76 Datsun 620 pickup, What's Up?

For a year I have had to turn the key 2 to 6 times to get the starter to engage and start the motor. Recently, after it started, the charge light stayed on all the time, even at highway speed. The belt was tight. The battery has 12.5 volts. I changed out the alternator and battery. Now it won't start at all. and have no headlights, horn, radio or anything. I hear a faint click when I turn the ignition key. I have more problems now than before I changed the alternator. If this is a fuse problem, where would it be?

 

Are your battery cables in good shape and both ends of them squeeky clean and tight?

 

That was my first thought too.It has to be something that was removed or moved when you worked on it, well most likely anyway.I know the earlier model datsuns had a "B" shaped black electrical junction block , on the fender, near the battery with 3 terminals and fuse links attached. If you pull on them and one or more comes apart then somehow the fuse part of the wire itself blew. ( I don't know if you know what the fuse link looks like but it looks just like a regular wire except near the end of the wire - 3 or 4 inches -the material covering the wire will be a different shade,color or even the material will be a different type, and the fuse part of the wire, inside the covering of the wire, is broken. )Its easy to find with a 12 volt test light. give them a firm tugg, they will come apart if bad.

 

Does your system use an external voltage regulator? If you haven't replaced it, I'd look there next after pinning down the connections.

 

Make sure you didn't connect the positive and negative cables to the wrong battery terminals.