Electrical Issues

[JMC1982]

I'm new to this forum as far as posting but come here regularly for information. What a great site!

I have looked and looked for answers on a problem I'm having.

I have been working on fixing up a 1986 C10.

Stock 305 V8 w/ Quadrajet Carb

The stock transmission has been swapped out for a TH400 I'm assuming. The crossmember has been moved back and has the wrong transmission mount.
Also the original kick down cable was left unattached, so I'm also assuming it came with a TH350 from the factory.

I've been working on getting the kinks out of this thing, and right now I'm scratching my head on this electrical issue.

I have low voltage at times, depending on if I hit the right bump in the road or how much I want to wiggle the shifter. Sometimes it drops so low that my blower motor fan can barely move and the windshield wipers drag across the windshield at the speed of a snail across a salt bed. Anytime this voltage drops it still runs and drives just fine.

I don't have a no start issue, starts and runs just fine. I do not have a neutral safety switch, just reverse light switch that has been bypassed and has a manual toggle switch. I have torn the whole column down to the ignition tumbler and decided to replace it while I was there. I've wiggled every wire in that column and checked every connection on the fuse panel with no luck of finding what appears to be a loose connection.

It seems to be steering column based and wiggling the shifter linkage anywhere along the line, whether it's in the cab, under the hood, or under the truck can duplicate the problem.

https://vimeo.com/149586462?utm_source=email&utm_medium=vimeo-cliptranscode-201504&utm_campaign=29220

This is a link to a video I shot showing the problem in action. I didn't have any accessories going while doing this, no lights on etc. the only thing going was the heater fan on high, and you can hear it's speed going up and down with the voltage.

Any ideas to a possible fix would be so appreciated!

Thanks!!

 

[JMC1982]

Fixed

I resolved this issue finally. I found a bad ground at the battery terminal where it runs to the frame. The wire was connected but only hanging on by like 2 strands inside the jacket.

I guess it was finding a way to ground itself out in the column when wiggled.

Hope this helps someone else out there with a similar problem.

 

[Georgeb]

Glad to hear you fixed it. Sorry nobody responded. I was a bit puzzled by your problem a figured one of the guys versed in electrical systems would respond.