So I know that the charge indicator light (or some equivalent resistance) is *not optional* in the alternator / charging circuit, and I've read in various places that I can replace it with a 100Ohm, 5W resistor, but I wanted to triple check my new wiring. Can I just plug the alternator straight to battery on the positive side, and Ground on the negative (through the resistor)?

No, that's not correct. You connect positive of the alternator to the positive of the battery, the negative goes frame ground, and the Blue wire for the field winding goes through a resistor (that substitutes for the charge indicator) to a switched power source.

roach374 wrote:So I know that the charge indicator light (or some equivalent resistance) is *not optional* in the alternator / charging circuit, and I've read in various places that I can replace it with a 100Ohm, 5W resistor, but I wanted to triple check my new wiring. Can I just plug the alternator straight to battery on the positive side, and Ground on the negative (through the resistor)?

As an alternative reality viewpoint, my Big Block has a 50amp K alternator, but zero instrumentation bar my Android phone, with an app for a speedometre, and it charges como Dios manda (as God intended), no charge indicator light at all. 

Perhaps Deus ex machina after all.

robmack wrote:No, that's not correct.  You connect positive of the alternator to the positive of the battery, the negative goes frame ground, and the Blue wire for the field winding goes through a resistor (that substitutes for the charge indicator) to a switched power source.

Thanks Rob. There are only two wires coming out of my alternator. Is it grounding to the frame?

I'm having trouble reading the wiring diagram. What is the "switched power source" in this case? 

Thanks again for your help.

Alternator case grounds through the engine. The nearest 'switched power source' (i.e. a wire that gets power when the ignition switch is turned on) is the all-green wire on the load shed relay.

It looks like a couple of posters here disdain harboring any device that might indicate battery or charging condition. Clearly, they're rejecting idiocy. Are they haruspical or prescient?

My elderly mum divined tea leaves, consulted the stars, and somehow always knew when I'd pranged on my dirtbike.

Dai wrote:(i.e. a wire that gets power when the ignition switch is turned on)

Ahhh, *that's* what that means. Thanks!

robmack wrote:No, eso no es correcto. Conecta el positivo del alternador al positivo de la batería, el negativo pasa a tierra del marco y el cable azul para el devanado de campo pasa a través de una resistencia (que sustituye al indicador de carga) a una fuente de alimentación conmutada.

¿El valor de la resistencia es 100 ohmios 5w?
Gracias