Could I get away with a Big 1 upgrade?

[Beatin' 10+ year member]

My stock alt can only put out 90A. Its stock wiring seems to handle that well.

From what I understand, once you start pulling more than what the alt can put out, the batts start to do most of the work but at a lower voltage.

So wouldn't I be better served by upgrading only the B- to chassis connection?

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[Dimwit]

From my understanding you should have the same sized wire for your battery ground as you do for your amps power wire and ground.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

If the alternator-to-battery wire isn't undersized, like 10 ga, you can leave it. If you want to get every last amp out of the charging system you should upgrade it to 4 awg. Also, besides doing the battery-to-chassis ground do the ground between the engine block and the battery. You can ground the engine block at the same place you ground the battery.

For the ultimate in penny pinching at least take the connections apart to clean them. A cup brush in a drill will make quick work of paint and corrosion. Then cover the connection with something to keep oxygen out. If you can get to all sides some spray paint works, or some black RTV gasket maker does a good job. Don't worry about covering the back side of a bolt hole in a panel if you can't get to it easily.

 

[Beatin' 10+ year member]

I know there is a chassis to engine block connection to ground out the alternator.

Can i have a chassis to B- connection, then a B- to alt casing to ground the alternator?