Trying to finish minor things on a TPI swap into '78 Camaro. The alternator connector has 4 small and one large terminal.

Due to having to reroute column connector wires to accommodate the digital guage package (ancient Cyberdyne), I am running a dedicated ignition power wire to a circa '87 TPI alternator, at least I think its '87 TPI...Had been told to use the second terminal of the four smaller ones in the connector, only, nothing else needed-but this doesn't seem to do it.

In looking at diagrams, it seems that some had a jumper form the large wire to one of the terminals, and ignition power was to go to another terminal-but it seems that EVERY application is different...different terminals in each one.

My understanding was all I needed to do was run ignition power to the second terminal, and no jumper needed from large wire in connector to any small terminal.

How can I find what it takes to do this without risking just burning it up?

By the way, an alternator shop had told me to use the second small terminal, when I had burned up the regulator by mistakenly feeding it battery power. 6 years later, I find that this isn't working...

Can anybody steer me right?

 

If your alternator has a 1-wire regulator, you only need a connection to the battery stud. If you have a 3-wire regulator, then the battery stud is wired to the #2 terminal for regulator voltage sensing, and the #1 terminal is supplied field power through a warning light on the dash, or through a resistor if you're not running a light.

 

so how do you tell which design your looking at?

 

I have the battery stud-hot.

The connector has 5 places-large term and I guess-P-L-I-N terms. Thinking it's a 17s...IIRC, I chose it to be of the same type as was found on the motor originally. The '78 went with the motor/trans when I pawned 'em. Brown wire in alt harness is no longer switched 12v...having apparently moved it in the column connector per the guage package instructions (been a long time ago)...was a non-gauge car. Guage reads battery voltage, under 12-ish,and it's not 14+ like when charging-def not charging.

I have the large terminal in connector, ign. switched power, I believe.

I have the second small terminal temp wired to ign. switched, as the dash has a digital voltage guage.

Thing that bugs me is if I was to just go to a auto parts type store and have the alt checked, HOW WOULD THEY KNOW HOW TO WIRE IT TO TEST IT? By the number on it? Leary of having somebody test it and THEM burning it up...

Moved since before when the alt shop reworked it, and now its a 40 mile drive one way...

 

The whole lightbulb/resister deal makes me wonder if the large term should be an under-voltage feed, to initiate a call for charging, but diagrams show that modern alts resistors inside, do these reduce voltage internally to make for a demand to charge? I really have no provison now to give an undervoltage feed to the alt, but when battery voltage falls to 10v, it doesn't charge either...