multi question post

Thanks for the pep talk...I believe your correct with the overwhelming of info. I just need to sit balk n do one at a time I mean ive gotten this far considering I got it on a trailer all taken apart and in crates ... A local helping hand would be awesome (hint hint to locals)
 
No doubt, you've come along way. Its too bad you don't live closer to my neck of the woods. Me an the other fat white boys hereabouts wud be proud ta take ya under our wing and do wut we cud ta git ya lerned up guudr on sailor jerry and binder fixin'. There's gotta be some capable folks willing to lend a hand in the greater la la land vicinity, I just can't think of any at the moment.
 
Ok guys so I need to get power to the fuse panel and am wondering if I have it correct? So I wired up everything the way kwikwire suggested but have a couple head scratchers for you smart guys...in the instructions do I need the jumper wire on the alternator? I need a wire for the fuse panel and ammeter to give everything power? Does the power come from the alt. Battery lug up to the + marked side of ammeter gauge? Where does the - side go to? Wire gauge suggested for these connections? Thanks
 
My rough illustration
 

Attachments

  • 11.jpg
    11.jpg
    20.2 KB · Views: 210
That will work, but will not correct for the voltage drop in the wire from the alt to the fuse block. You want to run a 10ga from the post to the fuse block and separate 12 or 14ga wire from the voltage sense blade on the alt to same spot of the fuse block where the big wire from the alt goes. This will guarantee that you have 13.6 vdc at the fuse block and not at the alternator terminal.
 
The kwikwire instructions appear at least to me, a little contradictory with regards to the circuits that run from the fuse panel to the alternator. On page 9, the diagram indicates that #15 red 10ga runs from the fuse panel directly to the #2 alternator post, with a jumper from there to the alt bat post. But if you look at page 10 which breaks down the variations for alternator wiring from make to make, specifically looking at the GM 3-wire example, it clearly shows #15 red terminating at the bat post with a jumper from there to the #2 alt terminal. To me this 2nd example must be the way they intended, but failed to illustrate clearly on page 9.
#14 white 16ga then runs from the fuse panel to the #1 alt terminal. This is the exciter or voltage sense wire. So where is the voltage drop taking place in this scenario? Why would it be necessary to make additional wire runs when all necessary wires appear to be present and accounted for? The only ones that aren't accounted for are the runs needed to make the stock ammeter gauge function.
 
The voltage drop takes place in the 10 wire between the alt and the fuse block. Lots of amps on that wire when all the accessories are on during a cold dark rainy night. The jumper will cause the alt to output 13.6vdc at the post. Running a separate wire to the fuse block will get you 13.6 at the fuse block.

This is the problem with 1 wire alternators and why standard 10si delco has the extra connections. If they could have saved a nickle and gotten good service without them they would have.
 
Isn't that voltage drop figure you site likely to be much lower when you consider that an alternator's continuous output, even under moderate load is generally well below the maximum output rating? The high amp situation you describe via the 10ga wire is going to happen either way, isn't it? Otherwise an 18ga wire would be sufficient for that circuit. The other issue I wonder about is, just where exactly on the kwikwire fuse panel should a person connect this additional wire you say needs to be run from the alternator? Its basically a sealed unit from what I've seen. I understand cost reduction principles, but I just can't see the manufacture of this kit employing some wiring method that would be so conspicuously detrimental to safe charging system function. Its not like adding one wire to the kit would affect the price at all if it was really a necessity. I'm no electrician and I'm not trying to be argumentative. All I'm trying to to do is make some sense out of this suggested modification to a kit that was researched, developed and gets sold in quantity every day.
 
Yes I did quote a worst case scenario and yes the wire will handle the current either way. The difference is the voltage that will be delivered to the fuse block and also the battery. The additional sensing wire will allow the alt to increase voltage to over come the loss in the 10ga wire.

The sense wire should go to the same terminal on the fuse block as the 10ga wire.

The method that's in the drawing for the kit, as I said, will work, but it is less than optimal under heavy load conditions. The primary detriment I see would be dim lights and an under charged battery.

Here's a couple of articles on the subject:
catalog

catalog
 
Thanks for those attached articles. After reading them I now have a better understanding of what you were saying earlier and it does makes sense to me. I guess the kit makers just assume the majority of their customers are running high output, 1-wire alternators. I dunno, it seems like it would have been so simple for them to run the remote sensing wire to the fuse panel and do away with the short jumper idea. No real cost difference would be realized by doing so.
 
Your welcome! I'm not the best writer so I thought the articles would help. There's lots of mis-info around this subject.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top