Dwayne,
That diode is 1 amp, Radio Shack 276-1101.
I've thought about this problem a bit. It's not a dead short as it doesn't
draw enough current to blow a fuse or melt the some of your electrical
system. The technical name is "parasitic draw". Depending on whether the
engine stops with the points open or closed likely determines how much
current flows. If the points are closed, voltage can flow from the
alternator to the coil to the points and then to ground. It would be a very
slight draw that may take a week or more to drain the battery. On the other
hand, if the engine is shut down and the points are open, there may not be a
path to ground at all. Adding a diode to the circuit allows voltage to
excite the alternator, telling it to charge when the ignition is switched
on, but prevents voltage from flowing backwards. Perhaps one of the list's
electrical guru's can explain this better.
Rick Patton
75 TR6
Web site moving to http://topshamautoparts.com/tr6/
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rick [mailto:rpatton@clinic.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 12:21 AM
> To: 6pack
> Cc: dcooper@paciolan.com
> Subject: Chasing a short
>
>
> Dwayne,
>
> Quite often a GM alternator requires a small diode spliced into
> the light gauge wire that goes to the ignition. Without the
> diode, voltage feeds back from the alternator and will slowly
> drain your battery. In GM applications this doesn't present a
> problem so the alternator is not considered defective. The diodes
> are available from Radio Shack for under a dollar. Anyway it's an
> easy fix. I'll try to remember to post the Radio Shack part
> number tomorrow night. Good luck.
>
> Rick Patton
> 75 TR6
> Web site moving to http://topshamautoparts.com/tr6/
>
>
> >
> > Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 08:25:41 -0700
> > From: "Dwayne Cooper" <dcooper@paciolan.com>
> > Subject: Chasing a short
> >
> > I think I have a short in my electrical system. I have a relatively new
> > battery and have done the GM alternator swap recently so I think
> > my charging
> > system is ok. However, if I leave the car sitting for over a week, the
> > battery will go dead. I have a battery cutoff switch and it
> > seems that if I
> > cut off the battery, I can leave it for over a week and the
> battery won't
> > drain (still testing this).
>
> cut cut cut
>
> > Dwayne Cooper
> > '74
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