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Battery terminals and wiring...

Senior_XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
NY
So i decided to upgrade the wiring under the hood. I figure id post it up to see if theres anything i might miss or maybe see if someone else has an added piece of advice.
I got new coated terminals,, 4 and 6 guage wiring,, i got side mount brass terminals for extra fittings,,,, im gonna run 2, 4, or 6 guage wiring to the alternator,, starter and fuse block,,,,, then new grounds for the battery and replace the grounds on the motor.
Would adding any additional grounds do any good or will it be a waste of time??

PS,, i did search and found a few writeups, some for headlight wiring upgrades for H4 conversions which im not doing just yet and i did find a writeup on dual battery setups which i will do soon myself,,, but for now i just want to make sure that i replace all the stock wiring with way better wires!!!

Oh and FYI,, im running a yellow top and have had the stock alternator beefed up to around 140 amps. BUT with 7 KC daylighters and two 2000 rms amps and a few other gadgets,, if i turn everything on at once, the volt meter still drops to right over the red. She can still maintain a smooth idle which is GREAT but if i add in a winch,,,, well then i guess im gettin a mean green 220 amp alt and an additional yellow top!!
 
So i decided to upgrade the wiring under the hood. I figure id post it up to see if theres anything i might miss or maybe see if someone else has an added piece of advice.
I got new coated terminals,, 4 and 6 guage wiring,, i got side mount brass terminals for extra fittings,,,, im gonna run 2, 4, or 6 guage wiring to the alternator,, starter and fuse block,,,,, then new grounds for the battery and replace the grounds on the motor.
Would adding any additional grounds do any good or will it be a waste of time??

PS,, i did search and found a few writeups, some for headlight wiring upgrades for H4 conversions which im not doing just yet and i did find a writeup on dual battery setups which i will do soon myself,,, but for now i just want to make sure that i replace all the stock wiring with way better wires!!!

Oh and FYI,, im running a yellow top and have had the stock alternator beefed up to around 140 amps. BUT with 7 KC daylighters and two 2000 rms amps and a few other gadgets,, if i turn everything on at once, the volt meter still drops to right over the red. She can still maintain a smooth idle which is GREAT but if i add in a winch,,,, well then i guess im gettin a mean green 220 amp alt and an additional yellow top!!

Or just don't run all those lights when you're winching, you're not moving so no need for off-road lights. Besides, they'd blind the poor guys pulling your winch cable.

Good idea on the new wires, there can be a decent voltage drop with the older stock wire harness. At one point, I was overcharging the battery due to low voltage going to the alternator.
 
OEM wiring is 6AWG - anything bigger than that (smaller number) will be just ducky.

If you're going to replace the alternator output lead (sounds like you are,) you're going to want to replace the fuse/fusible link that is in there as well - I've not seen one pop, but every vehicle I've seen made since 1960 or so has had some variety of fuse there, and we have to assume it's there for a reason. I can supply you parts to use an ANL fuse for that - gives you selectable ratings, far more durable than most other fuses, and they're relatively easy to find (most places that do high-end autosound will carry ANL fuses locally.) For your 140A alternator, you'll want an ANL150 fuse.

I take it you're seeing the voltage drop at idle when you turn everything on? Fairly normal - the best an alternator tends to be able to do at idle is 55-60% of max rated output. Try turning everything on and holding crankshaft speed up around 1300-1500rpm - if you still see a voltage drop, it will be rather less.

Additional grounds can't hurt, but the only "additional" ground I'd think would be necessary would be if you have a RENIX (1987-1990 w/AMC engine) - adding a ground directly from the battery to the chassis is a good idea. Adding a ground from the alternator case to the battery is of marginal utility, and depends on a number of factors. HO rigs (1991-up) all have the chassis ground to the battery OEM, and the alternator subharness usually has a local ground to clean up alternator output as well (the RENIX alternator grounds through the mount, then the engine block, then the main engine ground - but there's a drilled/tapped boss to accept a ground cable. Common on Delco alternators - hotrodders like to use them. This opens up mounting options for many...)
 
Ok so heres my delema... the ground from the battery to the block is behind where my blaster 2 coil is. Can i change the location or do i have to go abouts moving my coils location?? NOW, after seeing the coil,, those wires should be upgraded as well BUT they run right into crappy old wire loom and i cant figure out where they go to. If u guys can tell me where the 2 wires off of my blaster 2 coil go so i can upgrade them as well that would be awesome!! Also i cant find the wires going to the alt as well. Thanks for the help so far 5-90!!
 
Is there a write up on ground location for a Renix motor? I see the ground from the firewall to the intake/exhaust side of the valve cover. How much slack would you add to the cable for when the motor torques. Where is a good spot around the battery tray for good continuity with the chassis?
 
Ok so heres my delema... the ground from the battery to the block is behind where my blaster 2 coil is. Can i change the location or do i have to go abouts moving my coils location?? NOW, after seeing the coil,, those wires should be upgraded as well BUT they run right into crappy old wire loom and i cant figure out where they go to. If u guys can tell me where the 2 wires off of my blaster 2 coil go so i can upgrade them as well that would be awesome!! Also i cant find the wires going to the alt as well. Thanks for the help so far 5-90!!

A chassis ground can be attached pretty much anywhere on the sheetmetal - it's just important that you get good contact, so strip the contact patch on the chassis down to bare metal and apply corrosion inhibitor upon assembly. You can find corrosion inhibitor at your local hardware store in the electrical section - "liquid electrical tape" is not corrosion inhibitor, and WD-40 is very much not electrical corrosion inhibitor (it is a corrosion inhibitor, but it leaves a film behind that contaminates electrical connections.)
 
The wire sets looks really nice, but I don't mind making them myself. At least I know who to blame if something goes wrong, not saying your product isn't worth the investment. The link was very helpful.
 
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