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Just got off the phone with Dominic. I have yet to ever call this guy and not have him personally answer the phone... unreal.
This is the setup for wiring an external voltage regulator to a large case GM alternator.
On the alt itself, there should be two threaded holes in the chassis. In my case there is an 8mm and a 10mm threaded hole. Do not rely on bolting the alt to the engine to count as grounding the alt chassis. Dom recommended using either a single run of 0 gauge, or two runs of 4 gauge, depending on how much space you have to work with. I haven't done it yet, but I'm going to fit at least two runs of 0 gauge on to mine. One run to the car's chassis, prolly a strut tower bolt that's been prepped by sanding through the paint, primer, and the zinc coating on the steel. The second 0 gauge run would go to the negative battery terminal, and from there to ground.
On the back of my alt there is a threaded stud with a RED insulater on it. That red stud is power and needs a 0 gauge run to your positive terminal on your battery. Fuse it if you want. That run is normally fused from the factory. I compete, I don't fuse $h!t.
On the back of my alt, there is a threaded stud with a BLACK insulater on it. That black stud is FIELD. Don't ask me what the fk FIELD is. I'm assuming it tells the alt how much power to put out. In my application, this black stud needs to be connected to the post marked Field on the External Voltage regulator. Dom recommends 8 gauge. I'll probably use some 4 gauge.
That's it for the Alt and it's connections. Now for the External Voltage Regulator. My Regulator is marked with Power, Ground, and Field. Once again, Dom recommends 8 gauge for all of these connections. We already covered the FIELD connection. The Ground terminal needs to be connected to either Battery ground, or Alternator ground. I'll probably use 4 gauge and connect it to both, and run a third line to a different mounting point on the chassis. I'm a firm believer in never having too many grounds, connected to everything, and never using too thin a wire. The last terminal on the external voltage regulater is for Power. The power terminal needs to be connected to the battery through a Relay. Dom recommends a Bosch 30 amp relay. You may be able to use the Ignition on wire from your old alternator, but it may not be enough voltage. Dom said mine is probably only 6 volts, which isn't enough. The relay needs to be turned on and off by a power source that is only on when the ignition is on.
That's about it. Mine has about 4 feet of wire coming out of it with an adjustable pot on the end so I can put a knob on it and install it in the car. In my application, I will need to use a voltmeter to set voltage.
Helpful tips from Dom: If you have a new battery, put the battery on a charger overnight. Do not use your alt to charge a new battery, that will cause it to run hot. The alt is designed to power your accessories, automotive and audio. It is not designed to fully charge a new battery. Also, if you leave your headlights on accidently, don't drive around and use the alt to charge the battery, put the battery on a charger overnight.
I hope this proves helpful. I got great service from Dom. My alt was on my doorstep within a week of me sending my paypal payment. Dom answered all 6 of the calls I've made to him. He was polite, courteous, and informative each time. When I originally placed my order, he offered me a 240 amp alt. I told him I wanted more power. He discussed other alternatives with me and agreed to let me test the alternate alt out to see if it fit my application. If it didn't work for me, he agreed to take it back and give me the 240amp alt. He also offers a good warranty for his product, that even covers modifying the alt to fit a newly purchased vehicle.
Last but not least, I saved about $200.00 off the regular purchase price thanks to a group buy, which was the deciding factor for me in purchasing an upgraded alt.
-------------------- Not just an another Internet Thug. I am also a Corporate Thug. Posts: 302 | From: Richmond, VA | Registered: Apr 2004
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Just wired mine 3 days ago. I also talked to Dom everytime i called there, he was very very helpful. I am proud to have his equipment in my car. Great customer service.
Posts: 244 | From: Springfield, IL | Registered: May 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Too loud for tv: so do u run 16 or + volt system? if so how does it affect the computer and ele stuff on ur vehicle? im thinking about running 16 volts.
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I run 16V but it is a trailer queen so i just keep my yellow top charged for the car to run off of. So the car itself has not alternator, only the system..
Posts: 244 | From: Springfield, IL | Registered: May 2005
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