There's free be's around me then if they haven't already been picked..thanks..

 

I need a set of 4... I"ll pm address

 

I have a good set of big trumpet horns that make you jump every time you set power to them but no place to put them on my trucks. I have the original horns from the 56's and they are quite loud..

 

Abe and John,
Having proper work space and storage is KEY. My last space at the old house was also a separate space, very similar to yours John. Heated, just a great space. Here at the new house, I had to store my truck off site. About 9 miles from hear. Just not the same not being able to do anything with it without a taking a trip. As for our two car garage here at the new house, it is a " two car ". If you drive smaller vehicles. 19' 2" by 19' 6". I have taken half for my tools, the other half for my wife's car. I had to put my F-150 , my daily driver in it a few weeks ago to do some work. Could just barely shut the door. So we are adjusting to the new space or lack there off.

 

I have lost use to my shop now that both trucks are stored in there for the winter, if I get another project things will take some rearranging, might have to build another shelter or get one of them sea cans to store one of the trucks

 

I lust after pictures of big shops with lifts and lofts and acres of storage... too far down the road to think about getting that. You just play the hand you got. I can clear about 4 sq. ft. for an emergency if I need to... more than that and something is out in the rain !!!

 

Don't forget the kitchen table John...lol

 

My neighbor's place is for sale. His property is long. If stretches fron Main Street to the alley. My house is on the corner of that alley and a side street off of
Main. So the back half of his back yard and my backyard share a common border, a fence and my garage . I have thought seriously about buying his house and renting it out to a nice family or grad students and putting an Amish built 2 truck garage in the back half of the property...... I could get one delivered for about $13000.

But the local college enrollment is down and a lot of college landlords are selling. On one main avenue alone I counted 12 house with for sale signs or for rent signs in the yards in about a 4 block distance. I am afraid if I buy this house I wouldn't be able to find renters and there is no way I can afford the mortgage without renters, let alone put up a garage. But it is nice to dream isn't it?

 

Good job on your article John. I've got a few things that come to mind... (everyone's a critic, right? ;-) )
My experience with the jumper cable adapters you've shown is that they will have issues when you need them the most. Plus, you need to carry a dedicated matching set of cables to use them. What we now use are these, mounted in a convenient spot (for us it happens to be the frame rails.)

Much easier to use any set of jumper cables and battery charger clips.

Next, your additional page regarding relays is good but you might also include info about using relays on circuits that have electronics attached. The coil in a relay can act just like an ignition coil, generating a large voltage (although at a very low current) and dissipate it through the circuit, causing attached electronics to 'go no mo'. Here's a good guide to various automotive relays: https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/relay-guide.html I've not purchased anything from them, nor endorse their products. Just a handy page for info plus you can find things you might not have known existed. BTW, when it comes to sourcing mini ISO relays I either A) go to the junkyard and pull 20 - 30 of them, if they don't give them to you along with your other purchases, they're dirt cheap. Automotive relays are ridiculously reliable compared to everything else. Or B) buy online from Mouser or DigiKey. You can also find group relay blocks vs. individual sockets.

Something I've noticed guys doing, not necessarily here, so much, but at other sites and I'd hate to see it become 'a good idea' - buying junkyard fuse blocks and bulkhead connectors. While buying such items for $15 - $40 vs. $155+ for aftermarket ones may sound like easy savings it just isn't. OEMs have plenty of issues with their fuse blocks/"electrical centers". Just DON'T, you'd be better off having six wives.

Same goes for cheap fuses. DON"T buy anything but Buss or Littelfuse. I can't imagine any OEM that hasn't issued TSBs regarding the fuses from Harbor Freight and others. I would be surprised if there weren't a thousand YouTube videos showing how much current it takes to blow these cheap fuses.

I run grounds to many areas but my first ground is battery to engine block, everything else grounds from there. Also a good idea to run a ground from engine block to radiator to keep the coolant from carrying voltage.

One wire alternators - I get it, they're easier to install. But there's no such thing as a one wire because you should never consider the mounting bolts to be its ground. Also, never run the output wire directly to the battery. Run the output wire to the junction where the battery meets everything else.

Biggest POS idea from a company that should know better - scotch locks. If I were interviewing a mechanic for a job and found that he uses these it would be 'conversation over'.

One last thing - the fewer the connections and devices the more reliable the circuit.

 

I'm gonna amend my article with your suggestions... with proper credit to you for sure. This is why I put it out there to get good information to correct or add to it. Thanks for taking the time and interest

One more thing... what are your feelings on using dialectic grease on connections or termination points i.e.

 

I don't need any credit, just hoping to help others to avoid frustration.

Relays with diodes are much better at protecting devices than resistors. While the resistor type are more forgiving and can be wired in either direction they still allow some leakage. You just have to pay attention and only connect the switch power to #86.

