How to Upgrade the Big Three

i started mine today (86 monte carlo) and i dont see a positive from alt to battery. the only pos wire on the batt is going somewhere under the passenger side exhaust manifold (ill take a closer look tomorrow, really hard to get to). The only wire i see coming from the alt is going to the negative battery post??

There is a 4guage wire from my alternator to my starter, than another 4guage wire from my starter to my battery (positive). It should be ok to just replace my wires with 2 guage and have them wired exactly the same right? Meaning 2guage from alternator to starter, and another 2 guage from starter to battery (is high strand 2 guage wire too much for my starter?). I don't have room, nor do I want to have two 4guage, and one 2guage wires all connected my my battery post. Thanks

OK, just getting around to doing this on an '05 Subaru Outback. First look in the engine compartment reveals a 4g positive going from the alt to the engine relay box, then to the battery. Is it OK to just piggyback an addt'l 4g from the alt to the battery+ (skipping the relay box)? Next, there's an existing 8g battery ground to engine, but the engine connection is buried under an intercooler. OK to ground to another engine location? Last - can't find any definitive engine to frame ground line. OK to start a new one? Am I creating ground loop points?

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You're answer was right on - thanks. I was just too impatient to wait on the answer here. I'll post your comments here, someone had the same question several pages ago & didn't get a response.

Sent by : DYohn Sent : December 26, 2006 at 6:07 PM

Sure. Glad to help.

Is it OK to just piggyback an addt'l 4g from the alt to the battery+ (skipping the relay box)?

Yes, this is a good idea. Make it as short as possible but be sure to leave slack for engine movement.

Next, there's an existing 8g battery ground to engine, but the engine connection is buried under an intercooler. OK to ground to another engine location?

Yes, it's OK. In fact, if you can tap into one of the alternator mounting bolts this would be best.

Last - can't find any definitive engine/battery to frame ground line. OK to start a new one? Am I creating ground loop points?

Take the same connection at the alternator bolt mentioned above and run it to the car's frame. No worries about ground loops.

Good luck!

question, i have a buick century, the battery has no top terminals, only side terminals, with the bolt-on cables. how would i replace these cables with 4g?

compudude86 wrote: question, i have a buick century, the battery has no top terminals, only side terminals, with the bolt-on cables. how would i replace these cables with 4g?

I actually haven't done this yet, so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but you can get a "GM side post adaptor" that replaces the factory bolt and then threads through the eye on your 4 gauge.  Alternately, and what I'm going to do once I get some more bones, is replace the battery with an optima or orbital one that has both top and side posts.

I have a 95 civic I'm installing a HO alternator on, and the pos from the alternator goes straight to a fuse box for misc. things. there is a fuse for the battery rated @ 80A. I'm going to upgrade stock wiring with 1/0, the alternator puts out 160A, Do I need to replace this fuse with a larger one to match alternator output/current draw? or should I run a seperate cable to the Pos. and bypass the fusebox (leaving stock wiring to fusebox) Any input is welcomed, thanks

Better to simply add an addt'l wire from the alt to battery + if you can fit it. If 1/0, use a 300a fuse - you're fusing for the wire, not the alt.