Alternator Circuit Fuse

[crackedback]

55 amp alternator, the max you should need is a 60. The car likely runs on about 20-35 amps and with the relay kit dragging directly off alternator charge stud, that will be even less.

Watch some bill nye science guy... Or "This Old Burned Down House" LOL If you want some help or one of the maxi holders I have, just send me a message.

I read you OP. You already have a fuse holder/case. Put that in line and put a 40 amp fuse in it. If that blows out, you need to go up in fuse rating to a 50.

 

[RustyRatRod]

55 amp alternator, the max you should need is a 60. The car likely runs on about 20-35 amps and with the relay kit dragging directly off alternator charge stud, that will be even less.

Watch some bill nye science guy... Or "This Old Burned Down House" LOL If you want some help or one of the maxi holders I have, just send me a message.

I read you OP. You already have a fuse holder/case. Put that in line and put a 40 amp fuse in it. If that blows out, you need to go up in fuse rating to a 50.

Thanks. This is the style fuse I have the holder for.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...4cad8cdae8e/littelfuse-50-amp-fuse/lit0/mid50
I don't want a slow blow fuse, though. I don't know how to tell the difference. I'll get what you have if all of that type is slow blow.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I'm beginning to think what I want to fuse isn't the alternator. What I'm wanting is, something that will "blow" in the event of a ammeter meltdown, or "something" going in through the bulkhead connector. I don't think fusing the alternator will do that. Although I may end up doing that "too". What do yall think?

 

[CFD244]

Pull the ammeter and solder the studs to the (for lack of a better word.."shunt plate") and re-install the ammeter. Remove the spade connectors from the bulkhead (use the holes) and run solid wire into the passenger compartment, to the ammeter, out of the ammeter, and back out to the engine compartment. This should alleviate the potentially high resistance, bad connection possibilities that cause heat. Just a thought if you don't want to do the whole bypass deal. Thinking out loud.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Pull the ammeter and solder the studs to the (for lack of a better word.."shunt plate") and re-install the ammeter. Remove the spade connectors from the bulkhead (use the holes) and run solid wire into the passenger compartment, to the ammeter, out of the ammeter, and back out to the engine compartment. This should alleviate the potentially high resistance, bad connection possibilities that cause heat. Just a thought if you don't want to do the whole bypass deal. Thinking out loud.

I've removed and disassembled the whole cluster when I first got the car. Polished the connections on the ammeter until they shined as well as the eyelets and reinstalled and tightened them good. ...and no, I don't want to bypass anything as it all works fine. I just want to add some protection for the wiring harness.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Pull the ammeter and solder the studs to the (for lack of a better word.."shunt plate") and re-install the ammeter. Remove the spade connectors from the bulkhead (use the holes) and run solid wire into the passenger compartment, to the ammeter, out of the ammeter, and back out to the engine compartment. This should alleviate the potentially high resistance, bad connection possibilities that cause heat. Just a thought if you don't want to do the whole bypass deal. Thinking out loud.

I've also thought about isolating the the charge wire through the firewall connector, but there is ZERO evidence it's ever been hot and no melting on the connector whatsoever on either side. I removed the connectors when I got the car and cleaned the hell out of them, too.

 

[67Dart273]

I'm beginning to think what I want to fuse isn't the alternator. What I'm wanting is, something that will "blow" in the event of a ammeter meltdown, or "something" going in through the bulkhead connector. I don't think fusing the alternator will do that. Although I may end up doing that "too". What do yall think?

Couple things. A fuse will likely "not help" a "meltdown" of the usual suspects---the terminals--in the charge path from over-current with "normal" operation, IE, you somehow run down the battery with dome light, etc, and the thing is charging hard to catch up. It's just putting a lot of current through the charge circuit, and if something is weak, like the ammeter connections, it will heat Fuse no help

Next if you are fusing for fault protection, as I've mentioned "such as" a shorted alternator, to protect the harness, AND IF YOU have added a bypass wire, you need to fuse that wire AND KEEP the original fuse/ link from the battery --into--the bulkhead, because adding a bypass wire makes a parallel path

If you have dead stock factory ammeter wiring, just keep the factory fuse link (if there) or add one in it's place. this is where the battery power feeds into the bulkhead from the engine bay. Normally the big red wire.