Help with electrical plan - 94 F350

[scooter99]

Ok guys here's what's going in, you're welcome to check out the threads in my sig as well:

Soundstream Rubicon 1.2500D x2 powering 4 DC Audio Lvl 4 12's

Soundstream Rubicon 1.1600D powering 2 DC Audio Lvl 2 8's for mid bass

Soundstream Rubicon 4.600 x 2 mids and highs front and rear

I have currently a pair of XS Power D6500's.

Here's my plan. I'm not going to be sitting and demoing this for the most part. It's mainly for me, the big bass, and then the only time the truck will be playing with no motor on, would be camping, and places like softball tournaments and the drive ins. At those places the 12's will be off and the sub or bass would come from the 8's.

Ford has this thing called the 3g swap. I was planning on getting one of the alts, cause I can get them relativity cheap from a few different places. It will boost my amperage from 90-95 that I have now stock to 130 and I think there was one for 160 amps. I'm also planning to move the battery from the original spot to under the cabin to make room for a second alternator and bracket.

My question is this:

A - Do I need a third XS Power D6500, or will the two suffice?

B - Is the 130 - 160 amp Alt going to be enough for my applications to take care of the batteries, or do I need to go to a second one?

C - If I do add a third battery, should I install a relay so that one of the batteries is used for the motor, and thus never leaving me stranded? Would suck if I was out camping and had dead batteries.

D - If the 130 as a second alt isn't enough, does it matter what kind of alt I use for the "system" alt as a secondary alt? If I have the 130 as the stock alt, then the second one, doesn't the wiring have to match up? NOt sure how a secondary, or in some cases 3rd or 4th alts, all hook up to work correctly. Can someone enlighten me? I'm already searching as we speak to find out more.

Obviously I'll be doing the Big 3, or 4 or whatever this truck has on it. That will help things out.

Thanks guys for any help with this.

My plan for a battery rack was going to be some thing like this:

http://www.dieselpow...0/photo_10.html

However, my thought is I don't like seeing them exposed. So I was going to build a box enclosure with a hinged outer piece that folds down, not with the batteries but there being a frame to hold the batteries, that way I can work on them as needed, if needed. This link shows two, but I was thinking of the 3 D6500's in there.

What do you guys think?

Edited June 13, 2012 by scooter99

[snafu]

That's a pretty cool location for those batteries, but I agree that it would be better to have them better protected. Looks like you'll need about 235 amps or so to supply those amps at 14.4 Volts DC on music. So, you may consider a larger alternator than what you are considering. Call Mechman or click on their banner . . .

As for the electrical side of things, I can certainly help you there. I offer pre-made Big 3 kits and they are designed to make connecting additional batteries a snap. I can build any / all cables for you to your specifications if need be. Click on my banner to visit my web site or visit my forum here at SMD if you like.

[scooter99]

Thanks Snafu. I've seen your work, and it's stellar! Beautiful stuff man!

[snafu]

Thanks. I build all kinds of stuff that isn't featured on my web site. It's hard to take pics of most of it because I'm usually against a deadline on completing the work.

[scooter99]

Ok guys, a little update. I got home tonight and took a little bit closer look at the truck and the area around the alt etc. This is what I've found!

THERE IS A TON OF SPACE UP ON TOP!

First here's a picture of how the belts run. The front belt goes to the alt etc on the left side (passenger side) and the rear belt goes to everything on the right side (driver side).

Wider picture of that area. The stock alt is right at the very bottom of this picture, you can see where the belt ends at the bottom, it's rounding the alt pulley.

Here's a pic right on the alt, under the big hose on the left. I tried to edit it so I could easily point it out but since photobucket updated I can't seem to figure out how to edit photos! Oh well. Anyway, the stock alt is there under that hose. You can see to the right of it, in front of the distributor cap, that there is a ton of space to put a bracket and a second alt.

Better pic of the alt.

Here are some measurements of space.

This is about how high I can go, approx 13" according to where the top of the air intake tops out at. And after closing the hood, I can see there's probably about 3 - 4" to work with between the hood and the top of those hoses.

This one is about the middle of the tensioner, which looks like it needs replacing, and the bracket bolt for the stock alt. This bolt is the sliding bolt for the alt. This is the one, I'm sure you can see by the pic, that if you loosen it, you can loosen the alt and it'll slide down. It's about 9 1/2 to 10" give or take. The piece to the right of the tensioner is the AC compressor. Having issues with that as well but that's another story.

