Alternator wiring revisit for DUMMYs like me

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stevewitt1

First, I've studied over and over the wiring diagrams obtained by searching for Alternator wiring.  Three diagrams drawn by Stu I studied but still can't relate.

My Goal:  Route my Alt charging circuit directly to my bat 1 to avoid any accidental disruption while switching batteries resulting in Alt damage. At this time, no upgrade of Alt (23yrs of deferred maintenance at the house cut into boat funds for summer.)


Presently, charge + output of Alt goes over to starter and shares a stud with the heavy wire going up to C post on OEM switch.
   note: OEM switches 1 & 2 both go to 1-2-B switches for a total of 4 batteries.

The wire leaving the Alt has a tap (like the old 3M connecters that routes a + to some gray thing that also has a ground wire on it>  WTH is that???? noise suppressor or something???  That is between the Alt and starter.

Questions:
If I run a cable from the Alt to battery 1, switch 1 and then use switches to distribute output underway do I need abandon the attachment to starter?  Will the redundancy of Alt --> Battery1 + post with still connecting to starter cause a problem, i.e. two paths to the same destinations???

I don't know if my OEM switch is a make, then break style but I would like to avoid make, break switches, combiners, isolators and other electronic components an, at least for now, use the KISS method.

That gray thing still bothers me, anyone know what it is???   Could it be an alien tracking devise?   Or, the NSA tracking me????   If it is, this hard drive needs to crash and get recycled promptly.

Any help on this is really appreciated!  Sorry for the remedial questions

Steve

visit us at www.ocontoyachtclub.com  www.warbirdsix.com and visit AirVenture2014 Oshkosh, WI

Stu Jackson

#1
Steve, those diagrams were for replacing a regulator.

The alternator wiring discussions, from Electrical 101, are these:

Basic Battery Wiring Diagrams  This is a very good basic primer for boat system wiring: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6604.0.html

This is another very good basic primer for boat system wiring:  The 1-2-B Switch by Maine Sail (brings together a lot of what this subject is all about)
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=137615

This one explains the connector between the alternator and starter:

OEM 1-2-B Switch Wiring History  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4949.msg30101.html#msg30101
Stu Jackson, C34 IA Secretary, #224 1986, "Aquavite"  Cowichan Bay, BC  Maple Bay Marina  SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)

"There is no problem so great that it can't be solved."

stevewitt1

Thank you Stu, those are going to be very helpful.  I still haven't figured out what that grey thing tapped into my AO line between the Alt and the starter is though.  I'll try to take a pic and post it as I'm not the best at describing things.  My concern is weather I should let it in the loop, dead end the original AO wire at it and take my new wire directly to the house battery.  It is tapped into the wire between the AO and starter but the current doesn't go through it.  It's got me baffled, but that isn't too hard to do.

Steve

Stu Jackson

Once you take the AO to the house bank, you don't want anything connecting the AO to anything BUT the house bank, so any connections to anything else have to go.  You're right, a picture would help, but your description was very good.
Stu Jackson, C34 IA Secretary, #224 1986, "Aquavite"  Cowichan Bay, BC  Maple Bay Marina  SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)

"There is no problem so great that it can't be solved."

stevewitt1

#4
Stu, and all;

This is the gray thing that is tapped into the AO wire that runs to my starter.
you can see the yellow connector that is like a heavier version of the old 3M connecters

KWKloeber

#5
Quote from: stevewitt1 on July 22, 2014, 08:34:20 PM
Stu, and all;

the yellow connector that is like a heavier version of the old 3M connecters

The "yellow connectors" there and elsewhere should go.  Clean up the wire ends to brite copper, and install marine grade, heat shrink terminals -- trash those automobile" terminals -- before you have a corrosion/continuity/no charge/no start problem.  

Likewise, the engine panel ground on the exhaust manifold nut is a terrible place where Universal put it.  Options:

Run the grnd to the bell housing bolt (with the neg battery cable,) along with a heavy ground from the alternator frame ground.  
OR
Run the heavy ground cable to the bell housing, and put the panel ground on the Alt B- post.  
OR better yet,
Install a negative buss terminal strip nearby, a heavy cable from it to the bell housing. Then tie your grounds (alternator frame, panel ground, bilge pump, etc.) into that buss strip, and eliminate the neg returns back to the distribution panel, along with the inherent voltage loss.


