Is it a bad Voltage Regulator??
I grounded the ALT ground field connection to the body instead of the whire running into the VR, thats when the charging system jumped up to 17 plus volts and stayed there during tests. thats as simple as I can put it.
Thanks for the update
You actually covered a lot of ground with this test and result
You......
showed the alternator is probably good
The charging wire, bulkhead connector, and ammeter circuit are all probably good to the battery
You showed the problem is probably somewhere in the regulator/ regulator wiring.
So now try this:
You want to check the wiring in the regulator circuit
Pull loose the OPPOSITE field wire, the blue, and be sure it is "safe" so as not to short.
Remove the regulator connector and devise a way to short across them, screws, nails, clip lead, etc, and ground the exposed field terminal (blue) on the alternator
Now repeat your run test and see if the alternator "full charges."
If it does, the wiring in the regulator circuit is probably OK
Be sure the regulator is actually grounded.
If it is, and the alternator charges "full output" as before, then either the regulator is bad, or you have a bad connection in the regulator connector.
Yet another check you might make will show the integrity of the ignition feed through the bulkhead. Turn the key to "run" engine off. Measure the voltage at the regulator "IGN" terminal or the feed to the ballast resistor coming from the key. It should read within 1/2 volt or less of the battery.
Another way to check this voltage drop directly, is to put one probe on your battery positive post, the other probe on the "ignition run" feed. Meter should read LESS than 1/2 volt, and that is generous. If it's more, it indicates a voltage drop somewhere in the path to the ignition run feed.
This includes the fuse link, through the bulkhead, through the ammeter circuit, through the igntion switch connector and switch, back out the connector, BACK OUT through the bulkhead on the ignition run wire, to the regulator and ballast, and alternator field. These are all a tap off the same "ignition run" wire.
