External Regulator issues 260Z
 

Okay, I have the 1974 early 260Z 2+2.

I just got finished making my own wiring harness for the entire car. A few things I have noticed. First off, all the schematics I find are really screwed up. Not just colors of wires, and wire counts to things like switches, but ever how they are wired. No big deal. I just broke out the multimeter adn got busy. Everything works but, I am not getting the regulator to give me a charge. I can hook the field wire from the Alt straight up to a 12v + source and it charges really realy good. Too good. 16-20v good.
And with the regulator I am getting either 16v or not enough charge to charge over my headlights. The alternator was checked and works great. Puts out the amps, and volts needed in the ranges needed.

But I musth be hooking the regulator up wrong.

The wire colors on the regulator don't match the wiring diagram at all. But can anyone tell me how a person would wire one without the wiring harness? If you were to hardwire it in, and run your own wires, what hout be used where??? Can anyone help me, or give me an idea of something to get a charge so I can get home? I work out of town and it made it here, but is does not want to charge now. I have 200+ miles to go home.

Is there any other regulators that work other than the stock unit?
Any other alternators that swap in without bracket modyfication with internal regulators?

I need something figured out.
Thanks.

I don't know if this will help. http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/electrical.htm
I have more at home i will look at. Seems there might be a resistor in line somewhere to reduce the voltage but I don't see one in the diagram.

Thanks, that might be a huge help. But, does the 280ZX alternator bolt on to the L26? From what I know about the blocks, I don't know why not. If it does, then all I have to do is hunt one down, and that should be a peice of cake. Thanks a bunch.

n/a zx one will as well as the maxima one.

Nice.

Thanks guys.

What year Maximas? The early ones?

I've read several articles about the Maxima alt conversion eating fan belts... the pulley shaft isn't the same length. I converted to a GM 72 amp one wire alternator... haven't had any probs at all ( alternator / electrical related anyway :D ).

EDIT... here's a pic:

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...8_193_full.jpg

I reread your post and a direct line from the alternator will give you higher voltage. The regulator keeps it at the proper voltage based on demand, headlights, AC etc. The '74 has a 50 amp alternator. I have a '70 a '74 and a
'78, the regs all look different. All the alternators from '70-'83 will bolt on but they differ in output and the leads change as do the regs.

Yeah I know why the regulators are needed, and how and what they do.
This one with 6 wires is new to me though. I obviously hooked it up wrong with no help from the shitty wiring diagrams in the Chilton's manual. ASE certified stupid is what they are. It doesn't even show electrical schmatics for the gauges. The color and wire counts are wrong in numerous areas too. Pretty useless. It made it harder to create the harness in all reality. I wasted time drawing up what I needed, along with all the colors I was using for wires, and then couldn't use it because I used the Chilton's manual schmatic and it was all screwy. Not to mention the wiring for the turn signal configuration through the hazard blinker was so messed up I could even tell it wouldn't work by looking at the schematic. But, I thought.. "Well, this is from an ASE mechanic, and it's in a book, and it's on a car I don't know well... They could be right" Well, I tried it and it was still junk.

Sorry, rant off.

I am getting the alternator from the 280zx that is internally regulated and will use that.

For that GM style, did you have to change a bunch of brackets? I don't have the ability to do that away from home. I will be going home in about 4 days, but have to make it there. So this needs to be a fix that I can do without tracking down parts and creating brackets.

I will have all the tools I need though.

Thanks a bunch for the help so far. I think I will have this thing licked as soon as I have time in daylight to work on it.