High Amp Alternator Charging System Question

I'd suggest the biggest wire on the car is the one that goes to the starter from the battery...
i don't think you want it smaller than your alternator output wire

the battery can put out many more amps than you alternator ever will.
This starter wire has a electric motor at the end of it which when it first starts to move looks like a short circuit.
huge amps....HUGE sucked out of the battery for the first few turns of that motor...

a long run form battery to starter needs a bigger cross section anyway.


there was a reason it was all up front and only a couple of feet apart.

standard set up off the top of my head

thin black wire from alternator into car via bulkhead
thin red wire from battery + into car via bulkhead

these two join via a combination of the connectors at the ammeter and a master splice in the loom near the wiper switch to feed igntion accesories and in car stuff and charge the battery

and you have a great big fat, Think welding cable, from battery to starter solenoid contact (i.e the main feed to the starter motor)

the alternator wire will only carry what the alterantor puts out, and that is dicated by demand from your electrical kit and the state of charge of your battery NOT the max output raeting of your alternator

if you car consumes 20 amps and you have a 160 amp alteranator that alternator will in most cases output a maxium of about 30 amps 20 for the car and 10 for s ahort period until the battery charges up a bit and that 10 wll decay rapidly down to 2 or 3 for the first hour of so of drving until the battery gets back to 13.?? volts

summary
wire for battery to starter BIG
everythig else smaller

otherwise all the magic smoke escapes and makes you cough

Dave