96 v8 zj not charging
 

Ok so im working on my 96 zj with a v8. The alternator doesnt charge. Took the alternator apart and cleaned it all up. Buddy had a look at it and it and everything internally seems to be in ok shape but it does not charge on the vehicle. Trying to see if its a wiring problem or alt problem before I take it off again and run to autozone or advance and have them test it.

Have power at the big terminal to the battery, even ran a new bigger cable straight to battery. Ground is good. Now the field terminals, from what I can gather, one is supposed to be ground and the other +. Check and no power at either one. Take a jumper wire to power on one and ground the other and one way it pops a fuse, the other way it still doesnt charge.

Anyone have a better way to check it on the vehicle before I bring it in and have it tested or does it sound like a bad alternator?

My buddy has an extra alt out of a 75 chevy that should mount up the same with a pulley swap that we can wire up and know it will work, or will we have to do something with the pcm to make it all work?

Do not try to install an old Chevy alternator in your ZJ. Just replace it with a new one and be done with it. You're only making things worse monkeying around with it and Jerry rigging stuff.

I too say not to retrofit a Chevy one. Change your grounds. That should help your charging problem

I forgot to mention this is only an offroad toy. A buddy has a chevy alt sitting around I can put on that will bolt up, just needs pulleys swapped and I know I can get that one charging.

But I did take the alt to autozone and it failed the test within like 2 seconds. I just dont have over $100 to pick up a new alt for just an offroad toy right now.

Save up some money and get the right part. You might even try the local auto recycler and find a fairly new one for less money.