So, if this in fact will work and I can get a bracket made or make one (DOES ANYONE WANNA VOLUNTEER TO MAKE A DUAL ALT BRACKET FOR ME PLEASE) then I have a plan in mind.

First, the alt in there, I just confirmed tonight, is a 2g alt. I'm not sure the amps of it, but from what I understand by reading its somewhere around the 90 range. No good for me. So the first thing I'll be doing is removing that, and installing a 3G 130 amp oem alt. That will more than suffice for the stock gear.

Next my thinking is this and i have no idea if this will work this way, but that's just me trying to think it out and learn on the fly. If I have two alts in there, say the 130 and a higher amperage maybe 300 amp alt. My thought was this:

130 Amp Alt:

Stock duties, what the current alt runs

The 2 4.600 amplifiers for mid range and highs

The 1.1600 amplifier for the mid bass

Charging 1 XS Power D6500 Battery in the main battery compartment under the hood.

300 Amp Alt:

The 2 1.2500's for subs

Charging 2 XS Power D6500's in the custom rack under the cabin.

Would that work, am I thinking that out correctly?

If so how could I make that work?

I'm trying to feel my way through this as best as I can guys. I appreciate any help and suggestions. Thanks!

[jbondox]

SNAFU !!!! How the hell you been

Scooter, if the truck with the bats under it is a trailer queen then it would be fine, otherwise it is just pissing money away. BTDT (and wrote the book)

Like SNAFU said he could make you some cables, or you can get a premade kit with dual battery tray page 12, http://www.wranglerpower.com/Wrangler%20Power%20Products.pdf

also talk to them about an alternator, a single one would suffgice if it is quality. Out of every alternator company I have ever used, these guys are the best. They can build anything for you and it works forever

[scooter99]

How is it pissing money away? Can you explain a bit more? Don't I need power to make power? I've got 5k just for the subs, and that's not including what might go in for the future. Obviously I've got a big mid bass amp, and otherwise that's all the "major" power I have.

But if I didn't have the batteries and a good H/O alt at least, wouldn't I be having voltage drop issues?

I'm just trying to understand. I also get that snafu could make me stuff, and I'm sure I'll check that out with him, but what would be making me stuff for? That's what I'm trying to figure out.

At some point, yes this truck will be a trailer hauler. I plan to get a big travel trailer in the next couple years for my family to travel camp with. Until then it's all audio and future possibilities.

[Purplehaze]

Okay, here is what I would do.

First, I would hold off on the dual alt setup. Plan to attempt that later, after all the other build stuff is done.

Then, I'd get a good quality HO alt, either a Mechman or a Singer, or whatever you decide, and do your wiring properly, and you should be good to go for the time being.

Then, I'd get back to work on all the other stuff you got to do

Here is my thinking:

If you have one good alt, and three good batteries, and the proper wiring, than that should be fine for what your using.

Then later, when you have time, you can further explore the possibility of adding the second alt. Then you would have 2 high quality alts.

I'd probably steer clear from the OEM upgrades, you would probably be disappointed.

Although I'm sure it's tempting at those prices, I'd still probably just call Mike!

Hope that helped in some way...

Oh and Snafu, I'll be contacting you soon to make me a relay/ fuse box.

[jbondox]

How is it pissing money away? Can you explain a bit more? Don't I need power to make power? I've got 5k just for the subs, and that's not including what might go in for the future. Obviously I've got a big mid bass amp, and otherwise that's all the "major" power I have.

But if I didn't have the batteries and a good H/O alt at least, wouldn't I be having voltage drop issues?

I'm just trying to understand. I also get that snafu could make me stuff, and I'm sure I'll check that out with him, but what would be making me stuff for? That's what I'm trying to figure out.

At some point, yes this truck will be a trailer hauler. I plan to get a big travel trailer in the next couple years for my family to travel camp with. Until then it's all audio and future possibilities.

Pissing away comment is explaining the underbody mount of the batteries... they wont last long like that

[scooter99]

Why do you say that? Especially about these batteries? I'm going to encase them. So why would that be any different than a battery under the hood which is still exposed to the elements?