Yes, another question about MAD bypass ... how to connect

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gdizzle

gdizzle

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Ok on my 66 dart , slanted, getting ready to clean up a half-assed ammeter bypass (snip and tape), I am looking at the MAD diagram.
2 things:
I have already run 2 10 gauge wires directly from Alt to battery +, in addition to the wire going through the firewall. So do I still need to still connect the alt to the starter relay like in the picture?

and #2: how in the heck do you connect 2 10 gauge wires to a 16g fusible link wire? ??
do you just use those twisty wire nuts like I use on my house electrical wires? or is there some sort of crimping that can take place?
 
You need a step down butt connector to do it properly.
 
First ; Twist on wire nuts should never be used in automotive or anywhere else where vibration occurs.
Second; If you're not comfortable or experienced with hot soldering, The part stores have nice weather resistant crimp terminals. ( I think you'll need the yellow ones ) You'll heat to shrink and seal the ends after a proper crimper is used. That's where some drop the ball. Not just any plier jaw handy will create a proper crimp.
Third; Where 1 wire is much smaller, strip twice the required length and fold it double.
 
Last edited:
gdizzle said:
Ok on my 66 dart , slanted, getting ready to clean up a half-assed ammeter bypass (snip and tape), I am looking at the MAD diagram.
2 things:
I have already run 2 10 gauge wires directly from Alt to battery +, in addition to the wire going through the firewall. So do I still need to still connect the alt to the starter relay like in the picture?
and #2: how in the heck do you connect 2 10 gauge wires to a 16g fusible link wire? ??
do you just use those twisty wire nuts like I use on my house electrical wires? or is there some sort of crimping that can take place?
Click to expand...
gdizzle said:
Ok on my 66 dart , slanted, getting ready to clean up a half-assed ammeter bypass (snip and tape), I am looking at the MAD diagram.
2 things:
I have already run 2 10 gauge wires directly from Alt to battery +, in addition to the wire going through the firewall. So do I still need to still connect the alt to the starter relay like in the picture?
and #2: how in the heck do you connect 2 10 gauge wires to a 16g fusible link wire? ??
do you just use those twisty wire nuts like I use on my house electrical wires? or is there some sort of crimping that can take place?
Click to expand...
Re #1, by running the wire alt to battery you should not have to run one to starter relay. But by running wire to the correct terminal on the starter relay you would not need to run additional wire to the battery.
 
DesertRat said:
Re #1, by running the wire alt to battery you should not have to run one to starter relay. But by running wire to the correct terminal on the starter relay you would not need to run additional wire to the battery.
Click to expand...

Agreed. There really isn't a good way to add a wire at the battery terminal that I've seen, especially where you'll need to go by/across the battery ground terminal and other possible short circuit to ground points.
We suggest going to the starter relay because there is a lug there suitable for properly securing a eyelet terminal. Routing a minimal length wire, taking the shortest path over the top front of the engine is foolish too. Any wire added anywhere should be routed well away of heat and sharps. Best route is following the OEM harness. You'll un-tape and re-tape or better yet, invest in wire loom.
 
RedFish said:
Agreed. There really isn't a good way to add a wire at the battery terminal that I've seen, especially where you'll need to go by/across the battery ground terminal and other possible short circuit to ground points.
We suggest going to the starter relay because there is a lug there suitable for properly securing a eyelet terminal. Routing a minimal length wire, taking the shortest path over the top front of the engine is foolish too. Any wire added anywhere should be routed well away of heat and sharps. Best route is following the OEM harness. You'll un-tape and re-tape or better yet, invest in wire loom.
Click to expand...

I ran my new larger alt stud to relay terminal wire through 1/8 vacuum hose and followed the OE harness around the firewall.
Did the same with my headlight relays supply, so no possibility of a short on an un fused circuit unless something pretty drastic happens.
 
