Big 3 Advice, - Thanks~!

[MikeCallery]

Well, this was my Sunday project.

I think it was Boostaholic who turned us on to a site that would send you the pre-cut wires and then on the site there was loads of goodies to help you.

I ended up swapping out my two year Delco for a new Red Top and then mounted it with a billet mount I found up on eBay.

I don't remember the brand but got these gorgeous top clamps for the battery that allowed me to easily fit the 2/0 gauge wire. Battery hot to alternator, battery negative to chassis ground and engine to chassis ground.

The very minor alternator wine I would hear with my iPod is gone and I have no doubt that I've improved the system.

This was a relatively easy install and took all of about 30 minutes tops.

I'll watch this week to see how my electrics change. Things like putting up two windows would cause a small slow down, hopefully this will make an improvement to the overall vehicle charging, especially after seeing that little piece of crap wire from the alternator to the battery!!

 

[ayeplussjr]

I did the big 3 as well, but did you use an ANL inline fuse when running the line from the battery positive to alternator? I haven't done that yet, but I heard it's always good to fuse any wiring from the positive post of the battery.

 

[greengumby]

I did the big 3 as well, but did you use an ANL inline fuse when running the line from the battery positive to alternator? I haven't done that yet, but I heard it's always good to fuse any wiring from the positive post of the battery.

your correct it is always a good idea to install an inline fuse but since you are already replacing a pre-existing wire that doesn't have one it should be ok .

 

[ayeplussjr]

your correct it is always a good idea to install an inline fuse but since you are already replacing a pre-existing wire that doesn't have one it should be ok .

I actually didn't replace any pre-existing wire. I just added another line from the postive post (on the top of my yellow top) to the alternator. Should I fuse this?

 

[MikeCallery]

I don't know if the existing wire has a fuse. I know that it goes down to a red battery box and I'll be checking this tomorrow.

Obviously if the existing wire does not have a fuse, then you are not doing anything different by adding an additional wire.

Regardless of that fact, and I did not add a fuse to mine, yet, it is always a good idea to do it. Granted, additional expense but safety over expense always!

 

[MikeCallery]

If I were to put an ANL fuse in the connection from the alternator to the battery, can someone advise on what size? I know the alternator is between 160 amp and 200 amps, not sure which, so would I get a 200 amp ANL fuse?

 

[WrenchGuy]

Fuse to the capacity of the wire or just better than the amperage through it. I have a 250 amp if you need it.

 

[ayeplussjr]

I thought it was best to fuse the output of the alternator so if his alternator is 160amps (which mine is) I wouldn't want to go with anything higher than that, right? So..a 150 amp ANL fuse or a 100 amp ANL fuse should work fine for me, I hope. Please correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks!!

 

[MikeCallery]

Question then. If the alternator is putting out 160 amps, I would think that the least you would want is 160. Wouldn't a 100 blow almost all the time?

I'm just looking at the numbers and have no knowledge of this, but that's likely obvious.

 

[greengumby]

I thought it was best to fuse the output of the alternator so if his alternator is 160amps (which mine is) I wouldn't want to go with anything higher than that, right? So..a 150 amp ANL fuse or a 100 amp ANL fuse should work fine for me, I hope. Please correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks!!

This WAS a typo I hope ?????

MikeCallery and WrenchGuy are correct..you should go with a bigger fuse if the alternator is a 160 amp you should go with a 200 amp fuse ..even at peak voltage the alternator is only maxing out at 160 amps.. never go smaller
you will only over heat the fuse and pop every time

 

[FergHoe]

Why even fuse it? your only running a new wire parallel to another OEM wire that is not fused.

Are you planing on wraping it around something that it can ground out on? Just keep it up out of the way and you will be fine.

 

[ayeplussjr]

This WAS a typo I hope ?????

MikeCallery and WrenchGuy are correct..you should go with a bigger fuse if the alternator is a 160 amp you should go with a 200 amp fuse ..even at peak voltage the alternator is only maxing out at 160 amps.. never go smaller
you will only over heat the fuse and pop every time

No...not a typo just a misunderstanding on my part. Yeah...it didn't make sense to have anything less than 160amps, because the fuse would just pop all the time, but glad I asked the question

 

[greengumby]

Why even fuse it? your only running a new wire parallel to another OEM wire that is not fused.

Are you planing on wraping it around something that it can ground out on? Just keep it up out of the way and you will be fine.

X2

 

[MikeCallery]

I think our reason for thinking of fusing it, simply, was that we didn't know if the OEM wire was fused and if it was, then fusing the aux wire would be an intelligent move. Obviously there is no need to that's that!

 

[Chasmanian]

The stock cable is actually fusiblelink

 

[WrenchGuy]

The stock cable is actually fusiblelink

Word! I chance hitting a deer! If you get in an accident you wont fry the wire or cause it catch something else on fire if its fused. Its mostly a safety precaution and I gotta get mine fused here quick like....lol

 

[My3wags]

The stock cable is actually fusiblelink

Long time watcher first time poster.

but as for the fusible linlk that is Correct. It will usually say it on the wire.

The fusible link is a short section of wire that has a smaller diameter than the rest of the circuit. When current flow in the circuit exceeds that of the fusible link, the wire melts and interrupts the circuit. The capacity of fusible links is usually 30 amps or more than that of standard fuses. If you pull the link out you need to fuse it.

Good luck

sneak peak of our R&D

 

[MikeCallery]

??? O.K. I have been at work all day and I'm tired, but am I seeing two alternators????????

 

[My3wags]

Yep !! each cranking out a true 250 amps!!!! They do 125 to 135 each at idle. Just one of these do in idle what a stock unit does at max output !!!

so far the setup is working real nice....

 

[MikeCallery]

You said "just one of these". I thought the OEM did 160? That is what I seem to hear.

Can you tell us a little more about the alternators?