Inliners International Forums General Discussion Truck Talk Keroppi, my 1946 Chevy 3100

It will run without a generator or alternator. Their job is to replace electricity used from that stored in the battery. So with a one wire alternator the only wire to hook up is to the battery positive which is easily done by connecting to the positive from the battery at the starter. The starter solenoid or in our case the foot switch sends power to the starter motor only during starting. The lights will have an always hot wire to the light switch or maybe a relay or both. Hot to one side of the heater. Hot to one side of horn relay. Hot to one side of ignition switch. Key on sends power to coil and on to then distributer. With an ignition switch with an accessary position some things get power in the ignition on position as well as in accessary position.Usually The coil is all that is turned off in accessary position. So you can choose to have heater, radio, etc work in one or both of the powered key positions. Nothing hooked to the ignition switch works through the switch in the off position. The always hot connection on the ignition switch (incoming from Battery) can power the other always hot devices. Find a good color coded diagram for your truck and follow it. The only real change you are making is removing/disconnecting the wires for the voltage regulator and generator and attaching the one alternator wire to the battery hot at the starter. It's pretty easy once you see it. Don't forget to replace all bulbs, flasher, coil, and head lights with 12V.