Looking for some advice. Want to upgrade my electrical to be able to add sound system. If I get a bigger alternator I have to get bigger main wires. That part I know but what else would I need or should do at the same time to upgrade the electrical system so I do it only once. 1965 chrysler newport in Cali. Thanks in advance for the help.
Upgrade electrical 65 newport
- Thread starter AnaheimEA
- Start date
How much power do you need? Are you talking just a head unit and 4 speakers which really shouldn't require any "upgrade". Or are you talking 8 speakers, 4 amps and a trunk full of subs? <that will not be received very well on this site btw.
Lol no not that crazy.... just speakers all around one amp. Upgraded radio. Power antennas so I can put a cover on it without damaging them. Simple stuff but it adds up. Currently it has a low level stock alternator. Thinking of maybe a 140 160 Amp not to much more. Currently it does bug me that the head lights go up and down in brightness depending on idle or driving.
mikedrini
Well-Known Member
Couple of things come to mind. Is your dash equipped to handle the rise in amperage? I've seen/heard many a man's dashboard go up in flames because of too many amps running through the gauges. Might be obvious, but definitely go through your fuse block and be sure you have the correct size fuses in there. If you don't have fusible links, voltage limiters or circuit breakers built in already, you may want to be sure you have those in the necessary spots as well.
mikedrini
Well-Known Member
I meant more in terms of running everything through the ammeter with the improper gauge wire. That is what can get things HOT and nuke your gauges. Post a photo of your current voltage regulator, because there a few different models.
I would like to get rid of the amp meter and replace it with a volt meter. This is the direction a mechanic told me would be best. Just not going with that mechanic again he tried to do some chinanigans in charging for some stuff he did do.
If you are going to run a amplifier where you need a 140 amp alternator, you aren't going to be running power through the dashboard connections, so much of what is written about that subject just isn't going to apply.
So, 140 amp alternator? That would tell me you are thinking of a 1200 watt system? If you aren't getting into that much wattage, you don't need an alternator with that much output.
Even with a smaller amplifier, you are going to want to run a separate wire from a battery source to your amplifier and not tap power from under the dash (which again, eliminates all the nonsense about how much current is running through the dash)
I would do this mod first: Underhood Ammeter Bypass That will bypass the dash wiring/ammeter/bulkhead connector for charging current. The thing you need to remember is your alternator will only put out as much as it needs, so everything is more dependent on how much you use rather than how much you can charge.
There is sooooooo much BS, nonsense and misinformation out there... People will lead you down a path of insanity if you aren't careful.
So, 140 amp alternator? That would tell me you are thinking of a 1200 watt system? If you aren't getting into that much wattage, you don't need an alternator with that much output.
Even with a smaller amplifier, you are going to want to run a separate wire from a battery source to your amplifier and not tap power from under the dash (which again, eliminates all the nonsense about how much current is running through the dash)
I would do this mod first: Underhood Ammeter Bypass That will bypass the dash wiring/ammeter/bulkhead connector for charging current. The thing you need to remember is your alternator will only put out as much as it needs, so everything is more dependent on how much you use rather than how much you can charge.
There is sooooooo much BS, nonsense and misinformation out there... People will lead you down a path of insanity if you aren't careful.
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
Noooo! That "voltage regulator" will deliver CURRENT TO THE FIELD COILS OF THE ALTERNATOR" until the RAGING FIRE BENEATH YOUR DASH AND HOOD cause the ignition wire which initially feeds the "regulator" to BURN INTO PIECES!
A voltage regulator serves only to supply field current to the alternator to increase the B field within, which is produced by the stator coils while the rotor moves through the field, producing increasing voltage and current to whatever LOAD is placed on it to complete the circuit. The initial load is the wheatstone bridge rectifier which converts the alternating current at varying frequency to Direct Current at an approximate pulse which is constant enough to be called "DC." THIS goes to your BATTERY AND whatever else you have across the + leads going to the frame negative "ground."
If you increase the ampacity of your alternator, you MUST increase AT LEAST the ampacity of the charging lead, usually going back to the big terminal on your starting relay, and initially branching off to several basic circuits from there, including:
1. The battery. A 10 gauge black wire normally connects the starter relay to the battery. Increase THIS to the same ampacity as your alternator charging lead. If you upgrade to say, a 100A alternator, you can get away with #8 AWG if the lead is short, though #6 would be more prudent. If you go to a 130A alternator, use #6 as the MINIMUM, but I advise you to go to #4 AWG, which is the normal size of the starter lead from the battery AND the ground lead to the engine block. You should make the latter bigger too, for the charging loop. I advise you to even install an extra fusible link between this conductor and the battery. I use #12 AWG at the battery itself, connecting using a split bolt to facilitate ease of replacement. By protecting the conductor at this point, all conductors down circuit from it likewise are made safe from overcurrentand the resultant fires.
