The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network







Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Go Back   The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network > 47 - Current classic GM Trucks > The 1973 - 1987 Chevrolet & GMC Squarebody Pickups Message Board

Web 67-72chevytrucks.com


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-20-2017, 12:16 AM   #1
Mattchu60
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Swaledale, IA
Posts: 484
Couple of electrical questions I need help with

So I totally rebuilt my truck over the last month - took it down to the frame and reassembled it. Tonight I finally got to the point where it is drive, so I went on a 5 mile test drive.

Couple of questions I have.

- First is a voltage question - when I drive the gauge is only reading about 12.5-13v - i remember this being roughly 14v before i rebuilt the truck while running. I checked my grounds and also my alternator connection - all tight. I even installed a new positive cable when I did my rebuild, so that is in good shape.
One thing I should note - I think the battery is low on charge - as it sat for a month without use and also was ran down a bit before sitting. Maybe thats all it is.

I put it on a charger a bit ago- I'll charge it before bed a little and then again tomorrow.

-2nd question is a safety question - maybe i am overthinking this but I thought I should ask. I have the TBI 350 in the truck. It has the fuel lines run up the back side of the engine and they have a clip that bolts to the back of the passenger side head to hold them in place. When I re-installed these I also used the same bolt that holds the fuel line clip for attaching two ground wires from a wiring harness - there didn't seem to be anywhere else to attach the wires. Now I am worried I should have tried to ground them somewhere else. Any risk here or I am overthinking it.

Thanks!
Mattchu60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2017, 01:08 AM   #2
johnwaynejeep
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Pacific Grove, CA
Posts: 105
Re: Couple of electrical questions I need help with

If there is a joint in the fuel line, there is a one in a million chance that a leak can form and get ignited by a faulty ground wire next to it. As a rule of thumb, engineers separate fuels from ignition sources.

If the fuel lines are solid, then you have no real worries, other then your own peace of mind. I know sometimes I change things not because they don't work, but because they bug me.
__________________
Robert
1975 C10 - Huckleberry
2007 Jeep JK - John Wayne Jeep
Smittybilt front/rear bumper, 10K winch
Pacific Grove, CA
johnwaynejeep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2017, 02:32 PM   #3
Mattchu60
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Swaledale, IA
Posts: 484
Re: Couple of electrical questions I need help with

Thanks for the input. I wanted to also say that the volts appear to be fine - drove again today and had 13-14 volts on gauge. I think it partly that I had the lights on last night and the A/C running as well as lower charged battery.
Mattchu60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2017, 03:17 PM   #4
wilkin250r
Registered User
 
wilkin250r's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Posts: 755
Re: Couple of electrical questions I need help with

Voltage gauges can be a little funny, also. Let's face it, all you're REALLY looking for is that the voltage climbs 1~2 volts when the engine starts running, that's about all you need. No increase would indicate a bad alternator, and a 5V increase would indicate a bad regulator.

(for those reading this later, your alternator might not push full power at idle, but it should should reach full charging voltage by 1500rpm)
__________________
I know a little about cars, but if you have a question about electricity or sport quads, I'm your man!!!
wilkin250r is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2017, 05:03 PM   #5
oldpurple
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Posts: 97
Re: Couple of electrical questions I need help with

Use a multimeter at the battery and see what it says. My gauge reads almost in the red (18v) but at the battery it's a good 14.5 ish when running.
oldpurple is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2017, 03:17 AM   #6
RUN GMC
Registered User
 
RUN GMC's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: North AL
Posts: 363
Re: Couple of electrical questions I need help with

........also another thing to notice is that all new battery cables seem to thinner gauge than the original factory cables that came on the trucks originally....nobody sells a heavy gauge cable anymore...all I see is 4 AWG in the stores I always liked a thicker cable when it comes to batteries and starters.......
RUN GMC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2017, 06:35 PM   #7
wilkin250r
Registered User
 
wilkin250r's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Posts: 755
Re: Couple of electrical questions I need help with

Quote:
Originally Posted by RUN GMC View Post
........also another thing to notice is that all new battery cables seem to thinner gauge than the original factory cables that came on the trucks originally....nobody sells a heavy gauge cable anymore...all I see is 4 AWG in the stores I always liked a thicker cable when it comes to batteries and starters.......
Almost any car stereo place can make you a custom cable as thick as you want, they'll probably have something as thick as 1/0 AWG in stock.
__________________
I know a little about cars, but if you have a question about electricity or sport quads, I'm your man!!!
wilkin250r is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:10 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2022 67-72chevytrucks.com