Ordered a cs130/140 amp chrome alternator from PowerMaster today.Powermaster said I need too run a 6gauge wire from alternator too starter. My question is there are two wires coming off the starter, one goes too the alternator and the other one goes too various electrical systems, the one off the alternator even branches off. Do you splice the wire off the alternator onto the new wire? Any Help is Appreciated!

 

Alternator wire to starter is the same connection to the battery so basically you are running a bigger wire to the battery. Anything that runs off the alternator / battery ( which is everything in you car ) needs to have wires that are big enough to handle the current drawn by that particular device/light/lighter/radio/amp etc.

So if everything in your Vette now has the correct size wire plus applicable fuses then you will be OK. The alternator doesn't "force" any more current into a device than it needs.

Now if the reason for adding a high output alternator is because for example you put in electric fans or some other high current component then you want to run the power to them off the same connection at the starter

 

Did you buy an adapter or will you be hard wiring a store bought CS plug into your old harness?

I have a diagram if you are hard wiring the new plug.

 

Durango Boy, Thanks for your reply! I ordered a adapter plug from Powermaster along with the alternator, I asked about the adapter having a resistor and they said I didn't need one, but past archives have said its needed.I did get the resistor size off a previous archive so I could just buy one at Radio Shack and install it. I'm going too run a new wire off the alternator, I cann't see the difference in running a new wire from the alternator too the battery or too the starter considering they both would charge the battery. Thanks for any Help!

 

So long as you have a GEN light in your dash, and based on your year you should, then you won't need a resistor.

The heavy gauge wire from the BAT lug of the alternator is fine going down to the starter. This is also where you should power things like electric fans and electric water pumps when in the engine bay and farther from the battery.

 

PowerMaster is correct. The charge wire must be increased in size. You most likely bought this alternator due to the increased demand on the system. There are many articles out there that back this up. I researched this as well last year when I upgraded to a CS144 alternator. I can dig these links up for ya.

 

Kens80V and Durango Boy Thanks for your Help and Input. I ran my 6 gauge wire from battery to alternator.Just waiting on Alternator. I went too a bigger alternator because I'm running dual electric fans along with a stereo and amp set up. The electric fans relays are wired too the battery along with the amp, so I figured it would be better too run to the battery. Thanks for Input!

 

Please keep in mind that this new larger gauge wire should be fused. The factory wire has a fusible link to protect it but you can't get a fusible link to match your new larger wire as they aren't available. A blade style fuse can be purchased.

 

Should it be fused at both ends? Am I remembering correctly that the factory wire has fusible links at both the horn relay and the starter side?

His 6 gauge wire should be protected by 10 gauge fusible links. No one makes a 10 gauge fusible link?

DC

 

Largest fusible link is 12ga.