Very weird question: exciter wire for alternator

[jumpsoffrock]

I'm working on a 60's GM vehicle.

Like many of them, a 4ga Black wire goes from the battery to the starter, and from there a 10ga Red wire feeds the main fuseblock in the interior.

I would call that a "main distribution point". No?

When I was learning to wire a 3-wire Alternator setup, i was advised that if you have a distribution point nearby in the engine bay, connect the exciter wire to that distribution point, so when you are drawing a load with your accessories, your alternator is taking a reading of the voltage drop AT THAT distribution point and will therefore do a more precise job of maintaining proper voltage.

Would it be responsible to send the alternator exciter wire to the "distribution point" at the starter solenoid? or is that trying too hard?





Why I posted this thread to start with: I want to add a small auxiliary fuse panel in the engine bay--this aux fuse panel may experience a few medium/high draw accessories--and was going to power it with a 10ga wire, and was trying to figure a place to take power from, if not the battery. So then I thought, connect the aux-fuse panel to the distribution point where the alternator senses voltage.

But then I got confused, because I asked myself, "which is more important, the main fuse panel draw, or the draw from my aux fuse panel?"


then I thought, why don't I just centre the draw at the same point? Connect the 10ga for the aux fuse panel to the starter solenoid, then connect the alt sense wire to that same distribution block...


Whad'ya think?

(OT: I am also strongly considering installing a Ford starter solenoid, and using that as my base of operations)

[jhe.1973]

I can't give a definite answer to your main question, but my thought process concerning the Ford solenoid is the same:



When I first got my truck I had an intermittent no-crank issue. If I went below and jumped the starter with a screwdriver it would always crank just fine. I added the solenoid and have had no issues in the 25+ years since. The small terminal strip beside it is for any upgrades I may want to add eventually.

[weq92f]

.

Without regard for keeping anything original, I did this: in cab accessories, mostly not high amp draw things, are fed from the BAT with I believe a 10g wire from the starter solenoid which is also connected to BAT via 10g.

Everything else was rewired to collectively get their electrons from a BAT BAR installed near the BAT. This includes headlight relays, audio components, ignition, EFI, fuel pump, VA blower fan relays, electric cooling fans and any other big amp draw system. ALT charge goes to the BAR 6G and the BAR connects to BAT via 4G. The remaining aftermarket wiring harness was left in place.

If I were running a 3 wire ALT, I would place both charge and sense leads on the central bar.

Hth,

-Kevin