Some of you know I installed some e-fans in my truck with a nelson harness and am still waiting on Jesse for my WFM tune.
Anyway, I needed a new alternator too becuase the fans sucked up so much power. So I got a 160A and put it in and ran a 4 awg wire from the alternator to the psitive battery.
Problems:

voltage meter is still at the same spot as it was with the factory 105A(pretty low at idle)
things under the engine are hot as hell, although the temp guage is fine

The wire from the alt to the battery isnt fused, sould it be? how big of a fuse and what kind?

Is it neccessary that I run 4 awg from battery negative to chassis, chassis to engine block too?

Let me know what you guys think

 

bump.

 

Well I Am Having The Same Problems With Mine I Am Running 4 Wag Wire Today And I Am Adding A Few Grounds.
Let Me Know If U Find Something Before Me.

 

 

http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forums/...d.php?t=120517

The larger power wire is only as good as the ground you provide. Grounds should be the same size wire as the power wires. Does the alternator require a different idle to charge? It might be necessary to have the idle bumped slightly up to compensate for this alternator's requirements. Only way to find out the alt's requirements are to ask the alt builder...

As I told ya on the phone this weekend...it's not NECESSARY to fuse the wire from the alt to the battery, but HIGHLY recommended.

Pat

 

Check the pulley size on the 105 amp vs the 160 amp. I agree 100% with the comment about the grounds, if you upgrade the power wire you need to upgrade the ground wires as well (battery (-) to chassis and engine block to chassis). I have been running 1/0 gauge wiring off my 200 amp alternator with no fuse and have been fine for 2 years now. I doubt you'd need it, but it never hurts to be safe.

 

it's funny...I preach to run a fuse there, but have been too cheap and lazy to actually fuse mine...:LOL:

 

I've asked this before, but nobody seems to know for sure...I was under the impression that the factory B+ wire to the alternator was a fusible link designed to melt if current gets too high...is this true? I've toyed with the idea of upgrading the "big 3", but don't like the idea of not having over-current protection.

 

I don't know if it's a fusible link, but the run from alt to battery is so short that I hardly think it's worth having a fuse in there. Just my opinion, obviously, but they always say fuse a power wire within 18" of the battery, and the whole wire isn't much longer than 18".