q about wiring on a 3g

You connect that white/black wire in the single connectors on the alt... called the stator wire. You can use the two stock wires, and also use a 4 gauge with the stock ones, or you can cut them where they come to one single 10 gauge and tape it off and just run the one 4 gauge aftermarket wire. But, and a BIG but, do not take off the wires from the old harness at the starter solenoid. I don't remember what exactly happens, but I know it will cause major head aches... Someone else can chime in here and fill in my blanks.

When wiring in my 3G I did not use the stock charging wires. Instead I found the largest cable I could get my hands on (0 gauge?). Car stereo shops are good sources. The larger wire will decrease resistance. A smaller wire has the potential to overheat, melt the plastic shielding, and short out. If you are spending the money on a high output alt, spend the money on a big cable.
Stang8URMPRT is right. The white wire gets jumped to the single plug.

You can totally pull the factory power lead, you just need to cut the yellow/white wire off the voltage regulator, put a ring terminal on it, and connect it to the same post you connect the new power lead. It just needs to be connected to a 12v source.

The stock wiring is scary bad, and it's a good idea to replace it. The stock setup uses about two 6" lengths of 10ga wire, then splices them to a single 8ga wire. The 8ga power lead heads over to the battery along with the yellow white sense/switch lead. about a foot from the battery, they are spliced together via fuseable links, and then connect to a 8ga green wire that goes to the solenoid. If you just pull the power wire as is, you leave the voltage regulator's sense/switch line disconnected.

Your best bet is to get some high quality 4ga wire, ring terminals, and a fuse holder with a 150A fuse and make a new power lead. If you use the good stereo stuff, the combination of the fine stranding and the twisted bundles will act like a noise supressor, and you won't get any of that wine over you speakers.

You need about 10ft of 4ga wire, some nice ring terminals, and a fuse and fuse holder. I got some 1800+ strand 4ga, and the rest of the hardware I needed at Car Domain for less than $30 or so...

Good luck...

I think it would be great for all the 3G newbies (me included) for a simple explaination of which colored wire goes where. Obviously the heavy gauge wire runs to the batt. The yellow with white tracer apears in the picture to be jumped to the charging post. My question is where should the other wires be routed to (green/purple..brown/black). Also i would apreciate if you could clarify which path the stator wire takes. Ill be wiring the 3 G up tomm and have a battery relocate type setup so I will definetly benefit from this swap . As for me I have 4awg wiring from alt charging post to rear. Is this sufficient? I did use 1/0 welding cable to the rear quad shock mount for the battery ground..I also used 1/0 in grounding block to frame..as well as 1/0 for the positive lead to solenoid/solenoid to a Gear Reduction Starter.
Any input would be apreciated

Thanks alot (ahead of time)

Sure...sorry about that. I should clarify that my alternator is a PA Performance unit, but it shouldn't be much different from your run of the mill 3G from a wiring standpoint.

There are three wires coming off the factory voltage regulator connection. The tan/black gets spliced to the white/black wire below it (the black stripe isn't showing), and connected to the stator connection on the 3G.

The yellow/white is the sense/switch lead for the voltage regulator, and just needs to be connected to a live 12v source. In the factory setup, it runs all the way over to the starter solenoid along with the factory power lead.

The third green/red wire is the voltmeter lead for the battery gauge in the dash. It runs over past the battery and into the firewall near the driver.

Anything else you want me to answer, feel free to ask. I have some more pics, let me get them uploaded...

Here's a couple more pics...

This is the old power lead next to the new 4ga lead...



This is how the power lead and sense/switch leads meet, and get connected to the solenoid. It's basically the other end of the factory power lead..



You can see the yellow lead meets up with a short length of brown wire, which meets up with the singe 8ga power lead (bottom) at a fuesable link, and become a single green lead that connects to the starter solenoid.

Maybe I am thinking too hard (or maybe not enough)...
To clarify how I interpeted this information

4awg power wire- from charging post to 12v (batt posi)

tan/black tracer gets spliced to the white/blk tracer which is then inserts its connector into the stator on the alt.

green/purple tracer runs to factory (or aftermarket) voltmeter

yellow/white tracer runs to a 12v source...now is that ignition controlled 12v or source voltage? ( I notice yours is connected to the charging post (?) )

I just want to be clear so that I do not melt any wiring- Im running out of my Ford prescribed Aspirin!!

BLOWN 5.0 FOX said:

Maybe I am thinking too hard (or maybe not enough)...
To clarify how I interpeted this information

4awg power wire- from charging post to 12v (batt posi)

tan/black tracer gets spliced to the white/blk tracer which is then inserts its connector into the stator on the alt.

green/purple tracer runs to factory (or aftermarket) voltmeter

yellow/white tracer runs to a 12v source...now is that ignition controlled 12v or source voltage? ( I notice yours is connected to the charging post (?) )

I just want to be clear so that I do not melt any wiring- Im running out of my Ford prescribed Aspirin!!

Click to expand...

You're almost right. First, the 4ga power wire goes from the alternator post, to the fenderwall solenoid.

As for the yellow/white, it needs to be connected to a constant 12v source. PA Performance told me to hook it up there.

Excellent- I look foreward to my strong electrical system!! THANKS GUYS!!!!!

If you have any other questions, or run into some trouble, shoot me a pm.

Have fun!