Hey guys, thanks for all the great information you have here! I've been lurking for a while and signed up to post this question, because I'm completely stumped.
I've got a '74 Swinger with the 225 /6 that has given me no end of electrical troubles. So far, I've had to swap out the alternator, voltage regulator, starter relay, ballast resistor, battery, neutral safety switch, as well as having my mechanic replace a whole bunch of melted wires behind the dash. I'm a novice mechanic and I don't know the first thing about electrical, so I've let the professionals take care of the rewiring.
So I get my car back from the shop this weekend and get to cruising. I quickly notice that I'm getting significantly less power to accessories at idle, but as soon as I step on it, the headlights brighten up significantly, the radio gets louder, and the fan blows harder. My ammeter is staying pretty steady, but it does fluctuate between 0 and +10ish, depending how hard I'm stepping on the skinny pedal.
I also have some cold driveability issues (stalling when cold), but I'm not sure if they're related. I know I have a warped carburetor housing, which is consistently throwing it out of adjustment, but I don't think a maladjusted carb would affect the electrics like this - would it?
I know Ma Mopar wasn't too great with electrics, and I'm not too familiar with older cars, but this has me a bit worried. I don't think my electrics should be this inconsistent. Should I be concerned? If so, can you help me diagnose this?
I've got a '74 Swinger with the 225 /6 that has given me no end of electrical troubles. So far, I've had to swap out the alternator, voltage regulator, starter relay, ballast resistor, battery, neutral safety switch, as well as having my mechanic replace a whole bunch of melted wires behind the dash. I'm a novice mechanic and I don't know the first thing about electrical, so I've let the professionals take care of the rewiring.
So I get my car back from the shop this weekend and get to cruising. I quickly notice that I'm getting significantly less power to accessories at idle, but as soon as I step on it, the headlights brighten up significantly, the radio gets louder, and the fan blows harder. My ammeter is staying pretty steady, but it does fluctuate between 0 and +10ish, depending how hard I'm stepping on the skinny pedal.
I also have some cold driveability issues (stalling when cold), but I'm not sure if they're related. I know I have a warped carburetor housing, which is consistently throwing it out of adjustment, but I don't think a maladjusted carb would affect the electrics like this - would it?
I know Ma Mopar wasn't too great with electrics, and I'm not too familiar with older cars, but this has me a bit worried. I don't think my electrics should be this inconsistent. Should I be concerned? If so, can you help me diagnose this?