~KWK
Twenty years from now you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the tradewinds in your sails.
Explore.  Dream.  Discover.   -Mark Twain

Stu Jackson

Ken's right about your options.

I have no idea what that gray (grey, to you) thing is.  It would help if you could tell us what the whole word is that's written on it.
Stu Jackson, C34 IA Secretary, #224 1986, "Aquavite"  Cowichan Bay, BC  Maple Bay Marina  SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)

"There is no problem so great that it can't be solved."

lazybone

#7
Electrical noise filter??

Something like this?

That thing under it is interesting.  Is that plastic bottle some sort of support structure?
Ciao tutti


S/V LAZYBONES  #677

stevewitt1


Thanks All!

I will work on the grounding improvement.  I agree about the strange yellow connector. 

The plastic bottle.......is a shield the PO must have installed.  It appears to just prevent an area of hose that may have been vulnerable to chaffing.

Thank You to all for the help and advise

Steve

Noah

What does the rest of the label/writing on the mysterious gray thing say, in addition to "...ger"?
1990 hull #1014, San Diego, CA,  Fin Keel,
Standard Rig

KWKloeber

Quote from: stevewitt1 on July 23, 2014, 08:29:58 AM

Thanks All!

I will work on the grounding improvement.  I agree about the strange yellow connector. 

The plastic bottle.......is a shield the PO must have installed.  It appears to just prevent an area of hose that may have been vulnerable to chaffing.

Thank You to all for the help and advise

Steve

Steve, the yellow connector isn't unusual at all, it's just a nylon-insulated, "Stake-on" (brand name) type terminal, rather than adhesive heat shrink.   It's yellow because it's for 10-12 AWG wire (blue for 14-16 AWG; red for 16-18, or 8 AWG cable.) 

FWIW dept, those nylon ones use a "double-crimp" type crimper (crimps the wire and the wire support in one stroke.)  Adhesive-heat-shrink terminals need a "single-crimp" type crimper.  Do not use a double on a single type terminal, or you'll compromise the adhesive heat shrink protection.


-KWK
Twenty years from now you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the tradewinds in your sails.
Explore.  Dream.  Discover.   -Mark Twain

KWKloeber

Ohhhhhh, duuuuuh.  Are you talking about the 'other'yellow doo-dad?  Pic isn't clear enuf to make it out - looks like a parallel tap maybe.  Unable to make out clearly what else goes to it.

BTW most don't that there are also heat shrink parallel connetors available if you need to make a splice - as well as other 'sealed' options.


KWK


Quote from: KWKloeber on July 23, 2014, 12:44:41 PM
Quote from: stevewitt1 on July 23, 2014, 08:29:58 AM

Thanks All!

I will work on the grounding improvement.  I agree about the strange yellow connector. 

The plastic bottle.......is a shield the PO must have installed.  It appears to just prevent an area of hose that may have been vulnerable to chaffing.

Thank You to all for the help and advise

Steve

Steve, the yellow connector isn't unusual at all, it's just a nylon-insulated, "Stake-on" (brand name) type terminal, rather than adhesive heat shrink.   It's yellow because it's for 10-12 AWG wire (blue for 14-16 AWG; red for 16-18, or 8 AWG cable.) 

FWIW dept, those nylon ones use a "double-crimp" type crimper (crimps the wire and the wire support in one stroke.)  Adhesive-heat-shrink terminals need a "single-crimp" type crimper.  Do not use a double on a single type terminal, or you'll compromise the adhesive heat shrink protection.


-KWK
Twenty years from now you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the tradewinds in your sails.
Explore.  Dream.  Discover.   -Mark Twain

stevewitt1

Her All!

The full word on the greay thingy is RANGER

Steve

Stu Jackson

Google: ranger electric noise suppressors.  Once you get past the gun supressors you'll find it.
Stu Jackson, C34 IA Secretary, #224 1986, "Aquavite"  Cowichan Bay, BC  Maple Bay Marina  SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)

"There is no problem so great that it can't be solved."

stevewitt1

Thanks Stu,

I did just that last night.  After realizing the NSA is now probably dialed in on me from that search I did see the noise suppressors.  I didn't thing a diesel had that much ignition noise to warrant a suppressor. (just kidding)

Steve