alternator swap

I would like to know where I can find some simple, straight forward instructions on wireing my one wire alternator into my Tigers electrical system. I've installed or I should say I'm 2/3rds of the way finished with installing a new loom, I'm starting to wonder as I get to the end what original wires do I use and which ones get deleted. Do I still wire into the Ballast given I'm also installing a crane electronic ignition system? How do I wire things so my new volt meter and the dash idiot light functions as original.
I would like some clear knowledge from someone whose been there, done that. I know this can't be that difficult but there would be a significant time savings in having this info provided by a tiger guy. Thanks, 67tiger

Hopefully this is not a repeat of an earlier reply I just was typing and somehow lost at the very end. Apologies to all if it is. While I have not done the swap myself, there is a detailed "How To" article in the old CAT Shop Notes. I cannot vouch for its accuracy, but you might want to check it out if you have access to one. If not, I would be happy to tell you what it says if you want to talk to me off line. It is about a page and a half long.

My experience with electronic ignition is with a Pertronic system, not a Crane, but I am guessing the ballast resistor situation is very similar. With the Pertronix system, they say if your system currently has such a resistor, keep it. But when you go to the instructions for the matching coil, it says to take it out! Obviously the answer depends on whether you are changing the coil or not.

If you are going to take the ballast resistor out, there is a neat way to do it that a gentlemen from Florida once showed me. You take the resistor off the car and pop off the pressed-on lid. You solder a heavy wire between the two terminals inside going parallel to the resistor, essentially shorting it out. Pop the lid back on and install the unit back into the car and rehook up the wires. The resistor is electrically out of the system, but physically in the engine compartment with everything looking factory original and correct!

Hope some of this helps,

Gene

You need to check with the manfacture to find out about the ballest resistor. I have an Accell electronic dist. and used the BR, only to burn up the module inside the dist. I contacted Summitt as they have a tech person to answer or find out the answer to this question- altough I didnt purchase the dist. from them, they sold the same unit. He called me back and told me Accell said to not use the BR, while the petronix in my alpine does use it.
Ive gone to a one wire and there is no need to eliminate any wires, in case you or another owner wants to return to the stock setup. I learned that if the top set of points are forced closed(alligator clip) the syestem works as normal. The amp gauge works and the idiot light goes out BUT the light comes on when the key is in the off position. A previous article which tells how to wire everything properly removes the insides of the voltage reg. and you keep the stock wires on the screw connectors, so the syestem appears stock. The article was in the TE/AE newsletter but Im certain the TU website also has the same article. Meanwhile both Tom Hall and Theo Smith sell a small electronic box with a light that replaces the old gauge voltage regulator that controls the voltage to the gas and temp gauges so they work properly. It incoperates the bulb to go in place of the exisiting wire/bulb on the idiot light so you know if the syestem is charging without a amp or volt gauge. Cost was $30 I think from Theo. I might have paid $35 but not any more. I cant remember exactly what directions the article gives for wiring or deleting wiring at the voltage regulator-I havent completed it myself, I just cliped the points closed as needed (cover is removed)while going and returning from SUNI. I plan on completing the job soon as I have to drop the crossmember and do some other work and will complete the wiring at that time. Many members have installed a one wire so help is just a request away on the LIST,TE/AE or even the CAT shop notes and again, Steve Laiffmans TU website.
TtT

Just a follow up thought to the part of your question about electronic ignition. Perhaps you have already addressed this, but it is perhaps worth mentioning that if you go to electronic ignition, the OEM tach may no longer work, or not work well. How to convert to a tach that will/does work is probably worthy of a whole separate discussion unto itself.

Regards,

Gene

Gene, my tach is sometimes eratic and other times seems to work fine. I installed a Dale A. AMC T5 conversion and thru some problems getting everything in the speedo syestem right, I have no speedo, so I rely on the tach and my GPS which tells mph. Is easier to look at the tach and know that Im speeding at 3k on the interstate. I think Theo has a fix for true electrinic ignition. I have an electronc dist. as it has no points but a printed circuit board. Im certain the problem I have is just the pickup but if I had n old style Ford electronic ignition, Im certain the tach wouldnt work as it should. Again Theo is a good source to get an answer to tach questions.
TtT

Regarding the problems with tachs and electronic ignition versus original points mechanisms: As I have come to understand it, the Smiths tachs that have a RVI part number are made for points type distributors and work through an INDUCTIVE pickup off the white ignition wire. The RVC types are for electronic ignition systems and work off a direct connection to the negative terminal on the coil and is a CAPACITANCE type pick up. A lot of articles on the internet about all of this. The ideal upgrade in my opinion is to get one of the Smiths tachs for an MG that is the same size as our tachs but is the RVC version. That can be converted to a 8 cylinder tach simply be inserting a 47K resistor into the circuit. It goes from one of the three capacitors on the circuit board to the meter movement. I learned this from a Triumph tech tip for those guys have the 8 cylinder TR8's. I happened to have one of the smaller MGB tachs that has virtually the same electronics as the ones in a RVC type Smiths for a Triumph. I did the resistor insertion and it worked perfectly! Unfortunately the dial face is too small. But the right sized MG RVC tach would be perfect. The tach orange lines at 5500, redlines at 6000 and reads to 7000 max. Just like the LAT option tach. Obviously the tach says 4 cyl if you look real close, but that would not bother me. BTW, you cannot just graft the smaller MG tach electronics to the bigger dial face of an older MG tach that is of the RVI variety that also reads to 5500 orange/6000 red/7000 max. I tried. The RVC tach demarcations are evenly spaced and the RVI ones are wider apart as you go up the RPM scale. May be a lot of better ideas out there, but the above is what I know, for whatever it may be worth!

Regards,

Gene