Alternator, geared starter and ammeter wiring blues!

[l10tus]

I thought I had this one sorted but a delay in progress has set a new challenge!

After converting to Alternator, geared starter and adding an ammeter I could do with some help with the wiring, I've checked the threads but can't seem to find a match with all three items at once.

To summarise on wiring so far:-

I have three wires coming from the Alternator - a large brown, a small brown and a small brown and yellow.

I have replaced the main battery positive cable with a longer one connecting directly to the geared starter.

The large brown from the alternator connects to the retained wires from the original rectifier wiring in the engine bay, then connects to the ammeter.

From the other side of the ammeter the large brown wire continues directly to the geared starter, connecting on to the main battery power supply terminal.

The small yellow / brown wire from the alternator connects to the retained brown/ yellow ignition warning lamp wire.

The retained wiring loom red/White goes to the geared starter solenoid terminal.

The retained wiring loom white goes to the coil positive terminal.

All ok up to that point. . Methinks?

My question is :- where does the small brown wire from the alternator terminate?

Can't find any reference to it in any of the threads, other than Brian Buckland mentions it in his book in Alternator conversion, but it's not clear what happens to it?

I was hoping one of our gifted electrical engineers would do a wiring diagram with all these mods shown, but don't think anybody has attempted all of these in one refined layout yet?

Your assistance would be appreciated.

Regards,

Phil.

[billwill]

You should find your answer in this topic
lotus-elan-f19/getting-ogu-roadworthy-again-t26101-105.html#p191111
or this one
lotus-electrical-f38/dynamator-conversion-t28679.html?hilit=alternator%20light
or this one
lotus-electrical-f38/ignition-light-not-t28756.html?hilit=alternator%20diagram


An ammeter, on the original arrangement , basically, goes into the thick brown wire, which went from the starter solenoid to the fusebox. That is the main battery feed (excluding the heavy-current starting circuit). It's not quite clear from your description what you did with that wire when you removed the solenoid to substitute the more modern starter with built-in 'solenoid'


I think by the word 'rectifier' you actually mean the original dynamo control box. Dynamos don't need rectifiers they generate DC directly.

[billwill]

If yours is not the usual Lucas Alternator you may need this page:
lotus-electrical-f38/amp-electrical-leak-t28822.html?hilit=alternator%20light

[l10tus]

Bill,

Thanks for your speedy answers. It's much appreciated.

I'm hot on the case now with the info you provided.

It appears that the small brown wire becomes redundant with this type of conversion, as it was intended to be connected to the live side of the original solenoid (which has now been removed) - the only connections now required at the Alternator are:- the large brown power supply from the alternator and the small brown / yellow (ignition) wire.

Hopefully this should move things forwards on the engine bay wiring front !

Thanks also to Brian, for his words of wisdom over the phone.

Much appreciated guys, thanks.

Regards,

Phil.

[PeterK]

Some alternators still need this smaller brown wire connecting to a live feed, but many modern ones have an internal link.
Peter