Wiring a GM alternator

A volt meter should be reading after the regulator, so yes, it will show your 14+ volts when everything is working correctly.  

No need. We learn and that's the important part. 

YEA... i have seen the "PLUG" on the 1 wire alternators.. BUTT... should be marked on the alter or the BOX !

re: This isn’t what I asked for.

Perfect reason to take it back and get what YOU wanted.

It , THEY sold you the wrong alternator doesn't matter that is 'works', They're fault, THEY should exchange for the CORRECT one.

I know they'll say 'sorry, it's electrical..no refunds/exchanges'......BS....

If they pull that

 say ..

well.. if you'd gone to a Chevy dealer said you wanted  a 'vette, paid ,then it was delivered to your place, you'ld be happy that it's a CHEvette  and not the CORvette you 'expected' and needed and wanted ???

bottom line ...1 wire alternator is NOT the 'SAME' as a 3 wire, not what you want,need or ordered.....

BTW, it senses internally which isn't perfect  as it can't compensate for battery lead losses.

The 10SI with it's internal regulator was quite a cool 'gadget' when it came out.

The engineers who did the regulator's solid-state design started with a very blank slate.  They had a rotating armature with slip rings, and a field, just like any other alternator.  They knew that they could regulate current through the field to control output voltage on the surrounding windings.

They knew that the surrounding windings' voltage presented a perfect signal to use as feedback to control the field.

They knew that the case would be aluminum, and there'd be a fan to force airflow, so they could mount a solid-state regulator directly TO the frame, integrated in, it would perform as an excellent heat-sink.

They made the regulator to read internally, and sink heat through that frame.

They also knew that, since the armature would be ferrous, it would develop a little bit of magnetic 'memory'... as generator guys say "Residual Magnetism".

When you spin a coil within a magnetic field, or you spin a magnetic field within reach of a coil, The coil presents voltage, and if there's a place for that voltage to flow, it develops current.

They knew that, as long as the armature had residual voltage, it would develop enough voltage to flow current, which the regulator could divert into the field, to develop a stronger current, which would create a stronger field, thus yielding a 'self-exciting' alternator.

The only circumstance they could NOT accomplish, is developing residual magnetism in that armature, if there was none to begin with... and since some machines and vehicles sit for long periods of time, an external source for a little 'seed' current to wake it up is necessary.  Remember how we gotta 'flash' the field on our generators?  Same deal, different meal.

This is no different from externally-regulated alternators and generators, and in those earlier systems, engineers decided that using a small light bulb between the field and battery would 'force' the field into action when starting the engine.  Once spun up and generating, the regulator would be pushing current directly into the windings, and in doing so, the lamp would not illuminate (because voltage on the field is now equal to, or higher than the battery's voltage, right?)

The cool side-effect, is that if the alternator stopped alternating (a broken belt, for instance) that light would illuminate, because the field current would no longer be internally-generated.

When the Delco guys developed the 10SI, they wanted to make it absolutely foolproof (which isn't possible, because the only thing that develops faster than technology, is foolishness), so they settled for ALMOST foolproof.  They added that lamp 1) so that people now accomplished into expecting idiot lights would be satisfied and 2) in the event that someone doesn't drive their car for a week or so, it'd still wake up and operate.  As a result of the 'always had a BATT Light', Delco's engineers made the SI's regulator WITHOUT the internal connection for self-excitation.  The alternator would do it ANYWAY, if spun up fast enough... and nobody knew the difference.

SO, you can put a one-wire alternator on just about anything... as long as you spin one FAST ENOUGH, they'll self-excite without that lamp.

IF you have a low-output version, they'll self excite without any fuss.  My D17's 10SI is wound in series, with extra turns on both field and armature, and it wakes right up on every start, even if the throttle is at dead-idle... but due to the windings' added turns and smaller wire, it doesn't knock out much more than about 27A.  Since I use the tractor for a few hours every week, and I'm not running a thump-beat stereo (there's 2 medium floodlamps and 2 small LED taillamps, and an ignition coil), that battery is ALWAYS good, even if it's at dead-idle speed.

If I were to put a 55A unit on it, I'd start having problems... because 1) it wouldn't self excite until throttling it up a bit and 2) I'd be running it too slow to really do well.

IF I put the high-snot 100A on it, it simply wouldn't do the job... it might self-excite, but to get that kind of output, they have to wire the stator up for parallel (delta) rather than series (wye), so it takes even MORE spin to get above 14v on the output.  Since I use this tractor for creeping trailers around, toting pallets on forks, I rarely run it up past 2/3rds governed limit, when I do, it's because I'm running 4 miles down the hill to help my Dad, mebbie I make that run twice a year... it would simply NEVER charge it's battery.

You COULD run that alternator in one-wire.  On the original 10SI, there were SOME regulators that didn't have the internal connection to self-excite... but it didn't take long for the aftermarket to integrate the internal connection ANYWAY, because a failed BATT lamp would cause the alternator to not operate, thus, drain a battery.