[Chrysler300] Current events

["Rich Barber" <c300@xxxxxxx>]

This website has some highly relevant paragraphs on the electrical systems
of our vintage MoPars-especially the section on corrosion problems at the
bulkhead connector:  http://www.allpar.com/history/mopar/electrical.html


 

Personal observations:  

.       Sloppily greased electrical connections can get runny and messy from
the heat under the hood.  

.       Grease actually excludes moisture, rather than oxygen.  First rule
of corrosion:  No electrolyte, no corrosion.  

.       I'd kind of miss the old ammeter, so in the '64 model, I would
recommend the first solution connecting the heavy 12 gauge black wire (from
the BAT connection on the alternator) and the heavy 12 gauge red wire (from
the "B" terminal on the starter relay) directly to their respective
connections inside the passenger compartment.  I would suggest installing
all new wire to eliminate troublesome splices.  While you're at it, inspect
and clean all the connections at the bulkhead connector and grease them up
with conductive grease.

 

Side issue:  The article and the '64 Parts Catalog reference a "fatter"
alternator named in the Catalog as a "Leece Nevelle" on police and other HD
applications.  My 300K parts car coupe came to me with a big HD-looking
alternator (that did not work) with a flat flange with cooling vanes behind
the pulley.  It is possible this was a "Leece Nevelle" unit as it looks like
their "current" products.  Is it possible these HD alternators might have
been installed on some 300K's (the Koupe has most available electrical
accessories and A/C)?  At 2 to 3 times the current capacity of the stock
alternators, they might truly smoke the loom.  The alternator that came on
our 300K convertible was perhaps an original unit date stamped 25 63 (June
'63) and part number 2098840 (non-existent in '63 or '64 Parts catalogs-but
close-the "40" almost looked over-stamped and the Parts Catalogs show the
same part numbers ending in "30" and "50").  I had to buy a new/rebuilt
alternator, but kept the old one as it has the Forward Look and CPDD logos
on it and can probably be rebuilt.  

 

Speaking of Forward Look, you might enjoy viewing this 1955 MoPar
commercial:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Hb7jN9h0o  

 

Excerpt:

The 60s - early 70s ammeters themselves were reliable pieces, it was the
wiring that was usually to blame. If you look any service manual of the era,
you'll see that Chrysler was well aware of the problem - in fact, police,
taxi, and fleet vehicles, whose electrical loads were typically quite high
(and which vehicles typically had a "fatter" alternator) had the two
charging-circuit conductors removed from the bulkhead connector, and its
woefully-inadequate 1/4-inch Sta-Kon connectors, and run directly through
the firewall (with a simple rubber grommet). If you've experienced firewall
connector problems, you should consider this mod as an option.

 

The second plan is to convert to the '80s-'90s style wiring. Simply connect
the alternator output stud, via some serious gauge wire (matched to your
alternator's output specs) to the battery stud on the starter relay. But be
absolutely sure you splice in an appropriate length of fusible-link wire
into this new conductor! Here's what gauges to shoot for:

Alternator output rating

Under 50 Ampere  

         Wire gauge 12

         Fusible Link 16

50-65 A. 

         Wire gauge 10

         Fusible Link 14

85 A.

         Wire gauge 8

         Fusible Link 12

100 - 120 A.

         Wire gauge 6

         Fusible Link 10

With this done, the bulk of the charging system current will no longer flow
through the firewall connector - or the ammeter. Obviously, the ammeter will
no longer be accurate. The plan here is a simple accessory voltmeter, which
should have its positive (+) side wired (with practically any gauge wire) to
any ignition-switched 12-volt point, and the negative (-) side to ground.

 

Rich Barber

Brentwood, CA



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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