Vortec alternator upgrade

[SUBURBAN5]

Oh, I guess that is a harness, just never thought of it that way. Grab some 4ga (that's all you need for that alternator), some copper ring terminals (some with 1/4" holes, and some 3/8"), a new set of battery terminals (I like the kind that has the bar and the 2 bolts so I can put the ring terminals on each bolt, or solder all the wire ends together and clamp them down with an impact), an in-line fuse rated for as close to your alternators rated performance as possible, some dielectric grease and a crimping tool capable of crimping 4ga connectors. You'll do a total of 5 runs to get it right and you won't have to mess with it again until it corrodes, decades down the line.

1. Ground to body <1ft. Goes right to the inner fender just like the stock one.
2. Ground to alternator mount ~2ft. This should be mounted on the front of the alternator bracket using one of the bolts that retains the alternator.
3. Ground to frame rail ~3-4ft. This mounts to the frame rail right by the starter, there's a Ground strap there that goes from chassis to cab if i recall correctly, mount your Ground on the chassis side, these bolts get corroded, so do your cleanup while you're down there.
4. Pos to alternator ~2-3ft. This is where you mount your in line fuse. The fuse replaces the fusible link that is on that line, position the fuse as close to the battery as possible.
5. Pos to engine bay fuse box. ~6-8ft. 4ga should fit in the existing channel without loom, so you can pull the old wire and cut the new one to the exact same length to avoid guesswork.

Make sure you put dielectric grease on every connection, especially the frame rail where it gets real corroded and you're not able to inspect as often. This will mitigate corrosion, but i usually inspect annually and slap more grease on it. According to my napkin math, you should need about 18 ft, I think you can grab a 25ft roll on Amazon for a decent price, and you'll have enough in case you screw up (no shame, we all do it from time to time), or in the future when you forget to inspect and maintain the connections.

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Awesome thanks a mill. When I get the materials and ready to install it I'll probably give you a holler. Also you said rated performance for alt so 150amp fuse? Or peak performance that alt can produce?

 

[RawbDidIt]

Awesome thanks a mill. When I get the materials and ready to install it I'll probably give you a holler. Also you said rated performance for alt so 150amp fuse? Or peak performance that alt can produce?

Rated peak performance, lean towards the side of extra headroom rather than neutering it if there isn't a fuse rated for exactly what the peak is. I like peak + about 10% headroom, using my 225A as a reference, there isn't a 247.5A fuse on the market, but there is a 250A fuse. Close enough for government work.

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[SUBURBAN5]

Awesome and I read a forum last night's saying to leave stock wiring. Is that true and just add the upgrades or remove them. I get grounds but do they mean positive wiring too?

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

I was looking into doing this but using 1/0 for the main pos and neg, then 4ga for the others. Got some prices on Amazon. Somewhere around $150
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MD1XRSL/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A2TN19FHI2Z5KL&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZBLLTBC/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=A2VHGGOHXF24LJ&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4G7QCW/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_4?smid=A3HMB6GLG0WJ17&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073Y8P6D1/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_5?smid=ALQRVUQVKPAUB&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CQI23Y/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

 

[SUBURBAN5]

I like it. What was the first link for? I saw the 4th was copper terminals but the first looked like black metalish

 

[RawbDidIt]

Awesome and I read a forum last night's saying to leave stock wiring. Is that true and just add the upgrades or remove them. I get grounds but do they mean positive wiring too?

I think it's pointless, you're not going to need anything more than 4ga for 125A, so it just looks bad, and there's no benefit to the additional wiring.

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[SUBURBAN5]

Well when I make them I'll snap a pic to show you incase I need to change something. Ordered my new alternator hope it will get here asap.

 

[RawbDidIt]

Well when I make them I'll snap a pic to show you incase I need to change something. Ordered my new alternator hope it will get here asap.

Shoot me a DM if you need help, but it's pretty straight forward, I have confidence in you.

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[PlayingWithTBI]

I saw the 4th was copper terminals but the first looked like black metalish

Take a look at the pictures, those are "Pure copper cable lugs".

 

[SUBURBAN5]

Yeah it seems easy enough just want to make sure the material I use is right lol