Great comments, keep it up. I am comfortable soldering, though there is a faction of engineers who profess that solder is less conductive than a properly crimped connection. But I digress.... I am trying to fathom the best way to connect the 2 10g wires that will be in the engine bay, outside of the bulkhead, to the suggested 16g fusible link wire. I could put a ring terminal on each wire, then nut them together but then how to properly insulate it? And that is sorta half-baked. How does everyone do this? I am leaning towards soldering, too ba d someone doesn't make a 3 way crimped connector.
 
I soldered, and used two layers of heat shrink tubing for insulation. Plus it's all inside corrugated plastic conduit.
 
I am no expert but I have been doing Electronics for about 30 years now. All sounds great, except, 10 gauge wire to spicing into a 16 gauge fusible link. You need to find a 10 gauge fusible link. If not the 10 gauge wire will burn up your 16 gauge wire after some time under high loads. By using the 10 gauge you haven't done anything to increase Current with the 16 gauge. Picture a 3/8 garden hose with water running though it and in the center is a straw for a splice... its the same concept. The amount of current that runs through that 10 gauge wire is equal to the highest voltage drop. In this case it is the 16 gauge spice point. You may be also better off putting an auto-tripping circuit breaker in place of the fusible link.
 
RedFish said:
... Routing a minimal length wire, taking the shortest path over the top front of the engine is foolish too. ...
Click to expand...
That is what I did in my 273 small-block. Look at a Magnum engine and you'll see that is what the Chrysler engineers did from ALT+ to BAT+, running right across the timing cover. Indeed, I used the cable from a Magnum V-8. I don't directly attach to BAT+, but rather to a new fuse/relay box beside the battery (can see in my avatar).

In a slant, running ALT+ to the starter relay is the easiest path. No, need to add another wire from there to BAT+ since there is already such a factory wire.

I lost you on the need to connect two 10 awg wires to the fusible link. A photo would help. We assume that is the cabin feed, via the bulkhead connector. What loads would you have in the cabin that require such massive current? If you did draw such current, it would melt the bulkhead terminal which is the problem the MAD Bypass is intended to fix. If you do need such cabin current, do the "fleet bypass", as the factory did for loads like a police spotlight.
 
Just updating my progress. The splicing question (2 10g to 16g fuselink) ended up being a moot point. Seeing as prior to this bypass, I had already ran 2 10g wires directly from Alt to Battery. So I no longer needed the alt to starter wire.
So ultimately what I did was combine the 2 wires in the cabin and crimped it to a single 10g wire which then runs out via a hole in firewall to engine bay, where it then connects to a 16g wire (serves as fuselink) which connects to starter relay stud. Now it gets further complicated because I also installed an ignition relay so some wires are now going there etc... Thanks for all your help. Car is running and wires are not frying. Ultimately I am doing all of this to try to put a stop to the headlight/domelight/dashlight pulsing. Which still hasn't made any difference, though my voltage is now a little more stable. (less voltage drop)
 
Sounds good, assuming the new 10 awg wire runs thru a grommet'ed hole, not sharp sheet-metal like 1970's Jaguars did (lazy Brits). For those w/ a 1963 or 1965, no need since the thick ALT & BAT wires run thru solid buss-bars. Your 1966 will now be like all my newer cars - no ammeter or voltmeter. When the battery gets low, they go crazy - windshield wipers actuate, electronic tranny shows all gears lit. In an old Mopar, you will just notice the spark miss and headlamps dim. On trips, I plug-in a cigarette-lighter voltmeter so no surprises. In my 64 & 65 A's, the ammeter is active but protected from >50 A by a diode shunt in the engine bay. I put a 65 bulkhead in my 64 to get the buss-bar terminals. Can't do in a 66 since I think you need the 3rd wiper connector.
 
BillGrissom said:
That is what I did in my 273 small-block. Look at a Magnum engine and you'll see that is what the Chrysler engineers did from ALT+ to BAT+, running right across the timing cover. Indeed, I used the cable from a Magnum V-8. I don't directly attach to BAT+, but rather to a new fuse/relay box beside the battery (can see in my avatar).

