Military Vehicle Repair: Relay, fog light kits, jumper wire

Question
Van,Do I need a relay like the ones that come with some fog light kits? A little black box? Are they junk. I do have the original selonoid looking one that I took off when I bypassed the parts under the dash. Can I use that one? How do I hook it up? I already hooked up another light beside my toggle switch to tell me when I am heating up my glow plugs. Ive been using the hot wire off the driver side alternator to heat the glow plugs for about 3 months with no problems. I just got a heavier toggle switch from napa to run it,the one I had was a plastic one. It lasted 3 months until it burnt out. I also would like to send you a couple of picures of my truck that I think you will appreciate.  

Answer
Hi Nate,
Fog light relay would probably be heavy enough, though I'm not sure.
That big solenoid looking one could easily be used with a button or switch if it works.
Just remove all the small wires from the small posts on the relay.
Then connect the wire from your toggle switch to one of them, and connect a little jumper wire from the other small stud to a good ground.
The orriginal glow plug controller did just that.
Now...if someone replaced the orriginal relay with a regular solenoid, that would probably burn out the glow plug controller. But a regular solenoid would probably work with the push button or toggle switch. Just won't work with the controller.
That's because on the orriginal, there is no internal ground on the relay. if you measure with an ohm meter between the small studs, there is continuity, but there is NO continuity from either of the small studs to ground.

Likewise, just going to one of the small studs without a ground, it won't pull in.

You used the correct alternator stud.
Although the alternators are interchangable, the one on the drivers side connects a wire to the engine block, whereas the passengers side alternator does NOT connect to ground. The Neg terminal on it is connected to 12 volts, and the Pos terminal is connected to the 24 volt block on the firewall. It actually charges the rear battery, where the left one charges the front battery.

Did I ever send you this link for military parts?
http://www.memphisequipment.com/

Send pictures to
 richard_vannatta@sbcglobal.net

Van