Alternator Wiring Questions

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What gage wire is the wires coming off the alternator and through the little hole in the inner primary cover?
As they conduct current directly to the battery for charging it , right? I need to bypass the crapped out
norton harness and run new wires from the alternator direct to the power power box.
Are these wires smaller gage, as in thicker than the normal wires because they are carrying more current?
Just for my further information, IF I wanted to remove my aging boyer power box and go back to battery only,
what would I hook the alternator wires to, one of the battery leads?
I seem to remember having things called rectifiyers and zenor diodes, I "think" I eliminated them when
I put the boyer box on. I do have a battery also, with a wire from it gong to one of the battery leads.
So, if I eliminated the power box, would I have to hook up a rectifier or zenor again.
What did I gain my putting in the power box years ago, can't remember.
thanks
 
highdesert said:
What gage wire is the wires coming off the alternator and through the little hole in the inner primary cover?


In UK/European terms, you'd need at least 28/0.30mm, 2mm2, 17.5amp wire. Sorry I don't know the US wire gauge equivalent, but somebody will.
[Edit: approximately 14 AWG, I think?] http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/awg-w ... d_731.html


highdesert said:
Are these wires smaller gage, as in thicker than the normal wires because they are carrying more current?

They have to be capable of carrying the total output of the alternator, so-yes.

highdesert said:
Just for my further information, IF I wanted to remove my aging boyer power box and go back to battery only,
what would I hook the alternator wires to, one of the battery leads?

NO, you must have some form of rectifier to convert the AC output from the alternator to DC, and also a voltage regulator (the Zener diode in the original system).


highdesert said:
So, if I eliminated the power box, would I have to hook up a rectifier or zenor again.

Yes.
 
Boyers power box enabled the removal of the zeners and rectifiers, these are still available and would be needed to re-fitted to enable the removal of the power box. These parts are getting costly, Norvil charge a mint just for the rectifier that goes on the MKIII commando, and zeners are £20 each. Personally I would keep the power box if it's still working and when the it fails just replace it it with another powerbox as this would a cheaper option than retro fitting the original components. The voltage coming from the alternator is AC and can not be fed directly to a battery, it is also a lot higher than 12volts, the rectifier converts it to a rough DC voltage that is suitable to connect to the battery, but there is still the problem that the faster you go the more AC voltage and current is generated - this will result in higher DC volts and current, therefore some voltage and current has to be disposed of, this is the job of the zener at a certain voltage it will conduct some of the current to earth thus enabling a suitable voltage and current is seen by the battery to enable it to charge correctly. A bit basic, I know, but should explain why the power box is used and what needs to fitted if it is removed.
 
This helps a LOT, thanks!

And, one more question please. I am replacing the alternator wires, I see these both go to two yellow wires on the boyer power box.
I am going to bypass the norton harness which has green/yellow and green/white or brown, am I correct that if I bypass these
and run wires direct from the alternator that they can connect to either one of the yellow power box wires, that is does NOT matter which yellow?

And another question, sorry, the black wire coming off the power box, is this how voltage is passed on to the negative battery terminal
to charge it up while the motor is running? Do I assume correct?
thanks
 
highdesert said:
I am replacing the alternator wires, I see these both go to two yellow wires on the boyer power box.
I am going to bypass the norton harness which has green/yellow and green/white or brown, am I correct that if I bypass these
and run wires direct from the alternator that they can connect to either one of the yellow power box wires, that is does NOT matter which yellow?

Yes, you can connect the stator wires to either of the Yellow power box wires, as they are AC.


highdesert said:
the black wire coming off the power box, is this how voltage is passed on to the negative battery terminal
to charge it up while the motor is running? Do I assume correct?

That more-or-less sums it up, so - yes.
 
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