Joker2669 said:
thanks for the reply. I was reading that I need to have a proper ground from the bac of the alternator as well. Thing was, when I cranked it over the first time, it ran like complete shit. My father noticed the distributor was loose leaking oil, possibly an o-ring. we jiggled that into place a little better and it ran smoother. One of the other problems was that my right head light wouldn't come on, only high beam. I'm not running it right now because I fear burning something or even melting it. we were talking about the possibility of a bad ground from the alternator, maybe the computer needs to relearn voltages and regulations. I did notice the quick disconnet from the OEM chargewire, but like I said just taped off the terminal.
I had a 2 ga, but it just seemed like alot.
I'm an electrician by day, and a service wire for a 200a panel is maybe only 50-60% larger then the 4ga, AND 120v, minding. I won't question you at all, I was just figuring double ampacity, double up the wire gauge.
AC electrician? DC gets a little different, and automotive is a bit goofier still. I'm not knocking your experience at all (I've known quite a few electricians, and I'm probably a fourth-year apprentice myself for ind and resi myself by now anyhow...) but there are a few things that won't translate.
Wiring capacity, for instance, is measured (as you probably know) in amps. Insulation is measured in volts ("insulation breakdown voltage," most 115/120VAC wiring is rated for, what 650V?) but I've found that in DC, it's more important to pay attention to the current spec than the insulation breakdown spec - since most insulation is hideously overrated anyhow (especially in automotive - and properly so!)
Since you probably already know what happens to wiring when you run too much current through it, also bear in mind the operating environment underhood, and scale accordingly. AC wiring doesn't usually work anywhere especially hot - and you can get wiring for hot environments, and you usually end up upsizing one, don't you? You do that because the conductivity of the wire degrades as temperatures elevate - but it's still an exception for you.
In automotive, it's a
rule. Heat, oil, solvents, water, grease - those are all things you probably don't have to deal with very often as an electrician - but doing automotive wiring for a couple of whiles, they're just automatic for me to think about anymore (I'm probably missing a few other things - it's become
that automatic for me!)
Again, I'm really
not trying to run down your experience and knowledge - just letting you know that some things you've learned in your trade just might not translate into other aspects of the job, and I'm just trying to keep them at the forefront of your mind until they become automatic for you as well...
The ampacities given in my site are for "harsh environments" - welding, automotive, gunky shops, and things like that. I've taken what I could find for officially published harsh environment DC wiring, and then downrated it all an additional 5% (because that's a rule that has served me well the last 15 years or so...)
You should still take the QD fitting loose - as I'd mentioned, that wire is going to still be hot (since it's connected to the PDC Buss bar) and the tape could loosen. Take the short end of it loose, tape that off, and then you're going to be in better shape. To better preserve and seal the connector, I've been known to use a finger cut off of a nitrile rubber (blue) glove, put it over the connector, and then use two or three layers of tape. Make sure to tape the cut end of the glove to the wire jacket to seal it.
5-90
