Response to weekend Digests

[jeff tarquinio <tarquinio_jeff@domain.elided>]

Alright,
	 I'm just trying to catch up after the weekend, here come my coments:

>From: Scott Machalk <smachalk@domain.elided>
>Subject: Alternator problem?
>I'm driving and whenever I hit the brakes, the stereo cuts out. This
>happened for a few days and then the headlights started getting dimmer. 
Now
>the ammeter is straight up at best and is usually showing a discharge. At
>least before I could rev it and get a positive charge indication.
	Agree with DAN, Sounds like you've got a short, maybe in your 
taillight harness, suspect due to failure when brakes applied, I'd try 
disconnecting the harness at the firewall and see what happens.

NEXT:
>Maybe the angle difference is in the intake manifold and they are
>interchangable.  (Guess)
>
>The 304 heads are not interchangable with the 345/392 engines.  The
>2??/304 and the 345/392 have different block heights.  So the angles for
>the intake manifold will be offset.  This is my understanding, but
>somebody can correct me if I am wrong.
	I think I just blasted out a blurb on this last week, since I didnt 
catch any flack, I'm pretty sure I'm correct.  The "V8" 345 and 304 share 
heads.  You are right to say that the deck heights are different, but the 
angle is the same, both 90 degrees.  The reason the intakes wont swap is 
due to the lower deck height, smaller V of the 304.  The distance between 
the tips of the V's is different.  The 345/392 intake is just too wide for 
the 304, same angle though.  The 304,345,392 heads all start from the same 
shape piece of iron, the 304/345 is just milled differently than the 392, 
ie smaller/bigger holes, valves, chamber, whatnot.

NEXT:
> does smitty built have a url?
yup, www.smittybuiltinc.com

>Subject: RE: Alternator problem
>Don't run over 63A alternators on the stock wiring. However, since you're
>looking at one that's one-wire, you'll be safe IF you run a new wire from
>it down to your starter. If you hook up the old "big" wire, you'll cook 
your
>wiring or the plug at your firewall. You loose your ammeter by doing this,
>but it can't deal with a 100A alt anyway. Hook up a voltmeter to watch the
>status of your charging system. gee...how do I know that ...hehehe
>Owen Minor
>Tacoma,WA...
Great! Now ya tell me, been there done that, oops ;)
	I used one of those nifty rebuilds out of JC whitney for high output 
altenators.  They work pretty good, blew my ameter (bypassed it by nut and 
bolt through all the wire eye ends)!  The only problem i have is when my 
plow pump leaks fluid all over it, it starts to act a little flakey.  
Periodic cleaning/rebuild (no new parts) it works good again.  "One wire" 
is kind of a misnomer I think (should be called internal regulator, or 
something), its actually got three wires, one that bolts to alt post to 
battery/ameter and two others at the plug.  What is the function of these 
three any way (sense, charge, whatnot).  BTW, Chevy truck application 
altenators will work(73-86, or what ever those fire bomb years were), I 
dont know about pulleys, but its the same case and wire configuration.  You 
might have to take the four outside bolts out and spin the housing to match 
your brackets.

"So much for suppositions and stories - anybody know the facts . . ."
	Steve Grossman
Exactly what I was just thinking.

OK, I know I repeated some of what others said, but its my $.02.  I hate 
not reading the Digest over the weekend!
Layda,
Tark '77 Terra 345/T19/D20