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I have 1/0 going from the alt- then to the battery- and from the battery 1/0 to the starter.
Can you actually provide a technical explanation of the difference between running 1/0 from the alternator to the battery with another 1/0 run from the solenoid to the battery VS running a 1/0 from the alternator to the solenoid and 1/0 from the solenoid to the battery?
How about this?
A good group 78 battery (like an Optima red top) has 0.003 ohms of resistance when fully charged.
A 8' piece of 1/0 wire (the one between the battery and solenoid) has about 0.0009 ohms of resistance.
So, adding the 8' piece of 1/0 wire onto the battery changes the resistance from 0.003 ohms to 0.0039 ohms.
Lets see, at 100A of ripple current 0.003 ohms = 0.3 volts and 0.0039 ohms = 0.39 volts. Lets call it 0.3 volts vs 0.4 volts to keep it simple. We can say the wire terminations add a little extra resistance.
Based on this, I'm just not seeing any significant advantage gained between using the solenoid vs going directly to the battery. By wiring directly to the battery you might reduce the ripple voltage by something around 0.1 volts when the car is running with a very heavy electrical load. This is well below being significant to any load in your car. Running multiple new wires to the battery only succeeds in lightening your wallet.
Last edited by lionelhutz; Jun 24, 2016 at 11:31 PM.
1. GM normally uses two fans with performance related engines. The mis80's tune ports, Mid 90's LT1's and LSx engines from the factory.
2. If one motor fails you still have some air flow to help while you get out of traffic and pull off. With a single motor set up if the motor fails you have real problem. I've had a single fan set ups have a motor fail several times. One time in a construction done without pull off. The engine survived but I will never have a single electric fan set up again by choice.
Originally Posted by The13Bats
I went with dual fans to get higher cfm air flow at idle where the fans are needed, there is a single fan I know of that will fit a corvette radiator that puts out the 4000cfm my duals do,
I like the duals I got that have a shroud that covers most of the radiator and doesn't leave some out wasted to some degree,
I wasn't concerned with how much dual fans consumed over a single fan as I upgraded my wiring and charging system,
I run both fans on low then both fans on high,
Many people here use one fan and are happy so it just boils down to personal preference.
The stock wiring is marginal for stock headlights most people agree that larger wire and at least relays not the headlight switch should carry the load.
1. GM normally uses two fans with performance related engines. The mis80's tune ports, Mid 90's LT1's and LSx engines from the factory.
2. If one motor fails you still have some air flow to help while you get out of traffic and pull off. With a single motor set up if the motor fails you have real problem. I've had a single fan set ups have a motor fail several times. One time in a construction done without pull off. The engine survived but I will never have a single electric fan set up again by choice.
Very true. Plus, you have to wire the relays the right way to get the most redundancy. There will be 2 main relays, one for each fan. You should provide separate fused main power for each of these relays. It's no good having one fuse - if one of the fans or a wire to a fan shorts out and blows the fuse for both fans then you have no cooling. If you want more redundancy then fuse each relay coil separately as well.
If you do 2-speed then there is a 3rd relay that connects the fans in series for low speed. Since this connects between the fans you don't fuse the main power but you just fuse the coil. It can use the same coil fuse as one of the main relays because if that main relay doesn't work then still powering this one doesn't matter.
I do find it a little sad to see you using junky terminals like those on the top right. After all the time you spent to make the wiring so pretty and you'll be messing it up when you have to replace them.
Every time Ive used a store-bought fuse socket or relay socket with that type of terminal it FAILED in any application with a current above about 10A. headlight relays, headlight fuses, fan relays, fan fuse. They all kept failing until I quit using that type of terminal.
This is the only type of terminal I will use for relay sockets now. They simply make a WAY better connection. A good old Packard 56 terminal.
The block is nice, but save yourself the future grief and use a better terminal on the power connections.
Last edited by lionelhutz; Jun 25, 2016 at 07:42 PM.
Guys, I have for the second time closed this thread and cleaned up all the bickering, name calling and pot stirring. If you have had posts removed in one of these reviews, you have been contacted by me or you have received forum sanctions, its because you engaged in hostility and namecalling or you are clearly goading someone into a dispute. There's a few people involved so far, so please don't feel that someone else started it. Do not engage in this stuff further, as they will result in Summer vacations.
Please report posts that you feel are instigating something, rather than participate, and let the other guy go to the penalty box.
Last edited by vettebuyer6369; Jun 25, 2016 at 10:13 PM.
Reason: note after review #2
Yes, this style of connector has been around for decades. But, they need the correct crimper tool to assemble them properly.
you know what I am having issues with the last several years is the females that fit on blades never have much spring or bite anymore some seem like they are just gonna fall off, I seldom find old good ones.
Last edited by The13Bats; Jun 25, 2016 at 11:16 PM.
you know what I am having issues with the last several years is the females that fit on blades never have much spring or bite anymore some seem like they are just gonna fall off, I seldom find old good ones.
It's been awhile since I bought some, the last time I got a bag full. Anyway, my last order was from Ron Francis http://www.ronfrancis.com/ . The male connector is not just a spade connector, take a look - http://www.ronfrancis.com/prodinfo.asp?number=FM%2D8
I use these connectors along with their connector housings.
you know what I am having issues with the last several years is the females that fit on blades never have much spring or bite anymore some seem like they are just gonna fall off, I seldom find old good ones.
Guess you got them from the wrong place? The last few batches I've got were great quality and 100% better than that rounded edge junk. Unfortunately, the last place was a little business that closed.
And yes BlackC4vette, you need a crimping tool for them, but then you need the proper crimp tool for pretty much every wire terminal so it's no big deal getting one for these.
