FullSizeBronco.com - 78 - 96 Ford Bronco offroad club, forums, tech, installs

78'460 · 11-06-2009, 09:13 PM

Ok im having charging problems, About 6 months ago with the 351m and a 95 amp alt. It charged at 14.44 and with everything on it charged at 14.42. Now I took that engine out, Left the hood off for 4 months, It rained lots. Voltage regulator got soaked lots, Ok so I put the 460 in. With the 6AL ignition and MSD distributor (not sure how much amperage that thing sucks????) But im only charging at 12.36-38 now and its not even enough to turn my engine over. I got a cheap shitty starter though.

So my question there is do you think voltage regulator? Or alt.?

Next is how many ground straps is this thing supposed to have?

***Ranger429*** · 11-06-2009, 11:08 PM

14.44 is overcharging. Ideally you want to be somewhere around 12.6-13.8 when running. Battery voltage is only 12, putting 14 1/2 volts into it will fry the battery. I don't know why your Bronco would be hard to start with the 12.36-38 #'s. That's just about perfect. Have you checked to see what the battery voltage is without anything on? Your cheap starter might be drawing to many amps making it turn over slow.

Ground straps, one from the battery to the block, hood to firewall, back of block to firewall and if you want you can run one to the frame from the block but it shouldn't be necessary.

78'460 · 11-06-2009, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranger429

14.44 is overcharging. Ideally you want to be somewhere around 12.6-13.8 when running. Battery voltage is only 12, putting 14 1/2 volts into it will fry the battery. I don't know why your Bronco would be hard to start with the 12.36-38 #'s. That's just about perfect. Have you checked to see what the battery voltage is without anything on? Your cheap starter might be drawing to many amps making it turn over slow.

Ground straps, one from the battery to the block, hood to firewall, back of block to firewall and if you want you can run one to the frame from the block but it shouldn't be necessary.

Im going to add a couple ground straps. Yea when the truck is off the battery voltage is around 12.10-12 usually. Maybe just a crappy battery then, I swapped in a brand new one and its charging at 12.58 and so far seems fine starting. Maybe my other battery is cooked from charging 14.4

12.38 is just running with the lights on. Oh and the other night driving it the radio went completely off because there was not enough juice to power it. Thats charging at 12.38

But I never had any problems starting or cooking batterys before charging 14.4 so I dont know.

Maybe the cheapo starter and a newly rebuilt engine just dont go together.

***jopes*** · 11-07-2009, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranger429

14.44 is overcharging. Ideally you want to be somewhere around 12.6-13.8 when running. Battery voltage is only 12, putting 14 1/2 volts into it will fry the battery. I don't know why your Bronco would be hard to start with the 12.36-38 #'s. That's just about perfect. Have you checked to see what the battery voltage is without anything on? Your cheap starter might be drawing to many amps making it turn over slow.

Ground straps, one from the battery to the block, hood to firewall, back of block to firewall and if you want you can run one to the frame from the block but it shouldn't be necessary.

I have always seen 13.8-14.4VDC for charging.

What gives Ranger?

rhauf · 11-07-2009, 01:47 AM

Exact voltages for a "12 volt" lead acid battery.

14.4 is MAX charge - this is the voltage the battery can handle while it's taking a charge, once it's fully charged, if it continues to see this voltage it will boil the battery and destroy it in time.
13.8 volts is float voltage - this is the voltage you can put to the battery indefinitely.

most regulators run 14.4 volts (peak charge) for a short while on start up, and slowly drop to 13.8 volts after maybe 10 minutes (the initial peak charge to make up for cranking the starter)

if it's down in the 12.x volt range, that's probably just the charge of the battery, and you're alternator isn't doing anything at all. check grounds, check wiring, check voltage at the big 12v post on you're alternator. make sure the regulator is grounded. if the regulator is a solid state one and got wet a bunch it could be destroyed.

78'460 · 11-07-2009, 02:02 AM

It always stayed pretty steady at 14.4 before. Unless I had the subs cranked it'd drop down into 13's. But Everything was covered up during the swap except the voltage regulator. Thats why im guessing its either that or the ground straps.

And yes the regulator did get wet quite often.

colobronco · 11-07-2009, 06:52 AM

Upgrade to a 3G with integrated VR.

78'460 · 11-07-2009, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colobronco

Upgrade to a 3G with integrated VR.

That is the plan soon, But I need to get it on the road right away here and looking to either use this alt or my 65 amp.

***Ranger429*** · 11-07-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jopes

I have always seen 13.8-14.4VDC for charging.

