MAD Bypass Question

72dart_swinger said
Dan I read your post that you linked on the slant 6 forum, and have a question that I hope you can clear up. When you pit the two 10 gauge wires from the alternator to the positive battery terminal do you remove the factory wire or leave it in place?

Doesn't matter. I usually leave it in place; it's not going to be carrying much of any current. But if an ammeter that moves but no longer provides useful information is going to bug you, go ahead and remove the factory wire.

Also does running these two wires in any way mess up the voltage regulator

Not at all.

since it seems to be bypassing it?

No, it does not bypass the voltage regulator. The regulator is not like a hose faucet that opens to allow more or closes to allow less electricity from the alternator to the battery; that's not how it works. What the regulator does is control power to the alternator's rotor, and alternator output varies proportionally with power supplied to its rotor by the regulator. This remains the case even when you run wires directly from the alternator output stud to the battery positive terminal.