Battery relocation alternator wire

[1985olds]

Good afternoon,



I’m relocationing the battery on my 39 Chevy and using a ford starter solenoid for safety. Therefore, I have to run the alternator charge wire to the battery. Wire will be about 12’, what gauge do you guys think will be sufficient? Thank you.

[rocketrod]

Years ago I installed Mad Electric Full Power kit. It's a complete setup with high quality wire. However, given you already have some of the stuff review the wiring diagram in the link below. Assuming your not running any high powered stereo or electronics the wire gauges listed should work.

http://www.madelectrical.com/newstuff/

[Jim Streib]

When you sized the wire for the starter, you had to know what amperage it would pull and then got the proper gauge wire. The same needs to be done with the alternator. If it's a 100A alternator it will take a particular gauge or larger. If it's a 150A, then it will be larger than what is needed for the 100A size.

Ideally run copper wire and not copper clad aluminum.

Also to think about adding fuses or some type of protection for the wiring.

Jim

[79 Camaro]

Man its been some time that I've thought about Ford wiring but I'm guessing that when you turn the key from run/start to run no voltage to the starter?
So if the battery is in the trunk (12' per the original post) you could over kill and run a 4 gauge cable depending on your alt amps and electrical stuff on your hot rod project.
On my LS projects I run a 6 gauge cable from the starter lug to the alternator. Its hot 12 volt all the time. No fuses or breakers. Never had an issue.
Times 2 on the quality cable. I buy welding cable from NAPA. Welding cable has fine strand cable. Parts stores have large strand cable. Not good.
Now at NAPA you can't get the welding cable in red. So I buy red shrink wrap and cut it up in chunks to show its 12 volt positive.

[Tsaints1115]

Man its been some time that I've thought about Ford wiring but I'm guessing that when you turn the key from run/start to run no voltage to the starter?
So if the battery is in the trunk (12' per the original post) you could over kill and run a 4 gauge cable depending on your alt amps and electrical stuff on your hot rod project.
On my LS projects I run a 6 gauge cable from the starter lug to the alternator. Its hot 12 volt all the time. No fuses or breakers. Never had an issue.
Times 2 on the quality cable. I buy welding cable from NAPA. Welding cable has fine strand cable. Parts stores have large strand cable. Not good.
Now at NAPA you can't get the welding cable in red. So I buy red shrink wrap and cut it up in chunks to show its 12 volt positive.

The one issue with running welding cable in an automotive environment is the weld cable shielding is not made to be chemical resistant. Over time exposure to fluids ,especially fuel, will cause the shielding to balloon and break down leaving the wiring exposed.

I like to run marine cable which is not only chemical resistant but also the fine strands are tinned to prevent corrosion during manufacture.

[flyingv]

Search for Batterycablesusa on the web

Great quality cables built to order and you can have them in a few days.

I really like the super flexible marine cable.

[79 Camaro]

Thanks for the tip on the marine cable. The other thing I've used is the Painless battery relocation kit with good results.

[1985olds]

Thank you everyone! I’m running a 130amp truck alternator. I will definitely put an inline fuse, thank you.

[Alwhite00]

I've always just ran the alternator wire to the starter lug. Right or wrong I've never had any issues Although it has been 15 years since I've done it.

[Just 1 More]

I've always just ran the alternator wire to the starter lug. Right or wrong I've never had any issues Although it has been 15 years since I've done it.

I don't think that'll work when using a remote solenoid that is only charged when cranking.

[Hotwire]

I've got an lq4 swapped in my 64 chevelle, it's longer with same alternator, battery in trunk. Used 2ga for the battery runs and alternator, 0 issues. Have 25k miles on the swap, been freezing cold and baking hot, never worried about the charging system or if the car would start.

[TANKMASTERJ]

That diagram really isn't the correct way to go about it. You should have a hot from battery to starter big lug all the time. And What other poster said run alternator wire to it. And just use the remote solenoid for the crank only wire to feed the S pole on the starter solenoid.
Your diagram has no signal wire to the crank side of the solenoid on the starter . The S pole.
You can however do like you've shown if you add a crank hot it wire to the S pole.
But I don't really see the point in doing so.
The main point of remote solenoids is to be able to keep large amperage hot + wire on the starter so you only need to switch lower amperage circuit loads.
Just m .2 cemts

[Jim Streib]

You kinda have to look close but in the MAD diagram it seems to me they have a jumper plate from the large battery post of the starter to make connection to the S terminal of the solenoid.

Personally I've got plenty of other issues with the MAD diagram and I'll leave it at that.

Jim