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I have a spare fuse box I plann on installing on the passenger side fender to contain relays for the headlight harness, off road lights and electrical fans in the future. To limit the amount of wires I have coming off my 12V positive post, I would like to know if anyone thinks I might have issues if I run a single wire from the battery, to the new fuse box, then to the starter. My current set up in is in the photo below and I want replace the starter wire with the same guage as everything else. Thanks.
In general, you want the starter power to be as direct as possible. You're looking at potentially hundreds of amps. If the new fuse box is just auxiliary accessories, I would run about a 6 gauge wire to it from the starter solenoid post, which I think is the positive post you are referring to.One more ring terminal there shouldn't be a problem. Size the wire feeding the new fuse box to the maximum possible load, and fuse or circuit breaker that wire appropriately.
Yeah, I had it my head the power wires were full, but it actually the grounds. They're sold as a mil-spec style online. I like them so far, kind of hate all battery terminals, I tend to over tighten them and stretch them out. So I will probably run a separate wire to each, then look at how much I have left and consider cleaning it all up if I can. Going to ground the fuse box to the ground for the motor and battery wire. Will not go off the solenoid, as it has just enough threads to engage nut completely.
Ok, I see now. Yes, with those much larger lugs, you do loose a lot of space on the solenoid stud.
I agree, since many of my hot rods I unhook the batteries when parked, they tend to get messed up. Guess I need to just buy shut off switches? Oh, maybe someday.
I used a early/mid 90's Explorer fuse/relay box in my 89 F250. It has enough relays and fuses to do what you need and then some. It also is wired to do a direct power feed to the blower motor off battery through a fuse as factory setup on Explorers.
I had a burnt fuse box due to the blower motor current draw. I took Explorer relay/fuse box and setup the 89 F250 like the Explorer blower motor power feed, no more heavy current through 15' of wire, ignition switch and original fuse box. The 89's original blower motor power feed just drives that relay only. The blower motor switch just grounds the blower motor directly to ground or through the resistor same as both vehicles.
Now I get better voltage and current to blower motor without burning up another ignition switch or fuse box.... no more that 3' of wire between blower motor and battery.
I have also setup other relays in the Explorer relay/fuse box to do head light control, but haven't fully hooked it up yet.
When I added an extra relay box, I ran a single large wire from the solenoid to a circuit breaker, then to a power distribution block that powers the relays. One extra wire on the post of my solenoid didn't cause any harm.
I would not hook it up between the starter and battery. That just seems unnecessary.
At this point it is. I just will have to ground my box to the same frame point as the battery and the engine ground. During the core support swap, I am going to drill and tap a new hole for a much larger ground bolt. Maybe 1 each, but it will vary as I determine where I can get a borrowed low angle drill to go. I have a another big overhual getting planned for this swap, Wish I had a garage with a large fan.
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