Generator to Alternator

[sprink88]

Can I use the Gen voltage reg or do I need the alt one? OR just go with a one wire and cut everything out? Help, id allreciated, PICTURES are better. lol

Thanks!!!

[canadian_ranchero]

the voltage regulator needs to match the alternator 

[wv 57s forever]

            I like my 1 wire.

[sprink88]

I just ordered my 1 wire. What do I do with the old generator voltage regulator?

[oldave57]

When I installed my 1-Wire alternator, I left the voltage regulator in place just as it was, but disconnected and tied back the wire harness that had been connected at the generator.  I wrapped each of the leads (Field, Ground, and Output) individually and then wrapped them together and tied them back to the frame just in case I would ever want to re-install the generator (doubt if that will ever happen).  The regulator can just sit there and not have any effect on the rest of the wiring.

The only connection needed from the alternator is to add a supply wire (need something with good size gauge such as #6) from the alternator to the battery side of the starter solenoid.  The alternator has its own internal regulator and nothing else is needed.

You will lose your generator light with this setup, however.  I added a digital voltmeter which I like much better than the light because it gives much more information. 

Good luck with your installation.  Mine has worked very well and I really like the output of the alternator, particularly since I added air conditioning and electric cooling fan at the same time.

Regards,
Dave

[sprink88]

Thanks Dave! I was afraid on any other wiring that was connected with the V.R.. Next thing I would have known my headlights wouldnt work. lol.

You said run a wire to pos side to batter side of solenoid. I thought it was supposed to go directly to the battery? Or does it matter?

I also have a gauge, just need to install it, I think this will be the best upgrade, every once in a while my gen light would flicker a little bit.

[oldave57]

Hello Chris,

Connecting the output wire to the positive side of the starter solenoid is actually the same thing as connecting directly to the battery, it just provides a convenient connecting point so you don't have an extra wire running to the positive post of the battery.  The positive battery cable connects directly to the same post on the starter solenoid so you are in effect connecting directly to the battery, so you could really do it either way that works best for you.

Good luck on your installation.
Dave

[sprink88]

That sounds great since my battery is in the trunk!

[SkylinerRon]

If your battery is in the trunk the solenoid should be also.
So the + battery cable is only hot when starting.

Ron.

[lalessi1]

That is an interesting comment. On all the rear battery "conversions" I have seen the cable is hot from the rear of the car to the front. Unswitched power is used for a lot of stuff besides starting; lights, cigarette lighter, etc. If you put the starter solenoid in the trunk you would need to do considerable wiring harness mods or run a heavy gauge "hot" wire to the front anyway. I do see your point but I have always left the solenoid where it is.

[sprink88]

I had just moved battery to trunk. Not solenoid yet.

Regardless of which way I go, there will be a hot constant running up. So I am torn as what to do.

[lalessi1]

My battery cable from the trunk is made from welding cable. You still will need to run a few smaller gauge wires...you need the wires to the solenoid as well.

[SkylinerRon]

The "fat" wire only carries juice to the starter. Only the starter needs it.
You have to run a 8 or 10 gauge wire just like the one that is on your front solenoid for lights,
and all other equipment.
The safety idea is to not have full battery power live all the time. A short and an instant fire the other way.

Goodluck,

Ron.

[oldave57]

Moving the battery to the trunk makes for some interesting problems with the electrical circuits.  The best place (of course) is the shortest distance for the heavily loaded circuits such as the starting and charging circuits, but you apparently have some space challenges with the battery in the engine compartment.

If you leave the starter solenoid where it is (on the fender well in the engine compartment), you will only need to run two large wires to the trunk (I assume that you will also want to run a negative cable from the engine to the trunk and not rely on the frame ground for completing the highest load of the engine starter, which can run around 250 amps).  Of course, you will need to be very careful of the routing, and placing the positive cable in some type of conduit such as PVC tubing, would be a good idea.  Another high load circuit would be the output of the alternator (most can produce upwards of 100 Amps) that could be transferred through the large positive cable rather than individual wires running all the way to the battery if the solenoid remains where it is (you could just connect from the alternator to the battery side of the solenoid with a 6 to 10 gauge wire). 

By moving the battery all the way to the trunk, you have around 15 feet of additional wire to contend with and the larger cable can do a much better job of transferring current than smaller wires can (if you look at the attached wire size chart, you can see that 100 Amps need a 1/0 gauge wire size at 14 feet and over) and the installation would be much less complicated.

Another source of information would be to check how OEM's handle trunk battery installations.  There are several that I know of that have trunk batteries (Buick Rivieras and some Olds models I know had trunk batteries).  If you can get your hands on some technical information from these models, it would be worth looking.

Good luck on your installation.
Dave

[lalessi1]

Thanks for the wiring chart!!! That is a good thing to have.