[Luuuke]

Help, I realize this should be very simple but I don't get it! I want to wire up a '70 chevelle, one wire alt.,(with three main wires on it and two at the plug; one wire?)All I want to rewire is the starter, HEI, and alt. I don't get why one power wire has to run down the drivers fender well, into some relay looking thing,(near the headlights) over the radiator and back to the alt.If anyone knows a simple way to eliminate all this spliced and miss matched colored wires mess thanks. LUKE

 

[John_Muha]

“I don't get why one power wire has to run down the drivers fender well”

That’s the wire to the fuse block inside the car. If it’s not connected nothing inside the car works.

“into some relay looking thing,(near the headlights)”

That’s the horn relay. Without it the horn doesn’t work. It also acts as a junction block that ties the wires together.

“over the radiator and back to the alt.”

That’s a fused line that ties the alternator back to the battery.

“If anyone knows a simple way to eliminate all this spliced and miss matched colored wires mess thanks.”

There may be another way to route the wires but there will still be the same amount of wires.

 

[Luuuke]

Thanks, Sooooo, why is it called a "one wire alt.?"

 

[John_Muha]

Because it can be operated with only 1 wire attached to it. The large wire to the rear terminal.

 

[Luuuke]

If you have a fax I'll draw you a picture because it's hard to explain. From the fuse box, one red wire runs to the horn relay, from the horn relay two red wires run back to the alt., one goes over the radiator to the post, it also has the little plug attached to it, and one goes (from the horn relay) BACK over the drivers fenderwell, over the master cylinder past the distibutor up the intake to the alt. post. That's two on the post so far and the plug. NOW, one more red wire comes off the alt. post to the battery. That's three wires I have to hook up to my one wire alt. WHAT AM I MISSING HERE?

 

[d1_bradley]

This will explain it.... http://www.chevelles.com/techref/ftecref14.html at the end he mentions 'one wire' versions. But if I was changing, I'd go with the ones in the article.

 

[Dean]

The wire is running TO the fuse box, originating at the battery.
Sounds like you are thinking it is feeding FROM the fuse box.

Also sounds like you are you saying you have 3 wires on the big hot post on the back of the alternator right?

Should be only one there.