a lot of restore. The starter works I can jump it but I get nothing with the ignition switch.
See the pic below, if you don't have the horn relay hooked up, you won't have power at the dash area which includes the IGN switch as all power goes through the horn relay.

http://www.madelectrical.com/images/chevym1.jpg

Cannot see myself buying another alt at this time. Yes I can jump it but the key switch has nothing. I'll try to attach and ground the horn relay but the volt reg will be removed because of the internal reg in the new alt. I get voltage readings at the starter only, nothing at the fuse panel, tried to see if I had a reading at the plug harness, nothing. Also will double check for a nuetral safety switch but I am using a 200 4R tranny. thanks again

Do you have any power to the dash area, this includes headlights, brake lights, radio ect... Then we will go from there.

I.m going to try mounting the horn relay to get a proper ground but as of this time I get no power to any dash lights, exterior light plugs, no power any where I have checked. thanks again

You will need to mount the horn relay. The 10g red supplys power from the battery, the other is the dash main power wire, which supplys the fusebox, IGN switch and headlight switch.

Greg, the diagram you supplied shows the voltage reg being used, I do not have one. Do you suggest using one and wiring it as in your diagram? ps I mounted the horn relay hoping it was just a grounding problem, no luck, no volt readings any where. Jerry thanks

Greg, the diagram you supplied shows the voltage reg being used, I do not have one. Do you suggest using one and wiring it as in your diagram?
If you are using a internally regulated alternator, you don't need it. It has no effect on your problem anyways


ps I mounted the horn relay hoping it was just a grounding problem, no luck, no volt readings any where. Jerry thanks
Do you have a meter or a test light? First check the post on the junction block near the battery. If you have no power here, the fusible link may be blown.

Greg, I'm not sure if this car had this juntion block, I had removed many parts including the radiator support for painting. And I do not have one installed now, I don't recall one being there when it was taken apart. thanks

Do you have a smaller wire off the positive battery post? If not you need one as this feeds the entire car when the engine is not running. Study the pic above. Power goes from the battery to junction block, to 4 way splice, to horn relay, to dash main power wire. Since you don't have a junction block, there should be a 10g red to feed the entire car.

Greg, thanks for the help, I followed your schematic and another from the links and like magic I have power inside. thanks again Jerry