ok, i am finishing my battery cut off switch. i was wondering which one of these diagrams would represent the correct way, or the better way, to wire it. in the diagrams stuff means accessories, i was just being lazy though.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...therswitch.gif

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18.../switchpic.gif


hey, i just wanted to tell everyone that helped me in this thread thank you. my switch is now mounted and works great. if you take a look at the appearance forum i posted pictures of ym switch mounted in my car. thanks again!

 

sorry, but in addition i was wondering if 8 gauge wiring would be sufficient for the starter to switch connection.

 

When you say "correct way", I'm assuming you mean NHRA/IHRA legal?

To be track legal, it must kill the engine and all the electrics when turned off. This means nothing can be powered when the switch is off and the alternator field wire must also get disconnected so that the alternator doesn't backfeed the system to supply power and keep the engine running. The only wire that can stay hot when the switch is off is a power wire running up to the alternator power post but it can't feed anything else. It's only a charging wire.

In a race car, turning off the master switch isn't a big deal. In a street car, it means losing all your presets and clock in your stereo. With an EFI car, it will be like disconnecting the battery. Any memory learn blocks in the ECM will get reset.

If it's strictly a street car, you can hook it up however you want. At least you're showing it on the positive side like it's supposed to be.

 

track car, no stereo or anything like that; electronic devices are the water pump/fans/ignitionbox/electric crap necassary for car to work.
i am just worried about the one where it goes accessories/alternator to switch and then from switch to battery that there would be some backfeed to allow the car to continue running. That would i would rather do because my battery box only has one outlet for postive and one outlet for negative. i wouold need to cut two more holes in the box, and modify greatly for all that stuff to fit for the alt/accessory to battery, then battery to switch diagram.

i guess i could also get one of those new switches that have the alternator post on them, but i would really like to try and save 60 bucks and get this one with two posts to work.

i think i understand a lttle better what you are saying now. if the accesories/battery/alternator are on one post at the same time, all three of them would stay hot because the alternator line is still hot, i think? maybe my reasoning is totally wrong

 

While those two drawings are pretty ugly, electrically they are correct. As, both the battery and alternator are switched-off (in the off position).

Use #4 welding cable, as it is much more durable than standard AWG stranded wire. Also, you'll need #10 AWG for the Alternator to switch (charge) wire.

PM me if you have any additional questions (I'm an EE). I was in Scottsdale the week before last with my work (really great wheather there).

WD

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2189634

 

the first one is the way I have mine. You should run the charge wire from the alternator directly to the switch and on the battery side. That way when you hit the switch it kills ALL electrical power to the vehicle.

Oh and 8 guage is not big enouh. I used 2 guage and its too small. The run is long from the trunk all the way up to the engine. I routed my wire thru the car and into the engine compartment thru the firswall, then down to the starter. Its a long run and even with 2 guage I have a big voltage drop when cranking and the starter will sometimes kick out and back in. I need to upgrade my wire and reroute it so its not so long.

I would use at least #10 for the charge wire. #10 is still not rated for as many amps as the alternator is capable of producing. I used #6 for my charge wire. Its a race car also...

 

ok, so its ok if my battery, accessories, and my alternator all meet on one post?

oh yeah, and teribbly sorry about my drawings lol

 

yeah the drawings were pretty bad... lol

Yes its fine to have them all comming from the same place.

What I did was use the factory + block under the hood for the electrical power for the vehicle. I just made up a jumper to run from the starter back up the the distrobution block to keep all the wiring up front. The only wires i have in the back are the battery, starter and alternator wires.

 

ok so i am going to run 2 gauge for the alternator to switch, 2 gauge for the starter to switch, 1/0 for aceessories to switch, and 3/0 from switch to battery

for some strange reason the 2 gauge from taylor is thicker than the 2 gauge from home depot? i have no idea why its like that. i have the thicker taylor on the alternator, but i am going ot try to sneak it to my starter.

 

Save yourself some wiring and mount a Ford style starter solenoid somewhere up front. One wire goes back to the battery and any hot sources can be connected right at that post on the solenoid. The other side of the solenoid goes to the starter with a loop wire running from the starter battery post to the solenoid post on the GM starter. Take the original solenoid wire from the GM starter and reconnect it to activate the Ford solenoid.

The starter now has no power source going to it unless you're trying to start the car. All the hot source wires are connected to the Ford solenoid mounted somewhere accessible. Also makes using a remote starter easier to hook up.

As mentioned above, the alternator charge wire goes back to the battery. With the power wire off the alternator going back to the battery, when you turn off the master switch, that wire can't feed the system. You just need to install the field wire to a switched source so when the ignition is turned off or the master switch is turned off, the field wire gets no power and the alternator stops charging.

 

ok. here's my new one

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18.../fordstyle.gif

you are the second person that has recommended this way to me, so it must be pretty good. here is a diagram of it, i just want to check it make sure it looks the way it should be.

 

Ugly drawing but the concept is correct.

 

that drawing is horrible but now it is correct, and you can never have too thick of wire, so it's good that you're thinking of running 2 guage and 4 guage.

 

Brian,
Are you going to help me wire mine???

Frank
CPT

 

Check with this guy, lot's of real good info here.

http://www.madelectrical.com/index.shtml