1 wire alternator swap

[RJRENTON]

I believe the big 120 amp alternators from the 70s 80s were rubber mounted.. requiring a very large ground trap.

It's an over voltage (PRV or Postive Reverse Voltage) of the individual diode being exceeded, issue NOT a "ground trap"...what ever that is...???
BOB RENTON

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

Yes, but once you connect the original black wire to the alternator stud as well as running a 4 awg wire to the + battery post your amp gauge becomes irrelevant. It’s also a good idea to put an inline fuse between the alternator and your battery in your new wire.

There are other more serious concerns about that “under-hood” by-pass that those who promote it don’t talk about, especially without any circuit protection at all. 4ga directly between the alternator and the battery?

 

[RemCharger]

It's an over voltage (PRV or Postive Reverse Voltage) of the individual diode being exceeded, issue NOT a "ground trap"...what ever that is...???
BOB RENTON

Haha good point. Ground "strap" .

 

[RJRENTON]

Haha good point. Ground "strap" .

I believe "most" alternator's have DELTA (no neutral point) connected stator windings, although maybe some of the Leece-Neville or high amp GM 12SI units have WYE (the end point is the common connection) connected stator windings. This neutral point is used to operate a field relay/indicator light system.....WHAT is this ground strap you noted?? There is nothing grounded in an alternator except the negative end of the negative diodes array. Please describe....
BOB RENTON

 

[70ChargerRT]

You don't need any ground wires to the alternator.

Yes he does lol.

I believe "most" alternator's have DELTA (no neutral point) connected stator windings, although maybe some of the Leece-Neville or high amp GM 12SI units have WYE (the end point is the common connection) connected stator windings. This neutral point is used to operate a field relay/indicator light system.....WHAT is this ground strap you noted?? There is nothing grounded in an alternator except the negative end of the negative diodes array. Please describe....
BOB RENTON

 

[RJRENTON]

Yes he does lol.

Another useless presentation as to WHY this ground is required....doesn't show where the test/sample point is...just a few tenths of a volt difference. It's a commercial for power master alternators......a sham or gospel for the uneducated, who also believe that pigs can fly......
BOB RENTON

 

[70ChargerRT]

Another useless presentation as to WHY this ground is required....doesn't show where the test/sample point is...just a few tenths of a volt difference. It's a commercial for power master alternators......a sham or gospel for the uneducated, who also believe that pigs can fly......
BOB RENTON

I tell you what. I’ll go out in a bit and test this myself and see if this is just a shame. I mean what the hell would powermaster really be getting out of it telling you, you need to ground the alternator. Tuff stuff tells you the same thing in any high amp application. I’m really disappointed in your post by saying it’s for the uneducated and it just wasn’t a few tenths, it was almost a complete volt. You can do better than that Bob.

 

[RJRENTON]

I tell you what. I’ll go out in a bit and test this myself and see if this is just a shame. I mean what the hell would powermaster really be getting out of it telling you, you need to ground the alternator. Tuff stuff tells you the same thing in any high amp application. I’m really disappointed in your post by saying it’s for the uneducated and it just wasn’t a few tenths, it was almost a complete volt. You can do better than that Bob.

Out of curiosity....since the alternator is bolted/attached to the engine block via its mounting hardware AND the battery's negative cable is also bolted to the engine block, HOW is adding a separate ground "connection" to the alternator's frame beneficial? Where is this cable terminated....at each end (pix please)? Sort of like having a belt and suspenders issue or two fuses in parallel, which, BTW, does not offer 2x the protection of one fuse. Too many "uneducated" people believe in these 2 minute presentations as gospel, shown without any real explanation using the DFL factor as proof.....I'm from Missouri....SHOW ME. FYI....I've NEVER GROUNDED an alternator externally .....
BOB RENTON

 

[pnora]

Out of curiosity....since the alternator is bolted/attached to the engine block via its mounting hardware AND the battery's negative cable is also bolted to the engine block, HOW is adding a separate ground "connection" to the alternator's frame beneficial? Where is this cable terminated....at each end (pix please)? Sort of like having a belt and suspenders issue or two fuses in parallel, which, BTW, does not offer 2x the protection of one fuse. Too many "uneducated" people believe in these 2 minute presentations as gospel, shown without any real explanation using the DFL factor as proof.....I'm from Missouri....SHOW ME. FYI....I've NEVER GROUNDED an alternator externally .....
BOB RENTON

In that video he claims the brackets are powder coated. So I suspect in that case with the brackets being coated and the alternator being coated there is a loss of ground. If the case was grounded properly there would be no need for the extra ground wire. I also suspect that they see returned alternators under warranty because of poor grounding. Hence the add the ground wire. Myself I never had to add a separate ground.

 

[Don selleck]

 

[RJRENTON]

In that video he claims the brackets are powder coated. So I suspect in that case with the brackets being coated and the alternator being coated there is a loss of ground. If the case was grounded properly there would be no need for the extra ground wire. I also suspect that they see returned alternators under warranty because of poor grounding. Hence the add the ground wire. Myself I never had to add a separate ground.

