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Alternator wires? Ground strap?

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Old Jul 30, 2004 | 01:48 AM
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Default Alternator wires? Ground strap?

Finishing my project of putting a 382 Stroker '03 LS6 into a '98 SS. Had no motor, no tranny to start out with. I'm to the point of hooking up the alternator. I see the stock harness has a small two wire plug with just one wire going to it (Looks like the previous owner spliced it this way with two or three pieces of short, different sized wire???) The alternator I ended up getting is from a Corvette, I think, and it has a four wire plug to it.
What do I need to do to hook this up?
Also I seen on my friends Camaro what looked like a ground strap going to the alternator. Does this in fact go to the alternator, and where does it bolt to?
To sum up...I can figure out the big wire easy, but what about the ground strap and the four wire plug???
Thanks in advance guys!
Dan
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Old Jul 30, 2004 | 08:44 AM
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Yes, the alt has a ground wire that bolts to the frame near the alt. I dont remember if it is 4 or not, as you mentioned.

The other grounds are on the drivers side head, and there are 3 of them bolted to the same head. 2 wires on one bolt, and on on it's own. Hope this helps you. You should get a manual to be sure on all this.
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Old Jul 30, 2004 | 09:58 AM
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my alternator has a plug with 4 prongs as well, only one of the wires is used, you can put one wire in there in the right spot, its one of the middle prongs, and wire it to the small wire. just take the connector and remove the holder clip on it, splice a wire and feed it in there, put the holder back on, and tape it all up with electrical tape. the reason the last person did that was probably cuz he had the alternator out and those small azz pos wire just pulls out with the slightest of pressure you dont even know it when your removeing it especially since its on top and cant even see it in the first place til the alt is half out.
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Old Jul 30, 2004 | 10:30 AM
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98 f-body alternator has one wire coming out of that plug... it goes to switched 12v power.

Alternator has one ground goes to the body I think. I just made my own a while back.
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Old Jul 30, 2004 | 10:57 AM
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Default Alternator

Anyone know which one of the four in the plug needs to be hooked to 12V Switched?
I've seen that ground strap come from the chassis and go to the alternator, but I don't know exactly where it mounts to on the alternator.
Thanks so far!
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Old Jul 30, 2004 | 11:19 AM
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there is no ground strap on the alternator, it gets its ground from the block, there are 2 wires running to the alternator, one goes to the battery the other one is the small 12v switch running to the harness. im not possitive on which plug the wire goes in, i would have to look at it, but i think its the second one closest to the drivers side.

anyone know why there is more than one ground strap on the car?
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Old Jul 30, 2004 | 05:30 PM
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Default Alternator

Exactly what I thought. Don't see why it would need an extra ground strap to the alternator when it's mounted directly to the block. But my buddy's 2000 SS has a 1/4" strap that goes from the chassis down behind the alternator. And everything is still stock on his. It's so packed in there though and I can't see exactly where the strap goes. (Mount's on Alt. Housing?, internally?, or maybe just to the eng. block behind the Alternator?) Someone's gotta know. If it was an older car, I wouldn't worry about it one bit, but I've heard some horror stories about some real goofy electrical stuff happening and I don't want any of it.
Thanks
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Old Jul 30, 2004 | 09:39 PM
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Originally Posted by dreinmann
Exactly what I thought. Don't see why it would need an extra ground strap to the alternator when it's mounted directly to the block. But my buddy's 2000 SS has a 1/4" strap that goes from the chassis down behind the alternator. And everything is still stock on his. It's so packed in there though and I can't see exactly where the strap goes. (Mount's on Alt. Housing?, internally?, or maybe just to the eng. block behind the Alternator?) Someone's gotta know. If it was an older car, I wouldn't worry about it one bit, but I've heard some horror stories about some real goofy electrical stuff happening and I don't want any of it.
Thanks
that ground strap goes behind the alternator and mounts to the block, all ls1s have this right behind the alternator.
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Old Jul 30, 2004 | 11:57 PM
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Default Alternator

Originally Posted by hourang
that ground strap goes behind the alternator and mounts to the block, all ls1s have this right behind the alternator.
Thanks Jeff, that's what I was hoping.
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