No unfortunately that was it, only one thing dumb I did and the truck went up just like it went down.
CK5
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1982 C/K 6.0L Caitlyn Mall Crawler (Interior time)
- Thread starter Babaganoosh
- Start date
Currently my alternator goes straight to the battery. My battery goes to the starter with one cable, battery to buss fuse that feeds a junction post that feeds the ecm and cab.
I want one cable off the battery to the starter, then a cable going to the fuse that feeds the junction post. From the junction post to the alternator. How do I calculate what fuse I need? I think it's currently a 200 amp? Is one fuse enough to protect everything between the fuse blocks?
I want one cable off the battery to the starter, then a cable going to the fuse that feeds the junction post. From the junction post to the alternator. How do I calculate what fuse I need? I think it's currently a 200 amp? Is one fuse enough to protect everything between the fuse blocks?
What ???
If you are powering a fuse block what is the reason to fuse the power to the fuses ?
The Alternator should go to the battery.
If you are powering a fuse block what is the reason to fuse the power to the fuses ?
The Alternator should go to the battery.
Alternator goes straight to the battery, would like some protection if the alternator goes nuts. I like the way it was done from the factory in 82, cleaner setup.
60 amp fuse coming from the battery to the firewall junction block. Is that enough to wire the alternator through to charge the battery?
The factory used fusible links in the charge wire.
No, the alternator puts out more amperage than that, correct?
Yes I want to run it like the factory system. That 60 amp fuse feeds the fuse block in the cab.
Their is some formula for this that someone smarter then me can figure out but I'm not sure.
I am fairly certain that you will need more than a 60 amp fuse for the cab. This is why the factory used another fusible link to send power to the fuse block. I believe that more modern stuff moved the fuse block under the hood to get the power sorted into the separate circuits and fused sooner.
You would just have to put in a fuse, most likely a manual reset circuit breaker that will open if the power cable gets a direct short. I would consider a 100 amp breaker to feed the fuse block. Then be very diligent about protecting the power cable and clamping it in safe places.
You would just have to put in a fuse, most likely a manual reset circuit breaker that will open if the power cable gets a direct short. I would consider a 100 amp breaker to feed the fuse block. Then be very diligent about protecting the power cable and clamping it in safe places.
That was a idea I was looking at, my brain and ocd keeps going everywhere and how much is to much or not enough? I think the alternator is a 120amp but could be a 140 I don't remember.
I dunno. hate to put a higher one in there and not have it blow
I look at it as you are only trying to have it open if that wire/cable gets shorted to ground. The rest of the fuses protect the individual circuits.
Or look at it in the respect of, "what amperage did it take to melt a factory fusible link "?
Because if you put too small of a breaker in, and then as you are running down the interstate, or Hwy 191 south of Moab on a dark night, and the breaker trips and the headlights go out, what the fork do you do???
Been there, done that in a Ferd LTL9000, it gets interesting!!! Fortunately it was only the headlights! But a main power feed could kill the engine AND THE headlights. No steering assist, and no lights!
If you keep power to the fuse block unless the main feed cable gets cut in an impact, the other circuits will have power, even if one pops a fuse.
But that's just my preference.
My thinking behind it is if the alternator shorts won't it nuke the battery? How do I protect it?
Ok so I thought about it and this makes more sense. Just run the battery to the starter, main fuse block power from the starter to the 60amp fuse to the junction to the fuse block. Then the alternator to the starter then up near the battery do a 5 amp higher breaker then the alternator output.
Does this make more sense?
I wouldn't put a breaker in that is only 5 amps above the alternator output. I have witnessed them put out more amperage cold quite often.
I haven't experienced alternator problems that put out lots of amperage, voltage is what can go up. So I don't know how trying to limit the current availability will work.
But what I would do isn't necessarily what someone else is comfortable with.
I haven't experienced alternator problems that put out lots of amperage, voltage is what can go up. So I don't know how trying to limit the current availability will work.
But what I would do isn't necessarily what someone else is comfortable with.
It sounds like you are thinking of putting a breaker in the main battery cable. Or am I misinterpreting what you are saying.
I agree with this. The fuse can be over sized. In my mind it's there in case of an accident and the cable gets damaged between the battery and the fuse block or whatever it's connected to.
Overthinking something that doesn't need to be done, is where this has gone. A ____ gauge wire (fill in the size ) is only going to be able to handle so much anyway. It will melt. So in the never been seen before possibility that the Alternator goes wild and starts overcharging to the tune of like 30 volts or 250 amps it will melt the wire.
Fuse-able links were not put in for that reason, they are put in so that when some dumass is working on the vehicle and connects the negative and positive together or wrong it would melt before the wiring harness melts. A lot of the Japanese made cars in the 80's - 90's have a real big fuse to do the same thing. Kills the power to the car when something gets connected wrong.
Do a remote starter solenoid if you are worried a live power getting down to the starter all the time. But being worried about your alternator putting out to much power and rebuilding your electrical system to fix your worries is a waste of worry.
Fuse-able links were not put in for that reason, they are put in so that when some dumass is working on the vehicle and connects the negative and positive together or wrong it would melt before the wiring harness melts. A lot of the Japanese made cars in the 80's - 90's have a real big fuse to do the same thing. Kills the power to the car when something gets connected wrong.
Do a remote starter solenoid if you are worried a live power getting down to the starter all the time. But being worried about your alternator putting out to much power and rebuilding your electrical system to fix your worries is a waste of worry.
Agree 100%
To me the biggest thing was making sure everything was protected. I guess I didn't know it wasn't a big deal to run the power from the alternator to the battery without a fuse.
