DeTomaso Mailing List: April 99, Message #245

-- [ From: forest * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --

Yes it was grounded through the case. This is quite common and since it
made it for over thirty years I would say that it had no bearing on the
failure.
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Date: Wednesday, 07-Apr-99 02:57 AM

From: Mikeldrew                \ America On-Line: (mikeldrew)
To:   pantera forum            \ Internet:    (detomaso@realbig.com)

Subject: Alternator question

Hi guys,

Driving mom's '65 Buick on Easter Sunday, suddenly all the smoke escaped
from  the alternator and it seized up solid. :<(

I pulled it and changed it out today.  While doing so, I noticed
something  strange.  It had a positive terminal, a two-wire terminal in
the center, and  a ground post, same as any other alternator I've dealt
with.  The strange  thing is, the ground post had NEVER been hooked up 
(not the original  alternator.)

Huh?  When I installed the new alternator, I decided that discretion was
the  better part of valor, and fabbed up a ground wire to connect the
ground post  on the back of the alternator to the chassis of the car. 
Was this a waste of  time, or a Good Thing?  How was the alternator
grounded before, through the  case?  Could the missing ground have
contributed to the escaping smoke?

TIA!

Mike



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