Big 3 Upgrade done finally

[2,4shofast]

Well I finally got around to doing a big 3 upgrade. I put in a GM 4 post yellow top optima battery and stinger expert terminals. I upgrade to 0/1 gauge Stinger wiring for the alt, power post, block ground and valve cover ground.

I recently added Colex Customs caps and a Musclemerc catch can.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/shofast/MM/312.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/shofast/MM/313.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/shofast/MM/314.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/shofast/MM/315.jpg

[breeze]

Sweet looking mm with a clean ass engine bay.

[2,4shofast]

Sweet looking mm with a clean ass engine bay.


Thank you:beer:

[ctrlraven]

Looks good! I ordered my KnuKoncepts wire last week to do this on the MM and 3G alternator upgrade on my foxbody.

[MOTOWN]

Looks good! i realy need to finish mines

[2,4shofast]

All in all it was a very easy swap over, I had changed out a few of the wires when I first installed a yellow top but now I dont remember what the one brown wire I have left goes to :lol:

[2,4shofast]

I figured out the brown wire :lol: I posted some better pics as well.

[Vortech347]

Damn that wire has some girth to it.

[Rockettman]

Damn that wire has some girth to it.

That's what she said. :P

[Rockettman]

Looks good! I ordered my KnuKoncepts wire last week to do this on the MM and 3G alternator upgrade on my foxbody.

^^^ you'll find that upgrade invaluable. Did mine last summer. Huge difference.

[ctrlraven]

^^^ you'll find that upgrade invaluable. Did mine last summer. Huge difference.

I'm looking forward to be able to see at night and install my 3.8 Taurus electric fan.

Did you swap the pulleys?

[Rockettman]

^^^ the alternator one? Or all of them?

I did not change all the pulleys.

The alternator I got, was bought from a junk yard (which worked out fantastic because it had "weathered" to match everything else). It was much cheaper too. I did tell them to give me the harness with it, so I could have the plug that's needed for the new one to connect.
Anyway, the pulley on the old alt., would not go onto the pin on the 3G due to the depth of the pulley itself. The pin was too short to get the nut on. The 3G pulley wasn't much bigger than the stock one anyway; and I figured with the increase of amperage; I was fine. And I was. 13.60-13.80 amps to the battery with: the a.c. on / lights including fogs / fan on high.

[2,4shofast]

Damn that wire has some girth to it.

These cars are so easy to run wire in, there is nothing but room! Its what I should have done the first time instead of all the 8 and 4 ga wires I used. Im going to be throwing all that Precision Power stuff in the car this summer so I was going to need to upgrade it all to 0ga any way.:beer:

[ctrlraven]

^^^ the alternator one? Or all of them?

I did not change all the pulleys.

The alternator I got, was bought from a junk yard (which worked out fantastic because it had "weathered" to match everything else). It was much cheaper too. I did tell them to give me the harness with it, so I could have the plug that's needed for the new one to connect.
Anyway, the pulley on the old alt., would not go onto the pin on the 3G due to the depth of the pulley itself. The pin was too short to get the nut on. The 3G pulley wasn't much bigger than the stock one anyway; and I figured with the increase of amperage; I was fine. And I was. 13.60-13.80 amps to the battery with: the a.c. on / lights including fogs / fan on high.
Yeah I tried to switch the pulleys earlier and saw the depth issue, I guess I will just leave the new one on the alternator since with the 4ga wire I got for the wiring upgrade should flow plenty of current.


These cars are so easy to run wire in, there is nothing but room! Its what I should have done the first time instead of all the 8 and 4 ga wires I used. Im going to be throwing all that Precision Power stuff in the car this summer so I was going to need to upgrade it all to 0ga any way.:beer:
I thought about going with 0 ga wire but since I'm not running anything high powered I'm going with KnuKoncepts 4 ga wire which has 2058 strands of cooper.

[2,4shofast]

I thought about going with 0 ga wire but since I'm not running anything high powered I'm going with KnuKoncepts 4 ga wire which has 2058 strands of cooper.

Im sure that will be fine, I should have gone 0ga to start but the 4ga worked very well for me when I wasnt running my stereo too hard.

[Black&Gifted]

what does the "Big 3" refer to? The grounds from the battery (valve cover and fender ground), fuse box and alternator wire?

I am re-wiring the grounds and power from the battery and am trying to understand what people are referring to when they say "the Big 3"?

What I am doing is 4 gauge for the grounds (valve cover and fender ground), 4 gauge from the battery to the fuse box, 0/1 gauge into a distribution block and then 4 gauge to the alternator. Was also going to trace the starter power and ground and possibly replace that...but the starter stuff is still in the "drawing board" phase.

[Vortech347]

Just an FYI this mans stereo has a power requirement that exceeds Hover Dam's output.

[2,4shofast]

what does the "Big 3" refer to? The grounds from the battery (valve cover and fender ground), fuse box and alternator wire?

I am re-wiring the grounds and power from the battery and am trying to understand what people are referring to when they say "the Big 3"?

What I am doing is 4 gauge for the grounds (valve cover and fender ground), 4 gauge from the battery to the fuse box, 0/1 gauge into a distribution block and then 4 gauge to the alternator. Was also going to trace the starter power and ground and possibly replace that...but the starter stuff is still in the "drawing board" phase.

This is normally done in the Audio world for people who are pushing a lot of power or require a bigger alternator. You are correct on the wires that get upgraded. Many have also added an additional ground from the valve cover to the firewall mount. I did this one as well after seeing fastblackmerc's big 3 upgrade. So in total I replaced 4 wires, (+)Alt to battery, (+)battery to distrobution block,(-) valve cover to firewall, and (-) from battery to engine block.


Just an FYI this mans stereo has a power requirement that exceeds Hover Dam's output.

The new one will probably push the limits of the battery and alternator but it will look much better, I think Im going to fiberglass everything this time. :beer: