OK guys, I recently got everything ready for initial start up. New motor/trans etc. Now, I connected my battery last night and it sparked a little bit, I thought no big deal. Tightend it down, all of a sudden the wire going from my alternator ( the wire on the back that goes onto the stud with a nut) started smoking badly. My car is a 1991 firebird. The wire i am refering to has a black type fuse box built into the wire. It seperated into two pieces right before that fusable link. Its where i have several wires that connect to each other then go to the positive terminal from there. I look the car up and down and I saw something I didn't like. The alternator stud on the back of the alternator, where this wire is connected. is touching my valve cover on my drivers side. I put 2 and 2 together and I know my battery is grounded on the pass. side cylinder head. Would this cause that wire to short like this??? Also what do I do to replace this wire?? It has that little black box near the battery and I really have no clue what it is for. I need help as soon as possible to get my car up and running for the first time in 2 years.

Thanks guys.

Zach

 

Sounds to me like it grounded itself on your valve cover when you connected your battery. Did it tack weld itself to the valve cover? Can you take a pic or something of have your alternator is mounted? on my camaro the bolt is kind of close but in no way could touch the valve cover unless it was mounted wrong. I did however goof up and touch the wrench i was using to tighten it down to the valve cover. Scared the s*it out of me. Lesson learned there is always disconnect the battery when installing an alternator. I was in a hurry

 

So do you think thats what my problem is? Do i need a new fusable link? That stud on the alt. is DEFINATLEY touching.

Zach

 

Ok first things first. Find a way to make that stud not touch. you wont be able to do anything until that happens. After that i would try just reinstalling everything and see if it works? if you didnt let it smoke for to long you may be ok. but if it doesnt work aafter that you will need to get a new fusible link and also check for other fuses and realys you could have damaged. but you really really need to make that stud not touch or it will just keep grounding and shorting itself out. Hope this helps

Nathan