8 - 10 ga. for an alternator ground to its ground terminal is probably sufficient for typical 60 - 90 amp alternators. If you have sent the battery ground to the starter mounting I'd just run the alternator ground to it. I normally attach the battery ground cable to a starter mounting bolt with ground strap from that point (or next bell housing bolt, etc.) to the frame and another to the body.

The reason for not running the output to the battery is probably going to raise a couple eyebrows but it's a valid reason. Contrary to some popular beliefs the battery doesn't supply power to the vehicle, it provides starter power then acts like a capacitor once the alternator is providing power. When the alternator is connected directly to the battery it becomes a mish-mash of which is doing what. In reality, if the output is connected to the chassis junction, the battery becomes just another load for the alternator to supply. Those with diverse experience will recall how the output is/used to be connected to the solenoid stud on GM starters, along with all the chassis feeds. I can't think of a single OEM that ran the output directly to the battery, for this reason (but I haven't seen everything.) I've had to make this fix to numerous 'customer built' vehicles, it does make a difference in the way chassis devices function and also in the battery being properly charged. If it were mine, and not too much trouble, I'd place the output wherever your common power terminal for the chassis is. I prefer it to be at least a couple feet from the battery (cable length.)

When running multiple grounds around the chassis/body I group them at easy to find/reach places. No reason to have to hunt for this one here, that one there... not to mention the possibility of creating a ground loop that can create issues with electronics.

Grease on terminals? Eh. My thoughts are at battery terminals - apply nothing. No matter if it's saturated felts, grease, red spray, whatever.. it's going to eventually make its way between the posts and the terminal. If you have an issue with corrosion at the battery it's because the case to terminal seal is leaking. You're better off just rinsing it off with a hose once in a while or replacing the battery and not over-torquing the clamp/bolt and breaking the post seal - that is the Number 1 reason for corrosion at the battery terminals. Somebody lays on the wrench like it's not tight unless the first two break. What happens is in doing so the post gets jacked over and the case seal breaks. Grease, etc. on other terminals? If I were concerned about road salt and chlorides attacking the posts I'd probably use the red spray stuff. Just don't go crazy and saturate the connections, causing it to flow into the terminals. A coating to prevent/reduce exposure is all you're after. Typically good connectors won't be bothered by road salt/chloride. What will be attacked is the wiring made with non-shrink connectors. The chlorides used on the roads is extremely pervasive and never really gets washed off or dry away. I've stripped taillight wires six feet back from terminals and found rotten wire from chloride invasion. If you ever strip the insulation back and find the conductors have turned black it's because of chlorides.You must use weather-tight shrink connectors for any exterior connections. Just shrinking some tube over a regular connector does nothing to prevent corrosion.

 

Great info , Beav. I've been reading all day today on the MAD sit and some others and they say the same as you on the alt wiring to a chassis point and not the battery. I could run mine about 1 foot to a distribution point at the front of the engine on the frame rail... and it's connected to the main distribution point just under the starter solenoid (shown above)... I guess I still need to include the fusible link in this circuit, right >??

From what I read on the alt power lead, Chevy uses that method in their 'voltage sensing' circuitry to keep things working at peak voltage, right ?? hmmm, things you learn every day

I'm still kinda fuzzy on the coolant stuff... is that just an electrolysis/corrosion prevention thing or is it actually electrical reason ??

 

I know it sounds wrong but I've never seen, nor used, a fuse link/maxi-fuse on an alternator charge circuit. However, circuits from the first chassis terminal should be protected.

What I like to see is about a two foot minimum of battery cable before it reaches the point where the chassis circuits and alternator tie in. Or the battery cable to the starter solenoid with a smaller cable from there to a chassis junction block. The point of this is that it will all work, either way, but this way is optimum and won't cause issues. The length of the alternator wire to the junction is no concern.

The reason for the radiator ground wire is to stave off galvanic corrosion. Hugely important on engines with various metals. Nothing like replacing head gaskets on an engine with aluminum heads just because the radiator isn't grounded. Or an aluminum radiator, etc. Remember how we had to change radiator and heater hoses every few years? When was the last time you've to had to replace a hose because it was hard/soft/ruptured? That all pretty much stopped once the OEMs got tired of replacing head gaskets for free under warranty. The hoses they didn't care about, they weren't covered. Basically, dissimilar metals, especially when there's an electrical current being passed through the coolant, really corrode quickly.

 

all understood... so I just need to make sure I have a good ground cable from the radiator frame to the truck frame ?? easy-peasy. And tomorrow I'm looking at moving the alternator o/p cable to a distribution point... without the fusible link

thanks Beav

j

 

I don't think there would be a problem protecting the charge circuit, other than fusible links are a pita when they need to be replaced