What gives Ranger?

Your right Don. After thinking about 13.8 -14.2 is what I now seem to recall as being the correct charging volts.

**kf4amu** · 11-07-2009, 12:48 PM

This is my 3G with no accessories on.

This lights on and AC full blast

78'460 · 11-07-2009, 01:17 PM

Well I can get a couple pics.....

Nothing on ...

Everything on. Subs, window wipers, heat, and all the lights on my truck.

What I dont get is this thing charged in the 14's before I swapped. So all I can think is voltage regulator or grounds.

**kf4amu** · 11-07-2009, 01:44 PM

Yea that's way too low.

78'460 · 11-07-2009, 01:55 PM

Yea I no, Think the not enough juice to the starters could be killing them too?

78'460 · 11-12-2009, 04:29 PM

Ok, So I added a few ground straps. Now have 5. Cleaned all connections, Finally worked upto charging at 14.45 with nothing on, It slowly went up and up everyday. So I figure its all good, The other day I go for a 15 minute drive down the highway in rain. Get home, Shut it down, Then turn it over, Fires up no problems. Yesterday I got for about a 15 minute drive when its Dry out. Get home. try and turn over. It turns slowly and wont fire. I come out in 15 minutes and it fires right up. Starter getting to warm because its a cheapo? I got a heat wrap on it even,

EDIT: I got the MSD ignition and distributor... Now someone said something about the timing being way advanced with these things? What about should I have the timing set at?

greginsocal · 11-13-2009, 02:13 PM

My truck (1990 F 250 SC, 460, 5-speed) just had a similar problem. It usually charges around 14 volts. The other day, I had left my lights on after getting home. I went out about an hour later to run an errand. I noticed the gauge was down around 11-12. I drove for a awhile, but it never came back up. It has a new battery, but the alt had been there for a number of years. I replaced it with a 90 amp NAPA unit, with the recommended new connection. No help. Turns out the fusible link had blown. As soon as I replaced that, everything was good. 13-14 volts while running.

78'460 · 11-14-2009, 09:08 AM

Where's this fuseable link at? I think I saw a couple of them but which one did you replace?

11-06-2009, 09:13 PM	#1
78'460 Im scared of jopes Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Canada, British columbia, Chilliwack Posts: 970 iTrader: (0) Bronco Info: 78' 4spd 460 32's 78'460s Garage	Starter, alt. battery...... Ok im having charging problems, About 6 months ago with the 351m and a 95 amp alt. It charged at 14.44 and with everything on it charged at 14.42. Now I took that engine out, Left the hood off for 4 months, It rained lots. Voltage regulator got soaked lots, Ok so I put the 460 in. With the 6AL ignition and MSD distributor (not sure how much amperage that thing sucks????) But im only charging at 12.36-38 now and its not even enough to turn my engine over. I got a cheap shitty starter though. So my question there is do you think voltage regulator? Or alt.? Next is how many ground straps is this thing supposed to have?

11-06-2009, 11:08 PM	#2
*Ranger429* Thats Mr. f#@$head to you Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Spring Grove, Illinois Posts: 7,323 iTrader: (13) Bronco Info: 79 Bronco, 79 F-250, 79 Crewcab Ranger429s Garage	14.44 is overcharging. Ideally you want to be somewhere around 12.6-13.8 when running. Battery voltage is only 12, putting 14 1/2 volts into it will fry the battery. I don't know why your Bronco would be hard to start with the 12.36-38 #'s. That's just about perfect. Have you checked to see what the battery voltage is without anything on? Your cheap starter might be drawing to many amps making it turn over slow. Ground straps, one from the battery to the block, hood to firewall, back of block to firewall and if you want you can run one to the frame from the block but it shouldn't be necessary. __________________ *79 F-250 Ranger XLT 429 36" Cepeks___79 Bronco Ranger XLT 400 35" Cepeks I now sell Al's Liner:* http://fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=161570

11-07-2009, 01:47 AM	#5
rhauf Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,614 iTrader: (2) Bronco Info: 82 bronco 408w 4" lift 35's, 88 bronco 351w all stock on 31s rhaufs Garage	Exact voltages for a "12 volt" lead acid battery. 14.4 is MAX charge - this is the voltage the battery can handle while it's taking a charge, once it's fully charged, if it continues to see this voltage it will boil the battery and destroy it in time. 13.8 volts is float voltage - this is the voltage you can put to the battery indefinitely. most regulators run 14.4 volts (peak charge) for a short while on start up, and slowly drop to 13.8 volts after maybe 10 minutes (the initial peak charge to make up for cranking the starter) if it's down in the 12.x volt range, that's probably just the charge of the battery, and you're alternator isn't doing anything at all. check grounds, check wiring, check voltage at the big 12v post on you're alternator. make sure the regulator is grounded. if the regulator is a solid state one and got wet a bunch it could be destroyed. __________________ -Ryan 82 bronco.. 4" lifted and some other things

