Ok well after the previous owner tried to relocate the battery to the trunk, there are of course many electrical gremlins. These caused by chosen terminal types, bad connections, poor cables routes, and wrong gauge sizes for length of cable.

In order to do it the right way I am ripping it all out and replacing everything with new terminals, cables, lugs, hardware, ect. So far I have all wires needed just waiting on some lugs, and hardware to come.

I have decided to make this a info and picture thread from start to finish. I will be starting the project when the car comes out of hibernation, which will most likely be in a couple of weeks.

I started on a wiring diagram (simple in MS paint) its not a finished diagram because I need all of your input. I am no electrical engineer, although I do have a bachelors degree in Construction Management and Engineering Technology. The diagram is no finished product but I do need your help to let me know I am going in the right direction.

If you cant read the fine print the larger cable is 2/0 AWG and the smaller is 2 gauge. Alternator hot wire has 100A fuse, and the starter hot wire has a 200A fuse.

 

I ran mine in a similar manor except for the alt wire. I just ran it from the alt to the starter motor and called it a day. 2/0 from the battery to the front of the car also.

 

I was going to do that but I heard it was better for the charging system to have its own dedicated cable and safer because of its independent fuse or fusable link. Ill keep that in mind though.

 

Do you guys think maybe it is better run the alternator + lead right to the starter? So there is one less cable like Omega? I am not sure now haha.

 

What did you end up doing as I'm in the same boat, less than satisfied as to how the previous owner did the wiring for the battery relocation. I too was thinking about running the alternator straight to the starter to eliminate 2 cables running from back to front of the car but not sure how well that would work.

 

Im getting mine done now, it has been at one shop or another since June. I will run alt. to the starter, however, I will not be using an on/off switch. I am no expert but I would think that the alt. would need to be ran to the other post of the on/off switch than what the diagram shows, (same post as batt.) in order to break the ciruit with the on/off switch? Someone else will have to chime in. Otherwise, I would think that with the switch in the off position the alt. would still be powering the engine.

Edit, this would depend on where your power dist. for ignition was ran from.

 

Hey guys, I wound up running almost exactly how I depicted it to a tee. The only difference is the alternator is a direct connection to the battery. When the switch is thrown the alt can no longer power the ign, it can ONLY charge the battery. Also instead of 2/0 AWG on the main power wire, I went with 4/0AWG which is about twice the size. No other reason than I got it for a really, really good price.

If you run the alternator to the starter, you are still getting power to the ign, and interior while the starter is running. The ONLY thing you ARENT doing if the switch is thrown off while the car is running would be charging the battery.

As for the grounds: The alternator is grounded to the front of the head.
The head is grounded to the chassis.
The starter is internally grounded to the block.
The block is grounded to the chassis.
The battery in the rear is grounded to the rear chassis.

If you run the alt wire to the starter its not NHRA legal. The only thing the alternator can do in a battery relocation is charge the batter. It can not power anything unless it is directly switchable though one main switch.