In a slant, running ALT+ to the starter relay is the easiest path. No, need to add another wire from there to BAT+ since there is already such a factory wire.

I lost you on the need to connect two 10 awg wires to the fusible link. A photo would help. We assume that is the cabin feed, via the bulkhead connector. What loads would you have in the cabin that require such massive current? If you did draw such current, it would melt the bulkhead terminal which is the problem the MAD Bypass is intended to fix. If you do need such cabin current, do the "fleet bypass", as the factory did for loads like a police spotlight.
Click to expand...

I had a similar question. Assume alternator post-to-relay black wire is in place and ammeter is shunted and wires correctly spliced under the dash. At this point it seems to me that powering up the dash and interior doesn't require the draw needed to drill holes and run dedicated wiring (or does it?). Is there a reason why you couldn't use the original OEM bulkhead connector?

It seems that on the interior, the wires are in place. In the engine compartment, you connect a new black from the bulkhead, splice it with the existing "red" and fuselink to the relay like the MAD article suggests. No drilling needed. Is this reasonable, or are overheated wires running through the bulkhead still a possibility?
 
BillGrissom said:
That is what I did in my 273 small-block. Look at a Magnum engine and you'll see that is what the Chrysler engineers did from ALT+ to BAT+, running right across the timing cover. Indeed, I used the cable from a Magnum V-8. I don't directly attach to BAT+, but rather to a new fuse/relay box beside the battery (can see in my avatar).

In a slant, running ALT+ to the starter relay is the easiest path. No, need to add another wire from there to BAT+ since there is already such a factory wire.

I lost you on the need to connect two 10 awg wires to the fusible link. A photo would help. We assume that is the cabin feed, via the bulkhead connector. What loads would you have in the cabin that require such massive current? If you did draw such current, it would melt the bulkhead terminal which is the problem the MAD Bypass is intended to fix. If you do need such cabin current, do the "fleet bypass", as the factory did for loads like a police spotlight.
Click to expand...

I had a similar question. Assume alternator post-to-relay black wire is in place and ammeter is shunted and wires correctly spliced under the dash. At this point it seems to me that powering up the dash and interior doesn't require the draw needed to drill holes and run dedicated wiring (or does it?). Is there a reason why you couldn't use the original OEM bulkhead connector?

It seems that on the interior, the wires are in place. In the engine compartment, you connect a new black from the bulkhead, splice it with the existing "red" and fuselink to the relay like the MAD article suggests. No drilling needed. Is this reasonable, or are overheated wires running through the bulkhead still a possibility?
 
When people buy the wire around from me, I suggest leaving ALL the OEM wiring in place and jump the ammeter. That is predicated on the bulkhead connections being in good working order. If they aren't, fix them up.

The load inside the car can be fed OK with the OEM wiring. No need to splice/cut a bunch of other wiring.
 
gdizzle said:
Ok on my 66 dart , slanted, getting ready to clean up a half-assed ammeter bypass (snip and tape), I am looking at the MAD diagram.
2 things:
I have already run 2 10 gauge wires directly from Alt to battery +, in addition to the wire going through the firewall. So do I still need to still connect the alt to the starter relay like in the picture?

and #2: how in the heck do you connect 2 10 gauge wires to a 16g fusible link wire? ??
do you just use those twisty wire nuts like I use on my house electrical wires? or is there some sort of crimping that can take place?
Click to expand...
:popcorn:
 
crackedback said:
When people buy the wire around from me, I suggest leaving ALL the OEM wiring in place and jump the ammeter. That is predicated on the bulkhead connections being in good working order. If they aren't, fix them up.

The load inside the car can be fed OK with the OEM wiring. No need to splice/cut a bunch of other wiring.
Click to expand...

Thanks crackedback! That's what I was thinking. I hate to drill out intact connections if they can be fixed and used.
 
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