Well I think I got all the mechanical issues sorted on this beast but now I'm having some electrical trouble.
So here's the setup; I'm installing a 350 from a 78 Chev into this Camaro. It has a Holley 4bbl with manual choke and a new HEI distributor, basically bare bones otherwise.Whoever started the engine swap removed some of the harness so now none of the wiring for the alternator is there and I'm having a hard time deciding on how to run power to the new HEI distributor. There is a large red wire coming from the harness at the back of the engine where it goes over the bell housing which is 12v constant but it has a male plug on it and only reaches about 6-8 inches up the manifold. I'm assuming/hoping it's for the charging system.
The starter is hooked up and cranks with the key so I'm ok there. So I'm hoping someone has come across this problem and can give me some tips.
Thanks, Wally.

 

The red wire is for the high speed of the blower motor. Not for the charging system.

Look for a large pink wire. That's ignition for the dist.

The alt plug has 2 wires and is white. Wires are brown and red. The red might be real short and have a ring terminal that will go to the main output post, along with the charging wire itself. That wire was originally part of the batt cable; was quite large, like #10, and only acoupla feet long, and went straight from the post on the alt to the batt. Eeeeezzy enough to replace.

Some people should be shipped straight to federal pound me in the a$$ prison if they're caught with a pair of dykes in their hands. Yes I've come across that "problem" before. The details of what they trashed however, are TOTALLY unpredictable. Just because I've seen one destroyed harness before (or even LOTS of them) that some yutz had hacked on, doesn't guarantee that I can guess what form of involuntary sodomy yours enjoyed. You're just gonna have to explore it for yourself. Every hack is unique, some are just more unique than the others; just like the animals, where all animals are equal, some are just more equal than others.

 

Thank you soooo much! You've solved most of my electrical problems on this car (so far lol). But I have more questions I hope you can help me with. I don't see a pink wire anywhere for the distributor so if I'm thinking correctly I need a supply that is 12v in Run/Start and dead when the switch is off? Also, the alternator supplied is just the one wire type (self ecxiting I think?). If I use that will it trigger the "Gen" light? I will have other questions I'm sure but these are the most important right now. Thank you very much for your assistance, Wally.

 

There's a pink wire for the dist, or at least there was before Cletus got in there with his dykes. Blee dat. It's probably still in there somewhere. And yes, that's what it does. Find it. Use it. Learn it. Live it. Love it. Believe it. DON'T hack on it even more by adding more GARBAGE wiring: one good hack DOES NOT "deserve" another.

Yes a "one wire" alt will trigger the "Alt" light (conveniently labelled as "Choke") even if properly charging the batt, to the extent that one of those ever properly charges the batt. They're really only applicable in situations where charging the batt is THE ONLY thing they have to do, and where they have plenty of time to do it. The way that car was wired from the factory, was already sub-optimal; putting one of those in it about GUARANTEES that the batt will never charge right at night with the lights on, that it'll take literally hours of running to recharge it if it's severely run down, that adding other eqpt to it (headlights, stereo, blower motor, etc.) will make it even worse, and so on.

I'd strongly recommend that you pop the harness out of the car and lay it out on a table, identify all the wires, find all the breakouts and connectors you need, and REPAIR (not "fix") whatever damage Skillet did to it in his attempt to "improve" the car or "clean up the engine bay" or whatever other euphemism for STUPIDITY anyone might want to apply to their HACKING on it. It's SOOOOOOPER EEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZY to get that harness out: one screw at the firewall connector, and it just unplugs and lifts out. Do it right, you'll be glad you did.

 

I saw this thread earlier and was just waiting for Sofa's response (and of course it was worth the wait)...

 

WOWWWWW!!!! You make learning entertaining AND fun!. Wish we had had teachers like you in high school lol. Well if it's that easy to pull the harness then that's what I'll do. Thanks again sir. I appreciate it immensely. Till next time...