Using 4 gauge wire from alternator to kill switch and still havin issues....
Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (10)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,672
Likes: 0
From: Deerfield Beach, FL
Using 4 gauge wire from alternator to kill switch and still havin issues.... It does not charge well even with 4 gauge from the alt to kill switch, what are you guys doin to get these things to charge right?! Cuz if I hook the stock wire back up, it charges fine, but that's not legal cuz it won't shut the car off, any help would be appreciated, thanks!!!
I use 2 ga. and I have the alternator modified to put out 140 amps.
11 Second Club
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
From: Tampa, FL
Devon- You're slow 
j/k. I saw you at DHII. I assumed you checked the battery ground and its a good connection. The stock wire charges through the dist box upfront correct? What guage is that one? Like Madman said I use a 2 gauge wire as well. Well first I should ask can you draw a diagram on how yours is setup? This is how mine is wired.... -Mark
j/k. I saw you at DHII. I assumed you checked the battery ground and its a good connection. The stock wire charges through the dist box upfront correct? What guage is that one? Like Madman said I use a 2 gauge wire as well. Well first I should ask can you draw a diagram on how yours is setup? This is how mine is wired.... -Mark Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (10)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,672
Likes: 0
From: Deerfield Beach, FL
Originally Posted by MADMAN
I use 2 ga. and I have the alternator modified to put out 140 amps.
Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (10)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,672
Likes: 0
From: Deerfield Beach, FL
Originally Posted by Bitemark46
Devon- You're slow j/k. I saw you at DHII. I assumed you checked the battery ground and its a good connection. The stock wire charges through the dist box upfront correct? What guage is that one? Like Madman said I use a 2 gauge wire as well. Well first I should ask can you draw a diagram on how yours is setup? This is how mine is wired.... -Mark
j/k. I saw you at DHII. I assumed you checked the battery ground and its a good connection. The stock wire charges through the dist box upfront correct? What guage is that one? Like Madman said I use a 2 gauge wire as well. Well first I should ask can you draw a diagram on how yours is setup? This is how mine is wired.... -MarkYou should've come over and said hi, I didn't see ur car, or don't think I did, not sure, I was havin so much fun whoopin up on Blackwolf that I may have just not been payin attention, haaha!!!
Anyways, I got a 1/0 gauge goin from the battery to one terminal on the kill switch and on the other terminal the alternator and a 1/0 gauge goin to the front and bolted it to where the stock connection was, so the wire goin to the front should be plenty big enough. I'm gonna give the 2ga. a try on the alternator wire and see if it does any better. As for the ground, I reground it today to make sure that it's good, it's bolted right to the frame with a 2 ga. wire off the battery, so that should be good, right?
My stock alternator wouldnt keep up at all when I put the battery in the back even with a 2ga alt wire running to the switch. I had my alternator rebuilt to a 145 amp by a local place and it made a huge difference in charging. You have to remember these cars draw a lot of current, mine with the big fuel pump, BS3, EWP, fan running and parking lights on was drawing over 80 amps and the stock 90 amp alternator puts out like 70 amps when hot (less at idle) so do the math..
Trending Topics
hey loudmouth, my battery is also relocated to the back but i havent started the car up so i dont know if it has problems, if u decided to rebuild the alt let me now and ill bring mine to the same place as u maybe well get a better deal
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (10)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,672
Likes: 0
From: Deerfield Beach, FL
Originally Posted by kp
My stock alternator wouldnt keep up at all when I put the battery in the back even with a 2ga alt wire running to the switch. I had my alternator rebuilt to a 145 amp by a local place and it made a huge difference in charging. You have to remember these cars draw a lot of current, mine with the big fuel pump, BS3, EWP, fan running and parking lights on was drawing over 80 amps and the stock 90 amp alternator puts out like 70 amps when hot (less at idle) so do the math..
Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (10)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,672
Likes: 0
From: Deerfield Beach, FL
Originally Posted by ls2formula
As easy as your car pulls the wheels you should put your batt. back up front.
Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (10)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,672
Likes: 0
From: Deerfield Beach, FL
Originally Posted by 2002/Black/SS
hey loudmouth, my battery is also relocated to the back but i havent started the car up so i dont know if it has problems, if u decided to rebuild the alt let me now and ill bring mine to the same place as u maybe well get a better deal
11 Second Club
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
From: Tampa, FL
Originally Posted by Loudmouth LS1
What's up dude!!!!
Anyways, I got a 1/0 gauge goin from the battery to one terminal on the kill switch and on the other terminal the alternator and a 1/0 gauge goin to the front and bolted it to where the stock connection was, so the wire goin to the front should be plenty big enough.
Anyways, I got a 1/0 gauge goin from the battery to one terminal on the kill switch and on the other terminal the alternator and a 1/0 gauge goin to the front and bolted it to where the stock connection was, so the wire goin to the front should be plenty big enough.
Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (10)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,672
Likes: 0
From: Deerfield Beach, FL
Originally Posted by Bitemark46
I think thats your problem. I have my wire coming from the alternator to one side of the terminal on the same terminal side of the switch as the wire coming from the positve side of the batter. The other terminal I have the wire coming from the front (i.e. Dist box). -Mark
same crap I figured I would subscibe since I dealt with the same problem over the summer. I fixed it by spinning some rod bearings and gutting the car out for the cage & new motor 
Anyways I was running 2ga all around and having the same problems. I figured that when it went back together I would go with 1/0ga, and try to get the alt rebuilt like kp did. Keep us posted on the fix.
Anyways I was running 2ga all around and having the same problems. I figured that when it went back together I would go with 1/0ga, and try to get the alt rebuilt like kp did. Keep us posted on the fix.
Originally Posted by Loudmouth LS1
What kind of a place do I take it too to do the alternator rebuild, that sounds like my best bet, and then i'll put the 2 ga wire in with it when I put it back in? It was really bad with the ewp, I ended up sellin it, cuz I would have issues with havin to put a jump box on to get her started in the lanes before almost every pass, it was rediculous!
Cost around 100.00. With the old alternator I could make 3 passes and run the EWP/Fan between rounds and the car would start cranking really slow so I started taking a generator/battery charger with me and would charge it between passes. With the new alternator I can go 8-9 passes, use the EWP in between for 5-10 minutes, and not have to use the generator/charger which is pretty much a whole day of racing no matter what. I just looked at my car and I have 4ga welding cable on the alternator not 2ga.I also charge the battery before i hit the track with one of those fancy electronic chargers, I have a red top in the car which was a mistake. I should have used a yellow top, that would handle the EWP/cooling fan between rounds better I think.
what do you guys think about running a ford starter solenoid inline with the alternator charge line? when the rear switch is turned off, the solenoid would lose its ground and open the alternators charge line.
i will be doing this on my car.... 1/0 run from the batt. to the front fender, where all the other connections are made. (alt, starter, fusible links)
i am running a single wire alternator. ~100A.
i will be doing this on my car.... 1/0 run from the batt. to the front fender, where all the other connections are made. (alt, starter, fusible links)
i am running a single wire alternator. ~100A.
11 Second Club
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
From: Tampa, FL
Originally Posted by Loudmouth LS1
That don't sound right, don't you wanna cut battery power from the alternator and the wire goin up front, so you want them on opposite sides of the battery? If you have it on the same side as the battery, wouldn't it then feed off it even when the switch is flipped to off?
Hey will this work and is it legal?
Use a 4 pole cutoff switch and use one pair for the feed cable from the battery to the starter then to the fuse boxes.
As for the Alt wire, go straight to the fuse boxes, but cut the small exciter wire and take that small wire to the other set of poles on the cutoff switch to disable the Alt
Bob.
Use a 4 pole cutoff switch and use one pair for the feed cable from the battery to the starter then to the fuse boxes.
As for the Alt wire, go straight to the fuse boxes, but cut the small exciter wire and take that small wire to the other set of poles on the cutoff switch to disable the Alt
Bob.
Originally Posted by vtec
what do you guys think about running a ford starter solenoid inline with the alternator charge line? when the rear switch is turned off, the solenoid would lose its ground and open the alternators charge line.
i will be doing this on my car.... 1/0 run from the batt. to the front fender, where all the other connections are made. (alt, starter, fusible links)
i am running a single wire alternator. ~100A.
i will be doing this on my car.... 1/0 run from the batt. to the front fender, where all the other connections are made. (alt, starter, fusible links)
i am running a single wire alternator. ~100A.
http://cgi.ebay.com/STINGER-SR80-HIG...QQcmdZViewItem
Originally Posted by SlickVert
Hey will this work and is it legal?
Use a 4 pole cutoff switch and use one pair for the feed cable from the battery to the starter then to the fuse boxes.
As for the Alt wire, go straight to the fuse boxes, but cut the small exciter wire and take that small wire to the other set of poles on the cutoff switch to disable the Alt
Bob.
Use a 4 pole cutoff switch and use one pair for the feed cable from the battery to the starter then to the fuse boxes.
As for the Alt wire, go straight to the fuse boxes, but cut the small exciter wire and take that small wire to the other set of poles on the cutoff switch to disable the Alt
Bob.
These cars just plain draw a LOT of current when they are running. The days of a dual point/supercoil, a carb with a holley blue pump and a moroso EWP/fan are long gone. Just the injectors and ignition take nearly 30 amps to run and drag racing sees a lot of starts and very little time above idle. I'm probably losing 20+ horespower on a pass just driving the alternator on this car but if my voltage drops too far my fuel pump and ignition gets weaker an weaker every pass, I tossed an alt belt on one pass and by the time I got the car back to the trailer the battery was at 10.5 volts, thats how much current these things draw running and if the alternator cant put out what is being used the battery gets drained more and more every pass.