Ive moved the alternator postion on my 78 vette, trying to work what type of wire to buy for main live charge wire?(ive got a 63amp alt)

does that wire go directly back to the starter motor, and the starter motor is used as a junction, then it joins back onto main postive wire back to battery?, or does it go into a splice and then back to starter motor?

thanks

dave

 

anyone?

 

It takes a 12 guage wire and it's better to take it directly to the battery(not really an option on a C3)The starter terminal will work but I always like to keep the wires down there to a minimum. There should be a live terminal block under the hood somewhere that would be better..You can also take the larger of the two other wires and run it to the main alternator stud to simplify the situation. Some of them are that way fom the factory.

 

I would use a #10 stranded on your 63a alternator.

Buddy

 

Thanks for info, just been out buying 10 gauge automotive wire

if I decided to replace the exsisting wire's, does the main charge wire that goes to the starter motor, does that it go direct or does it go into fuse box and back out again??, and does there need to be a fuse link?, and if so what fuse size??

cheers

dave

 

Assuming that the 78 wasnt too different from the `76, here is what I know:

Both the red wires from the alternator join each other in the harness anyway, about 2 feet into it. Because of this I just took them at that splice and only ran one wire out and looped it back on the alternator to gain the same electrical path without as much mess. Some might disagree with this approach but on that short of a run and at stock alt rating, its not really an issue.

Now on the other side of this splice things are a little trickier. You indeed do want 2 wires as one goes directly to the starter lug where it meets the positive battery cable. The other one goes various places including the cabin and is part of the strange setup that drives the amp gauge (a thread unto itself, and assuming your year still had that and not volts gauge). I wouldn't monkey too much here unless you want to be buying a new gauge, Ill say this: you want a lighter fusible link on this line then on the other one. If the one to the starter opens before the one to the ammeter, its quite possible you will be spending $59.95. Again this supposes you have the ammeter, not the volts.

This brings us back to wire size. As stated above 10-12 stranded (the higher the number of the strands the better it's current carrying capability because the majority of actual current is carried in the outside edges of a wire) should be more than sufficient. Now I am usually a believer in "no wire size can be too big" but since you are going to be installing a fusible link of the appropriate size (right???) then its kind of pointless in this case.





You posted again while I was writing my dissertation - opinions range from 2-4 wire sizes down for the fusible link. You can do a search on that one. I think I went with 14. Remember that wire sizes only come in even numbers.

 

Thanks for that, some real usefull info there

cheers

dave

 

My pleasure. I get a lot of help here. If I can give back 10% then its a fair day. PM if you have specific questions. Im no expert, but Ive burnt enough stuff up that you dont have to Somebody here was passing out wiring diagrams for these cars. Do a search.... try ..."free wiring diagrams" let me know if you cant find it; I have his regular email addy somewhere.