11-07-2009, 12:48 PM	#10
kf4amu FSB's airline pilot Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: hotels, Charlotte, Roanoke VA, the cockpit...time split equally between all of them. Posts: 8,287 iTrader: (5) Bronco Info: 1989 460 EFI/C6/BW1356 electric/6 inch Rough Country lift/York OBA/Warn hubs/electric fans/14 bolt kf4amus Garage	This is my 3G with no accessories on. This lights on and AC full blast __________________ -Will 064 tlx 98 http://www.supermotors.org/registry/...ail.php?id=819 The best electric fan writeup out there http://fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40564

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Starter, alt. battery......

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11-07-2009, 02:02 AM	#6
78'460 Im scared of jopes Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Canada, British columbia, Chilliwack Posts: 970 iTrader: (0) Bronco Info: 78' 4spd 460 32's 78'460s Garage	It always stayed pretty steady at 14.4 before. Unless I had the subs cranked it'd drop down into 13's. But Everything was covered up during the swap except the voltage regulator. Thats why im guessing its either that or the ground straps. And yes the regulator did get wet quite often.

11-07-2009, 01:17 PM	#11
78'460 Im scared of jopes Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Canada, British columbia, Chilliwack Posts: 970 iTrader: (0) Bronco Info: 78' 4spd 460 32's 78'460s Garage	Well I can get a couple pics..... Nothing on ... Everything on. Subs, window wipers, heat, and all the lights on my truck. What I dont get is this thing charged in the 14's before I swapped. So all I can think is voltage regulator or grounds.

11-07-2009, 01:44 PM	#12
kf4amu FSB's airline pilot Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: hotels, Charlotte, Roanoke VA, the cockpit...time split equally between all of them. Posts: 8,287 iTrader: (5) Bronco Info: 1989 460 EFI/C6/BW1356 electric/6 inch Rough Country lift/York OBA/Warn hubs/electric fans/14 bolt kf4amus Garage	Yea that's way too low.

11-07-2009, 01:55 PM	#13
78'460 Im scared of jopes Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Canada, British columbia, Chilliwack Posts: 970 iTrader: (0) Bronco Info: 78' 4spd 460 32's 78'460s Garage	Yea I no, Think the not enough juice to the starters could be killing them too?

11-12-2009, 04:29 PM	#14
78'460 Im scared of jopes Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Canada, British columbia, Chilliwack Posts: 970 iTrader: (0) Bronco Info: 78' 4spd 460 32's 78'460s Garage	Ok, So I added a few ground straps. Now have 5. Cleaned all connections, Finally worked upto charging at 14.45 with nothing on, It slowly went up and up everyday. So I figure its all good, The other day I go for a 15 minute drive down the highway in rain. Get home, Shut it down, Then turn it over, Fires up no problems. Yesterday I got for about a 15 minute drive when its Dry out. Get home. try and turn over. It turns slowly and wont fire. I come out in 15 minutes and it fires right up. Starter getting to warm because its a cheapo? I got a heat wrap on it even, EDIT: I got the MSD ignition and distributor... Now someone said something about the timing being way advanced with these things? What about should I have the timing set at?

11-13-2009, 02:13 PM	#15
greginsocal Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Dayton, WA Posts: 8 iTrader: (0) Bronco Info: 1979 Ranger XLT, 1990 F250 SC 4x4, 460 greginsocals Garage	My truck (1990 F 250 SC, 460, 5-speed) just had a similar problem. It usually charges around 14 volts. The other day, I had left my lights on after getting home. I went out about an hour later to run an errand. I noticed the gauge was down around 11-12. I drove for a awhile, but it never came back up. It has a new battery, but the alt had been there for a number of years. I replaced it with a 90 amp NAPA unit, with the recommended new connection. No help. Turns out the fusible link had blown. As soon as I replaced that, everything was good. 13-14 volts while running.

11-14-2009, 09:08 AM	#16
78'460 Im scared of jopes Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Canada, British columbia, Chilliwack Posts: 970 iTrader: (0) Bronco Info: 78' 4spd 460 32's 78'460s Garage	Where's this fuseable link at? I think I saw a couple of them but which one did you replace?