LZ4 3500 tapping noise

[jrrtt09]

Well i tested the continuity between the ground lug and the block, as well as the ground lug and the frame near where the ground terminals are connected to the sheet metal. My ground connections seem to be okay. When I tested the continuity between the alternator lug terminal (the big 8 or 4 gauge wire) and the positive battery terminal there was a beep for half a second then nothing. When I tested the continuity between the alternator lug terminal and the block there was continuity. The Haynes book tells me that there is a fusible link between the alternator and the starter solenoid, there is a long way between the starter and alternator, I'm hoping that the link is near either of the two.

[jrrtt09]

I couldn't find a fusible link between the starter and the alternator. I only have one wire connecting to the starter solenoid batt terminal and that wire goes straight to the battery. I've used a jumper wire to connect the alternator batt post directly to the positive battery terminal and when connected, the battery indicator on the dash disappears. Is there a reason that I shouldn't run a 4 gauge wire directly from the batt terminal on the alternator to the battery with an inline fuse? If I do this should I also run a 4 gauge ground wire from the battery to the block?

[robertisaar]

Is there a reason that I shouldn't run a 4 gauge wire directly from the batt terminal on the alternator to the battery with an inline fuse? If I do this should I also run a 4 gauge ground wire from the battery to the block?

this is suggested as one of the first things to do in the w-body world when playing with high-output alternators, along with a larger battery negative to body ground wire. generally, this is referred to as the "big 3" upgrade.

[jrrtt09]

When I had jumped the alternator batt post to the positive battery terminal the first time, the car was running. I decided to try it with the car off before going any further and something in the front of the engine bay made noise. The only things I can think of are the starter and the fans. I didn't leave the jumper there long enough to find out exactly what turned on. I was thinking maybe I have a wire mixed up somewhere. I checked my starter terminal and it has one wire going to the positive battery terminal and one going to the ground along with the smaller gauge connector; I'm not sure what else could be wrong there. The fans can only be connected one way. I have one engine block terminal with one ground wire going to it and another engine block terminal with 2 ground wires going to it, I'm not sure how these were connected before I pulled the engine. I managed to break the plastic battery post connector on my starter while trying to disconnect it. After that $200 trip to O'reilly I think I'll let a local shop figure it out. I managed to rebuild the engine and got it to start on the first crank, I won't push my luck any further.

[jrrtt09]

The Malibu is back on the road. My local mechanic charged me $75 to diagnose and fix the alternator wiring. There was another wire that was supposed to be connected to the starter, I have no idea where it was. I changed the oil at 150 mi and plan to change it again after 1k mi. So far I put 230 miles on it and it seems to be fine. I was getting 22-24 mpg before the rebuild according to what it says on the radio; Now I'm getting 26 mpg so I assume that's a good sign. For the first time, I can say that I drive a car that doesn't leak oil, let's just hope it stays that way. It took 7 months but it was worth it, hopefully my second build won't be a daily driver so I can put some go-fast parts in. The whole mechanic thing seems easy with all of the knowledge on this forum.

[Guest]

congrats. glad to hear you got it back on the road. its always nice doing something yourself and seeing the results first hand. its a satisfying feeling.

you did quite a lot yourself between pulling the engine and having it rebuilt and putting it all back in. Definately a fairly large project. glad to hear it has turned out good so far.

[jrrtt09]

I'm almost at 1,000 miles now. It hasn't leaked any oil so I'd say it was worth it just to fix whatever was making it lose oil before the bearing spun. I went through the expenses and the total cost for engine work was $730, $270 of that was for misc supplies such as simple green, brake cleaner, degreaser, engine oil, transmission oil, oil filters, and bolts to mount the engine to the stand. All of the replacement parts including TTY bolts/studs, bearings, water pump, hoses, and a gasket set cost $460. After the engine was in the car I spent $675 on a new battery, alternator, starter, and other odds and ends trying to fix the wiring issue that the local shop fixed for $70, but at least those parts are new and I have a working spare alternator in the trunk. Seeing this from an educational point of view, that's cheaper than a semester at college. I definitely learned more doing this than I did in the majority of my courses while in college.

I cleaned each of the Malibus up and they're looking good.


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