Easy 1 wire alternator swap

vinny wrote: For those determined to go 1 wire search CS130 1 wire and they are available. Apparently they have changed the voltage regulator inside or you can DIY.

Like the 1 wire SI10/SI12 ALT the CS130 ALT works the same way. If you don't use a ALT light you have to get the RPM up before the ALT will start to charge. Check the WEB on this and what the 4 pins pin out to, IIRC you only need to use 3 of them.

I just found this out on my street car ( above SI10 ALT) as I installed a custom dash/gauges and don't remember hooking the ALT light back up. I saw this when I went to move the car and saw the volts low. When I went to pull it back in the garage a thru some RPM at it and it started to charge.

My drag car using the stock ALT is the same way as I did not wire in a light, I will some day on both cars, so till I make a pass it will not charge.

So just about any ALT can be a 1 wire but will not charge till it sees higher RPM.
Dave ----

KermitDRambler wrote: PowerMaster makes an alternator based on the Delco 10si that has the same width pivot boss as a Motorola alternator. You can either wire it up 1-wire (bad for a street car) or a 3 wire. I had one on the 68 American I used to have and it worked great.   Matt

I have had the powermaster 140 AMP one wire and it works AWESOME. It comes with a tag that shows the RPM and AMP output tested for that particular alternator and can be wired like the factory or 1 wire. I chose the 1 wire because it was so easy and want to preserve my original Votage regulator by keeping it disconnected. With the 1 wire you just blip the throttle to 1400 RPM on initial start ups and it starts charging and keeps charging at all RPM until you turn off the ignition again. Its been VERY reliable and fit very well. No one is going to notice/care its not an original alternator unless you are at a pebble beach concourse judged show anyway.

All you have to do is plug in the orange wire to the alternator and a hot wire to the battery or hot post on the solenoid. The AMC factory wires clip into the SI plastic plug-in. I bought the harness for a CS to SI at Napa so I didn't cut any wires. If you use the later GM alternator brackets then any SI or CS will fit. The advantage of a CS series are higher quality components and less working effort on alternator to achieve the same results as something working at 50% and up most of the time.

I helped a guy put in a CS130 in a gremlin.