Alternator wiring

Alternator wiring

Author
Discussion

Jerry-nsnl3

Original Poster:

55 posts

88 months

Wednesday 3rd April
quotequote all
I have been trying to identify the alternator on my Vixen prior to carrying out a rewire (this is a different engine setup to that in place when I stripped out the original loom).
The engine is a Caterham 1700 Supersprint and from the Caterham section of this forum I have had the alternator identified as an ACR style Lucas unit (60 amp?).
The question I have is that there are three spade connections, two large and a smaller one. Research tells me that on some alternators, the two large spades are connected internally so only one needs connecting to externally, but don't know if this is the case with my alternator. Or whether I need to run two heavy duty cables, one from each spade.
Does anyone have a similar arrangement to guide me please? The alternator has no ID plate on it to assist further.

phillpot

17,278 posts

190 months

Wednesday 3rd April
quotequote all

Use either of the large terminals.

Jerry-nsnl3

Original Poster:

55 posts

88 months

Wednesday 3rd April
quotequote all
Thank you, I assume this means the two terminals are connected internally then?

phillpot

17,278 posts

190 months

Wednesday 3rd April
quotequote all



Yes They are.

You could use both and run two lighter cables rather than one fat one ?

Jerry-nsnl3

Original Poster:

55 posts

88 months

Thursday 4th April
quotequote all
Excellent, thank you.

Rocky-TVR

7 posts

41 months

Saturday 6th April
quotequote all
I would verify that they are connected together with a multimeter (0 ohms) before connecting them together…

I thought on my Vixen Alternator the “inner” one is the negative and connects the alternator to the ground…

Might be bad to short them together if that’s not how it’s supposed to be!

TwinKam

3,165 posts

102 months

Saturday 6th April
quotequote all
Rocky-TVR said:
I would verify that they are connected together with a multimeter (0 ohms) before connecting them together…

I thought on my Vixen Alternator the “inner” one is the negative and connects the alternator to the ground…

Might be bad to short them together if that’s not how it’s supposed to be!
Not on an ACR, with the three parallel spades in close proximity it won't be, no, ground is the body.