Way too much current draw, when ignition turned off!!!

[DamnedButDetermined]

As some of you may know i just bought a 1979 Ford Econoline van with a 460CI Big Block and.....
My battery has been going dead really fast, so i bought a digital micrometer, and read the current draw with the ignition off. IT WAS 2.5AMPS!!!! Way too much. I then went to the fuse panel and started to one by one take out the fuses until the current fell to zero....Well it never did. It always read 2.5amps.
I then looked all over the van for another fuse panel and couldn't find one.
I then started to take all sorts of wire junctions apart triing to get the current draw to zero and It never dropped.
I have no idea what to do next?
Could the alternator somehow be leaving a circuit open that will allow 2.5amps to run through it?
Distributor?
Relays?

If anyone can help I would be extremely appreciative.

Thaks for your time,
DbD

P.S. Once again my screen name discribes my life perfectly

[Yoshi]

man that sux
I feel your pain... try checking for fusable links, dunno if there are any in an econoline, but 2 of my vehicles have them, and they're damn unreliable worse yet, they're an inline style of "fuse", so it requires much vigilence and a long-battery-life flashlight.

Good luck man.

[DamnedButDetermined]

Thanks for the support Yoshi...

I started to check the fusible links and found that when i disconnected Black and red wire that is pictured here of the starter relay motor...The current draw went away.


I then followed this wire all the way down to the alternator, where it enters along with two other wires which are black and yellow. Here is another really bad picture of the alternator...


Here are two wire diagrams i found in my Haynes Repair manual...



Now i am wondering if i have to replace the alternator? The fusible link? Both? Or will neither of those situations fix the problem? I am a beginner when it comes to wire diagrams and especially alternators (too many diodes and crazy shit for me to understand)

Hopefully this helps you help me...

thanks again,
DbD

[DamnedButDetermined]

well I ended up swapping out the Alternator Voltage Regulator and it seemed to fix the problem. We will see tomorrow morning if my battery is dead! The regulator only cost me like $12 from advance auto!

Five hours of electrical troubleshooting and it all boiled down to a $12 electrical device!

what a waste of a day,
DbD

[the head]

This problem is VERY common on old fords and it is usually either the voltage regulator or the starter seloniod

The regs go out on a semi regular basis especially if the vehicle uses a lot of electrical current

I finally went over to a single wire alternator like hot rods use it moves all of the electronics into the alt plus uses a GM style internal reg to increase reliability.

[DamnedButDetermined]

Originally Posted by the head

This problem is VERY common on old fords and it is usually either the voltage regulator or the starter seloniod

The regs go out on a semi regular basis especially if the vehicle uses a lot of electrical current

I finally went over to a single wire alternator like hot rods use it moves all of the electronics into the alt plus uses a GM style internal reg to increase reliability.

Where can i find one of these? As mentioned before i don't know too much about alternators, and if this type of thing is going to happen reguraly then i would like to avoid the headache and switch to what you are talking about.

thanks for the heads up,
DbD

[the head]

summit or jegs carries them I can order them through o'Riley auto parts here in town just look for a single wire alternator be forwarned though these alts are GM casing so you may need to rig up some brackets or spacers to make everything line up all you hook up is the main power lead and you are done you completely bypass everything else great stuff for simplyfing the electrical system and definately beats keeping an extra regulator in the glove box