Last edited by lionelhutz; Jun 25, 2016 at 11:21 PM.
I buy my electrical stuff from a place that wires coast guard boats, I even get silver coated copper wire. If they don't have it they get it.when I wired my headlights per Daniel sterns instructions they offered to assemble the harness. I did it myself but they checked everything for me. Plug and play. They have some really cool stuff and very high quality. Probably overkill for a car.
Guess you got them from the wrong place? The last few batches I've got were great quality and 100% better than that rounded edge junk. Unfortunately, the last place was a little business that closed.
And yes BlackC4vette, you need a crimping tool for them, but then you need the proper crimp tool for pretty much every wire terminal so it's no big deal getting one for these.
Like any tool out there, you have your range of quality. The "good" connectors that you have displayed show thick bending tabs. The cheaper quality tool does not do a good job of redirecting the tab into its proper position. It may do it with a connector with thinner bending tabs, but not the better one. My suggestion to the forum members is don't go cheap on this tool, get a good one (ratcheting is even better).
Guess you got them from the wrong place? The last few batches I've got were great quality and 100% better than that rounded edge junk. Unfortunately, the last place was a little business that closed.
And yes BlackC4vette, you need a crimping tool for them, but then you need the proper crimp tool for pretty much every wire terminal so it's no big deal getting one for these.
Super cool place 20 years ago, they had military cast offs all kinds of cool lights switches etc, my trike wiring has "upper turret" stamped on some of it,
But they slipped, now they sell a lot of import stuff, not good import stuff cheap import stuff as does solar energy supply places.
The last bunch of stuff I bought was like 7t9l82 said from the boat marine world and was great stuff,
and yes, BlackC3vette I buy the best tools I can find.
Last edited by The13Bats; Jun 25, 2016 at 11:51 PM.
Super cool place 20 years ago, they had military cast offs all kinds of cool lights switches etc, my trike wiring has "upper turret" stamped on some of it,
But they slipped, now they sell a lot of import stuff, not good import stuff cheap import stuff as does solar energy supply places.
The last bunch of stuff I bought was like 7t9l82 said from the boat marine world and was great stuff,
and yes, BlackC3vette I buy the best tools I can find.
Ha, I would like to say the same for me. I got a crimper that I had to fight with and I said enough, so I bought a really good one (not cheap) and my son takes it to work with him.
Relay and fuse the headlights. This prevents the current from running through the stock fuse box and headlight switch.
I replace all the 1156/1157 light bulbs with LED equivalent on my old cars. Less current through the fuse box, etc... Your electrical system will thank you.
If you have access to a clamp-on amp meter, you can measure how much current gets drawn out of the alternator. You'll know if it is big enough.
I just spotted this thread, and since I bought my '72 vert in '95, and me being an olde tyme ET from over 1/2 a century now, I did it all MY way.....a 10 SI alt, on a serp drive from a '88-91 vette, I ran a slightly heavier/longer wire from alt. out stud, down the valve cover along the firewall, and out the fender to the stock horney relay, as I revall it's 8 ga, the charge wire to the starter stud is stock ga.....I think also a 8 ga,, but I maybe rong....fuse link in there is stock....
I have an aluminum rad, only single core, but added dual Spal fans some years ago, controlled by the FI computer both on/off at same relay , and the main power wire goes to that relay mounted on top of the shrouds, so I just took a short factory type fuse link and ran it to the alt out stud, and then up/over the fan belt, to the main power on the relay, short and sweet, KISS principal....long since changed over to aftermarket gauges, except speedo and tach, which is later shark electric....so I use a voltmeter the way GOD intended.....my 10SI will put out about 108 amps, and it never goes to discharge at idle, part of that reason is the serp drive/small pulley....
I highly recommend serp drive conversions, mainly because the pitch of the V on V belt drives was changed due to metric conversion...you all with V belt drives, note the belts ride much lower on the V of the pulley, second off is the belts make almost no contact at the bottom of the V, being Metric they ride on the top of the V, and the back of the belt is cupped up and the edges are worn.....this makes for lousy traction on driving a newer high demand alt......
Yes, going directly off the battery is the proper way to wire your stereo system....no need to change a damn thing in your stock wiring harness.....may want an ign. controlled relay to the main control unit in the dash though, and use a dedicated ground wire from the bat to system ground....today I don't have any tunes in my vette, being a convertible with dual Maggie flows, and headers, and traffic being what is.....I really don't NEED any more noise.....
SO the 6x9's in the back deck are silent for some years now...oh well....
Get a CS144 and be done with it, you may have to mod your factory bracket if you are using them. I did.
I got mine, brand new (not rebuilt) from www.alternatorparts.com , mine is the CS144 HD. It was about $200 and has a bunch of upgrades...Its over 100 amps at idle.
I have AC, stereo with an AMP, Lincoln MKVIII fan that pulls 35 amps continuosly etc.. With everything on that I can possible turn on electrically, this alternator still holds 13.5v at the battery or more when fully heat soaked... Its been on for about 13k miles...Obviously you will need to upgrade your cables and charge wires.
For cables, I just used reproduction oem big block battery cables, I don't recall the size but they are pretty big..probably like 4 ga. Then I added an 8 ga charge from the horn relay straight back to the battery. Since going this CS144, I've had no issues maintaining over 13.4v at any time..
Now my first CS144 was a part store special and it would NOT keep up at idle... I'd often see 12.8v at idle at the battery....that wasnt going to cut it.. With a solid 13.5-13.8v all the time, my lights are brighter, even the dashlights are bright at night like a new car...
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
DSCN5029 by Richard Hayes, on Flickr
