Battery disconnect switch install question

[T-Fish]

Hello all, I'm hoping to get a more direct answer to my question than I got when I did a search on the topic. Yes, I actually did a search! Anyways, here's my question. I just rewired my '71 Dart from headlights to taillights with a Painless wiring harness and decided to relocate my battery to the trunk while I was at it. I've done a fair amount of searching around on the internet and haven't really found a solid answer as far as how to wire in the switch correctly. My plan is to wire it the same way as the Mopar Muscle Magazine guys did with the Valiant. My switch is a 4 post switch. The 2ga wire going from the starter will go to one big post, while the other big post will feed the battery with 2ga wire. The two small posts will have 8ga wires going to the alternator. From what I've read on there, this is the correct way to do this and will leave no wires hot at all times. Correct or no?


Thanks!

 

[bOb shingler]

the only hot wire will be the one from the battery to the switch when it's in the off position.

 

[cuda20]

That is correct and will kill the motor when you shut it off. That is important if you plan on a little drag racing.

 

[T-Fish]

In the Mopar Muscle article, they have a diagram that says to run one of the 8ga wires to the "switched wire feeding alternator" and the other to the "alternator". The way I interpret this is that one of them go to the 'exciter' wire, which I assume is the one that gets power only when the ignition is switched on, and that the other wire goes to where the larger output wire goes on the alternator, which would have power at all times. I'm obviously very new to this and just want to make sure I'm doing things correct the first time around. So anyways, last night I was taking a look at the alternator and the wires going to it. One is labeled the 'exciter' wire (Painless wiring harness), but it goes to a plug and obviously isn't mounted with a terminal. Once I discovered this, I went to a friend's place to discuss it with him. He said I need to run one of the 8ga wires to where the output wire comes off of the alternator and the other 8ga wire should be connected to that wire that I just took off of the alternator. My alternator has two field wires and one output wire, if that helps anyone. If my friend isn't correct, can someone guide me as to what exactly those two 8ga wires attach to? And while I have you here, does it matter which of the small terminals on the battery disconnect switch each wire goes to, or will it work the same either way?

Thanks a million! I apologize for the stupid questions.

 

[T-Fish]

C'mon guys, this is the one thing I'm waiting on in order to get it out on the streets. Somebody has to have the answer!

 

[green1]

Take off the big 12v wire to alt, attach #8, run to small terminal on swith. Other #8 from other terminal, back up to disconnected wire. Whole doing that, you could just run the wire thru the interior to the dash, Tie together the amps wires, and install a voltmeter.