Serious questions about the 130 amp alternator upgrade

[87gtVIC]

Getting around time that I get the swap complete, but here am seeing a shitload of different information on how the swap should be handled and preformed. So which way is correct, WAY to much info about the same topic being thrown around and it is entirely confusing. I am hearing that:

you just bolt in the new alternator. Plug in the regulator harness. Cut the thin wire from the three plugged plug (two fats and one thin) and stick that for the strator and run a charge cable.

I am also hearing that you should do all of the above BUT also put a ring terminal on the two fat wires and stick them on the output stud in addition to the charge cable.

I am also hearing about some self excite :bs: that gets thrown on the charge stud.

WTF is a guy to do? which way is correct?

[gadget73]

You can use the fat wires, however I would not. My reason for not using the existing charge cables at all is simply because its easier to fuse a single wire. The existing cables have fuse links designed for the 65 amp alternator. No idea what the actual rating is. Add another cable, and you have to try and guesstimate the fuse on that so it blows at the same time the old fuse links open, otherwise you may as well not have any fuse there. My electrical skills aren't good enough to figure that out, so I run one cable with one fuse and call it a day.

The other wire that gets hooked to the charge stud is the yellow wire. Its originally routed to the starter solenoid as the battery sense wire. As long as that sees battery voltage, it works. Since you have battery voltage at the charge stud, you can hook it there. You can also leave it where it is, but I chopped mine to make the harness as minimal as possible. Electrically speaking, its all the same but I wanted to be rid of that melted BS, so I cut it all out.

[87gtVIC]

So you are saying that if I just bolt in the new alternator. Plug in the regulator harness. Cut the thin wire from the three plugged plug (two fats and one thin) and stick that for the strator and run a charge cable i will be fine?

Because so many write -ups have different information.

too make it even easier.....If i install it the way the picture says will it work?



I am having trouble figuring why i need the self excite (yellow) wire when some people used it and some dont.

[Archangel]

The yellow (battery sense) wire is really what tells the alternator how hard to work - I'd imagine eliminating it entirely would cause it to go into full field, which does make for a real nice light show (especially at night, some cool blue glow they make), but is also supposed to be quite destructive. Onto your question - on some cars you can eliminate the entire factory charging harness, in which case you'd have to cut the yellow wire and loop it to the alternator power output stud. If you're retaining the factory charging harness there's no need to cut the wire, as it will be reading voltage drops at the fender-mount starter relay stud where all them wires come together. You can of course cut and loop the wire even if you're keeping the factory harness, but that's a bit too much work. Onto the issue whether to add ring terminals to the factory wires - again, if you're eliminating the harness you need to run a heavier new cable, but if you're retaining the harness then you can either ring them and have them carry part of the current, or just tape them off - for sake of decent looks I ringed my wires and I also added a 6-gauge charge cable. It's your call really.

Also, Thain, it don't matter when if the extra charge cable fuse burns at the same time the fusible links do - you need to rate it for the current the wire can safely handle, a 6-gauge cable can handle about 150 amps so this is what I'd have it fused at, either that or 175 amps. What happens when the factory links burn out is all the current will be transferred to the new cable, which is not a problem as long as the new cable is big enough to handle the full current.

[87gtVIC]

Thanks for your help thus far....
...so i guess I will then just ring those two fat cables together, place them on the output charge stud along with the new Taurus charge cable and fuse to the battery. I will use the single remaining wire on that plug (the stator) and plug that into its respective place on the alternator and then just plug the cars original voltage regulator into the new alternator. And then I will be ok?

[1990LTD]

yep.

[gadget73]

yep. The only wire from the original wiring harness you need is the green one. The rest you can eliminate. The yellow from the small regulator plug jumps to the output stud, the white jumps to the stator, and you're good to go. Thats what the picture shows, and its how my car is wired. It does work.

[87gtVIC]

The yellow from the small regulator plug jumps to the output stud, the white jumps to the stator, and you're good to go. Thats what the picture shows, and its how my car is wired. It does work.

But is is not necessary to jump it to the output stud if i am going to add a ring terminal to the two fat wires and places them on the stud and add a new charge wire and plug in the stator wire and plug in the regulator harness?

[87gtVIC]

The yellow from the small regulator plug jumps to the output stud, the white jumps to the stator, and you're good to go. Thats what the picture shows, and its how my car is wired. It does work.

But is is not necessary to jump it to the output stud if i am going to add a ring terminal to the two fat wires and places them on the stud and add a new charge wire and plug in the stator wire and plug in the regulator harness?...because it will self excite through the starter solenoid.

[PICKUP6772]

Dave,
Have you checked out the threads concerning this? Check out my thread "AND YET ANOTHER THREAD ABOUT 3G GOODNESS". They're all pretty much self explanitory (?). If you're still confused about it fell free to PM me. Maybe we can meet up half-way between our towns, and I can show you what I've got.
MIKE

[87gtVIC]

lol Yes i have checked the threads about it, but they all have different information.

[gadget73]

The yellow wire must be hooked up to something. It doesn't matter if you use the original yellow wire, or jump it, but it has to go somewhere that is at battery voltage. Don't jump it and use the original wiring though, or you'll create even more of a fusing mess. I honestly would not use any of the original wiring at all, except the green wire. The yellow wire is battery sense, not the exciter wire. Its what the voltage regulator uses to adjust output power.

[87gtVIC]

I am sorry that I am dragging this on and on, I just want it to go smoothly when the time comes. The last thing i need is for my know it all dad to say "see i told you so" when the car goes up in flames.

So you want me to do exactly as that photo I have shown above then. If so and you have it working that way i guess I will go ahead and do it that way.

[1980c10]

Just buy the rjm injection harness it is to cheap not to and it makes it so easy. I have one on my car and there power wire kit to the battery super nice products can't go wrong

[87gtVIC]

I have two regulator harnesses already, I'll be fine using one of those or my existing one. I have about three charge cables as well.