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One- and Two-Wire Alternator

 

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One- and two-wire alternators eliminate much of the factory wiring harness for your charging system.

 

One-wire alternators were built for industrial applications such as a farm tractor and is basically a battery charger and for systems with minimal accessories needing electrical power. Putting a one-wire alternator on a typical street-driven car such as a Camaro, Chevelle, Nova, etc. with original wiring and the lights will be dimmer and the ignition weaker than the original alternator/voltage regulator system. One-wire systems do not support the use of a warning lamp but a volt meter can still be added.

 

Some aftermarket one-wire units such as the Tuff Stuff #7127. #7139, and #7140 units have a terminal that may be used for a warning lamp by simply running a wire from the terminal plug (R left terminal) to the warning lamp.

 

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A two-wire GM Delco alternator, such as the GM 10SI-63amp  or the GM 12SI-94amp models use an internal voltage regulator. These make good alternatives to the standard three-wire alternators found on most cars of the era are fine for street use and parts can readily be found at most auto parts stores if a replacement is needed. With the internal regulator the system can still read down-stream voltage needed for most electrical accessories such as air conditioning,

 


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Correct wire size for the battery cable is critical. Too small of a wire (battery cable) can cause the wire to overheat and melt possibly causing a fire. The gauge recommendation are based on a 4-foot wire length. Trunk mounted batteries require a heavier gauge cable.

 

Alternator Rating Wire Size
75 amps 10 gauge
100 amos 8 gauge
150 amp 6 gauge
200 amp 4 gauge

 

Amps 4'-10' 10'-13' 13'-16' 16'-22' 22'-26'
75-100 8 5 4 4 2
100-125 6 4 2 2 0
125-150 6 4 2 2 0
150-175 4 2 2 0 0
175-200 4 2 0 0 00

 

Aftermarket wiring kits are available from such sources as Painless Performance, MAD Electrical, and several others. check them out.

 



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