I cannot find clear advice in this thread (probably due to my ignorance).
If Cablesmill has a one-wire alternater, it has/needs only one wire. I installed one on my friends 12v 1954 pickup 18 years ago and it still works fine. If you want the wiring "diagram", I'll post an old illustration that I found on the Internet almost 20 years ago.
A one-wire alternator is "self-exiting" - it needs to reach a certain RPM to start charging - mine started at about 800 RPM, but I have read of some that need 1200 RPM to get "exited". Once the 1-wire alternator is "excited", it charges at all RPM.
Usually, when you start a 216/235/261 engine, you use a choke and the engine reaches 800-1200 RPM when it is started, so this "excitation" reality/problem is no problem.
As I think was posted above. A 2 or 3 wire alternator has a dummy-light lead and an alternator-"excitation" lead (neither of which are needed with a one-wire alternator). Yes, I have seen the M.A.D. Enterprises' website's information on alternators. They do not like 1-wire alternators - many years ago, I stopped loosing sleep over their knowledgeable opinions.
http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/onewire-threewire.shtmlMy one-wire alternator cost much less than any alternator they were selling many years ago.
