The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Alternator/Generator Question

Where can I get this shop manual yo speak of? is there any step by step out there with pics that could possibly guide me?

see here, and you'll find a lot of info here ... and of course there's always these forums

Bill

It sounds like you have a mixed system. When folks add aftermarket devices or modify modern parts to work, and do it half arsed, it tends to complicate things for other owners down the road. For instance, leaving the generator regulator on the firewall next to an alternator regulatore, using jumpers to make the alternator work, etc.
The 2nd car I owned was wired half for one year, half for another, & neither was the right year, I had to rewire it myself. My old dump truck was so fubar I ended up cutting the whole harness out and running fresh wires according to the factory diagram, THEN I made the needed changes to run acessories.

Honestly, if changes have been made to it, even with photos it can be hard for folks here to help you as it's impossible to chase wires via the internet. You should really have someone who knows what they are looking at poke at it & tell you what you have on your hands, then you'll be better able to ask for direction and get this rig rollin again.

I was hoping someone had the chematic on the wiring for a 1959 Chevy Truck, now actually buying the entire manual. Ia lerady have the shop manual on CD and apparently it does not have the woring scheme in it, must be a separate wiring manual that I did not get.

any TF series shop manual has the wiring diagram, the 59 supplement likely doesn't ... you apparently didn't look at one of the best resources on the web, which I linked above, where you would find a range of wiring diagrams, including the 55 truck diagram - print it out and spend some time learning how things should work, and as Freq sez, figure out what you actually have

Bill

Hey sounds good guess I dont have the wiring diagram on my shop manual states 58 although I had ordered the 59, all it comes with is the 59 supplement. Thos diagrams are not easy to read, but will have to do for now, thanks

print it out and puzzle over it a bit, take it in hand and compare to the truck, it's actually quite clear - note there's a line labeled "front of dash" that indicates the real layout on the truck, all dash components in the correct order and all under hood items layed out correctly, along with the harness connections just like they are on the truck [optional items indicated w/ dotted lines where they'd be if added]

Bill

OK so problem fixed. The truck was not grounded well. I added a 4 gauge cable to negative cable and grounded at engine, then another 4 gauge from positive terminal to alternator, and that did it. Also fixed turn signal issues, thanks to all who had great ideas, and to all that put up with my lack of knowledge

the factory grounding for the TF series uses a cable from the battery ground to a threaded hole on the firewall right behind the battery - there's another raised threaded hole on the pass side toeboard just above the starter for a cable [originally the flat braided style] from there to a starter mount bolt, these 2 cables insure everything [including the body] is well grounded, no additional ground should be needed, the alt will have a good ground to the engine thru it's mounting

Bill

I will get down there and look today and check all is well, but like I said prior to adding these cables I was having issues. THe highest voltage I would get was 13.3 with truck running and no higher. If I turned it off it would immediatley go to 11.8-12 volts. Now I maintain 14.1-14.2, so go figure. Its really no bother to have these additional gauge wires as I have enough room to build a house in there. I think next project will be electric wiper motor, any suggestions on brand,install tips, etc..?

OK guys so I am still having problems from my battery. Inititally the battery would not hold a charge with a new alternator. It was affecting my turn signals causing the right signal to turn hazrds on left signal to turn right flasher and other wierd things, so we took a second ground from the battery straight to the engine. I left the original ground from the starter to the body of the truck and the negative from the battery to the rear of the battery (on body). The addition of the ground to engine allowed the battery to hold a charge but the problem i am having now is that at night at times if i have headlights on turn light on taillights and heater on my flashers begin to fail and do weird things mentioned previously, but if I start turning off say the heater it slowly begis to work again, or if i turn of headlights it slowly startes to work again VERY STRANGE. Any suggestions what could be causing this, im soo frustrated because it justs started doing this recently and I have not made any major changes on truck any changes for that matter other than putting new alternator which all checks out. I am going to check grounds again, could it be the starter??? Oh yeah failed to mention that battery can start on first try and other times the truck will not get "gas" and eventually the battery dies and I can not even crank the engnine.

Besides the ground to the frame, you need a ground from frame to bed. It was originally grounded with the mounting bolts and they have had over 50 years to rust. You might as well pull the lights and clean the mounting surface on them, too.

Do you have any pictures as to where these bolts are located from frame to bed?