I have mine going to the solenoid.


Lawrenceville, GA

Does the wire have to be connected to the battery terminal or can it be put on the positive side of the solenoid? My thinking is the battery cable connects to the solenoid anyway and it would make for a cleaner install.

Durham Missouri

Actually it's going in my wagon. But I think it should get plenty of air. There is a lot of open space around the front of the car. Thanks for the help.

Durham Missouri

You'll be fine. Lots more airflow in the truck than the bird. The (first) blower and later the a/c unit make airflow a real problem.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

I've had a Powermaster 100amp 1 wire on mine for probably 7 years now.  Not one problem.  But I also don't have a whole lot more than the stock wiring, a fuel pump and oxygen sensor are about the only additions.  As I add more stuff, we'll see how it does but so far, absolutely no complaints.

The only issue you might run into regarding mounting has to do with the power connector - it may hit the dipstick tube in car applications.  This is easily solved by clocking the housing to a different position.



Lawrenceville, GA

Based on my limited experience, all those GM alternators mount the same. I just went from a 30 to a 90 amp on the bird.

I'm not a big fan of 1 wire, I like the 3 wire hook up. This places the charging voltage at the battery, not at the alternator. It also lets you hook up the warning light, which gets your attention faster than the volt meter. Or the temp gauge if you lose a belt.

The other thing, those high amp units need a lot of cooling. They make different models with different fan units. I've had some failure problems with 30 amp units rewound to 90 amps. Not a problem if they spend most of their time at low charge, but with a bunch of load, they cook. Look at a 90 amp unit on a Cat or a Cummins, they'll run continuous and they're 5 times the size.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Will Johns bracket fit all GM 1 wire style alts? I looking at getting a 1 wire 100 amp to upgrade my charging system.

Durham Missouri