Running an alternator

[Ed Wright]

I have run mine both ways. It's faster on 16 volts. If you just bracket race, that does not matter.

[b.guggenmos]

Not to poach the thread but this is some interesting stuff. When running a one wire alternator and the tech guy pushes your kill switch does the engine shut off? If so is it hard on the alternator? Just curious.

[FireSale]

Originally Posted by b.guggenmos

Not to poach the thread but this is some interesting stuff. When running a one wire alternator and the tech guy pushes your kill switch does the engine shut off? If so is it hard on the alternator? Just curious.

I had this happen with older style wired alternators and put a diode in the wire that was feeding power into the engine system to fix that. Currently my cut-off is a four pole switch from Moroso. One set of poles kills the battery power and the other set separates the alternator from the power system. I have to kill the car and demonstrate my neutral/park safety switch every race day. It always works.

[Eman]

Originally Posted by b.guggenmos

Not to poach the thread but this is some interesting stuff. When running a one wire alternator and the tech guy pushes your kill switch does the engine shut off? If so is it hard on the alternator? Just curious.

That is one of the things checked in tech. Mine is a 1 wire alt, I have a 2 terminal switch and yes my car shuts off. But my alt. and starter cables stay hot with the switch at the back turned off so I will be changing to a 4 term switch for safety reasons.
I honestly can't say if shutting the switch and killing power to the 1 wire alt with the car running will damage the alt. I do know that if or when you have alt. problems wired like my car is wired the alt will draw down your battery even though it will still charge which is another reason for a 4 term switch.