All one needs to do is remove the "power coating" from the brackets where the alternator and mounting hardware contact the block and perhaps use shake proof lock washers (either internal or external types) to insure secure contact and not use any external "ground" wires....
BOB RENTON

 

[BLK 68 R/T]

IMO....With an inline fuse in the circuit, IF the inline fuse fails (for whatever reason), the diodes of the alternator will be damaged due to excessive voltage applied across the diodes ....the alternator MUST be connected to a load to prevent excessive voltage from being generated.
BOB RENTON

Guess I was under the impression that in this case the original wiring to the amp guage and fusible to the battery would remain in addition to the extra #4 wire. It would take a failure of both fuses to fry the alternator.

 

[70ChargerRT]

All one needs to do is remove the "power coating" from the brackets where the alternator and mounting hardware contact the block and perhaps use shake proof lock washers (either internal or external types) to insure secure contact and not use any external "ground" wires....
BOB RENTON

I’ll let you know in a bit. I grounded mine anyways. What’s it hurt? It’s all hidden. It’s better to overground anyways. I bet there is way more cars under grounded than they are over grounded. I’m running a sniper also. My engine is grounded, both heads are grounded so I’m curious now if they’ll be any difference.

 

[RJRENTON]

I’ll let you know in a bit. I grounded mine anyways. What’s it hurt? It’s all hidden. It’s better to overground anyways. I bet there is way more cars under grounded than they are over grounded. I’m running a sniper also. My engine is grounded, both heads are grounded so I’m curious now if they’ll be any difference.

What is a SNIPER???...As far as being redundant, why not carry 2 or 3 extra spare tires or an extra muffler or an extra fuel pump.....just in case....??....
BOB RENTON

 

[70ChargerRT]

What is a SNIPER???...As far as being redundant, why not carry 2 or 3 extra spare tires or an extra muffler or an extra fuel pump.....just in case....??....

Thats not the same Bob. Make it make sense if you’re going to reply.

 

[RJRENTON]

Thats not the same Bob. Make it make sense if you’re going to reply.

It's a free country....I can do or say what ever I want....whether you agree or not.....BTW...it's exactly the same....
BOB RENTON

 

[451Mopar]

There are other more serious concerns about that “under-hood” by-pass that those who promote it don’t talk about, especially without any circuit protection at all. 4ga directly between the alternator and the battery?

The video explains the wiring changes needed.
You don't even have to get under the dash to mess with the ammeter, it will just read zero all the time, so it isn't useful, and could be taken out of the circuit, but not required.
The large new alternator output wire should have a slow reacting fuse at close to the battery as you can. A 100 Amp (or even smaller, depends on alternator output and alternator output wire size) mega-fuse is good.
As mentioned, remove the original 10 / 12 AWG alternator output line and feed its bulkhead connection in parallel with the battery bulkhead connection, both protected by the fusible link.

 

[70ChargerRT]

There are other more serious concerns about that “under-hood” by-pass that those who promote it don’t talk about, especially without any circuit protection at all. 4ga directly between the alternator and the battery?

From the Alt to the Battery it has to go through the fusible link.

 

[70ChargerRT]

The video explains the wiring changes needed.
You don't even have to get under the dash to mess with the ammeter, it will just read zero all the time, so it isn't useful, and could be taken out of the circuit, but not required.
The large new alternator output wire should have a slow reacting fuse at close to the battery as you can. A 100 Amp (or even smaller, depends on alternator output and alternator output wire size) mega-fuse is good.
As mentioned, remove the original 10 / 12 AWG alternator output line and feed its bulkhead connection in parallel with the battery bulkhead connection, both protected by the fusible link.

You dont need any type fuse on the alt wire going to the battery. The power still goes through the fusible link with this set up. You’ll smoke the link way before you’ll pop that fuse unless someone has done a hack job on wiring the alt wire to the battery and you grounded it out there and that’s why you said hook it close to the battery and as stated in the video go ahead and bypass the ammeter, hooking the red to the black. I run more electronics than anyone. Excuse the dirty engine bay. Im cleaning it today. I accidentally grounded out the battery cable one time on my old harness with this same set up and it smoked the fusible link. They work good.

 

[451Mopar]

You dont need any type fuse on the alt wire going to the battery.

True, without the fuse for the new cable going from Battery to the alternator the cable could become the fuse if there is a short. These large fuses near the battery are really to protect the battery from excessive discharge if there is a short on the large wires connecting starter and alternator. Most of the starter and alternator wires are oversized to reduce voltage loss at high currents, so they can handle several hundred amps for a time before being damaged, but the constant battery discharge could damage the battery.
If the wires are properly routed, there is pretty low risk of a bad short to ground unless in an accident, or the alternator output stud shorts out.
I confess that when I first converted my car, I did it wrong by leaving the original alternator output wire connected. No shorts so no harm done, but someone pointed out the new alternator wire to battery cable was by-passing the fusible link, making it useless if there was a short.
That is why I like these forums, get to discuss and learn from them.