2. The DASH. You probably have a DARK BLUE wire going from the starter relay terminal to the bulkhead at terminal Z that SHOULD be protected by a fusible link, #14 AWG if your charging lead was #10 gauge. Upgrade this link too when you upgrade the alternator and the charging lead. I use a #12 AWG link to protect my dash feed too, though I feed directly through with a RED #10 AWG, having dropped the ammeter loop and such. You would be WELL advised to do likewise if you've not already.
I also run a separate #10 to a pair of "cigarette lighter" type sockets from the starter relay terminal, for fans and USB chargers. This is why I use #12 AWG for the link. My battery run got upgraded to #8 AWG also.
3. The horn. Horns pull PLENTY current when in use! Thus Mopar used a relay protected by a #16 AWG fusible link off that same starter relay terminal. This you need not worry about upgrading.
I addition to the fusible links, you have a 6 fuse block under your dash, actually serving more than 6 circuits, but which Mopar cleverly managed to protect with these 6 SFE 1/4" x 1 1/4" fuses. You have several BREAKERS protecting key circuits such as headlights and window washers, and one possibly extra breaker behind the left kick panel up front. The previous two breakers come embedded in the headlight and wiper switches. One might well further protect and power these devices using solid state relays, which also serve as overcurrent protection, not to mention as shorter paths to battery power for these major loads. Save the OLD wiring from your harness to activate the new solid state relays, which you can protect at the battery with fuses or breakers as you like. Most folks feel more comfortable with breakers for that task, as they can be reset instead of requiring replacement in awkward situations. You might even contrive a second load center near the battery, protected by fusible link wire, that would then farm out the relay feeds.2. The DASH. You probably have a DARK BLUE wire going from the starter relay terminal to the bulkhead at terminal Z that SHOULD be protected by a fusible link, #14 AWG if your charging lead was #10 gauge. Upgrade this link too when you upgrade the alternator and the charging lead. I use a #12 AWG link to protect my dash feed too, though I feed directly through with a RED #10 AWG, having dropped the ammeter loop and such. You would be WELL advised to do likewise if you've not already.
I also run a separate #10 to a pair of "cigarette lighter" type sockets from the starter relay terminal, for fans and USB chargers. This is why I use #12 AWG for the link. My battery run got upgraded to #8 AWG also.
3. The horn. Horns pull PLENTY current when in use! Thus Mopar used a relay protected by a #16 AWG fusible link off that same starter relay terminal. This you need not worry about upgrading.
My point is this: automotive wire fires SUCK! I had one within a month of purchasing my '66 Newport simply because my limited time and schedule hadn't yet allowed me to repair the old wiring, which had been neglected and worse, vandalized by prior generations of FOOLS who had REMOVED ALL OVERCURRENT PROTECTION FROM UNDER THE HOOD!!!! So, when the broken driver side motor mount permitted the motor to ride up and short circuit the alternator charging stud to the fender as I pulled out of a "Circle J" just a block from home 5 years ago this month, I got a merry blaze from all the primary power wires directly connected to that starter relay stud, which in turn was connected to the alternator, which had shorted! The battery fed these blazing, dripping wires until the 12 gauge black alternator charging wire MELTED INTO FRAGMENTS. Since NONE of these 50 yr old wires were fusible link wire, the pure stranded copper conductors withstood an enormous overcurrent as they ignited their vinyl insulation, before finally melting or cooling off once the crucial battery charging wire melted.
I actually made it home in just a couple minutes after dousing the nasty, acrid guttering flames from the wires as I had already put spare wire and plenty tools in the trunk. I hotwired the ignition, started Mathilda up and drove the half block remaining home on battery. I saw the horrendous extent of the damage the next day, but had the car in marginally safer condition by that afternoon, and in FAR safer condition later that spring. I strive to improve electrical safety to this day, and will continue to so long as I drive this car.
Start with getting some fusible link wire as soon as you can after reading this.....
Best wishes and prayers.
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