[Microgiant]

Hi guys, I need some of your expertise/experience to answer a question.
I am switching my Camaro to EFI due to my frustration with carburation, which may be caused by my unusual motor combination. (low compression, medium cam, big displacement)

This means a lot of relays and extra electrical connections.
I am also adding headlight, fuel pump and a cooling fan relay (or two), I already had a MSD box and other items like RS electrical headlight doors which also need power.

The Holley EFI demands a connection directly to the battery but that still leaves me with a lot of devices needing power.

I have a 100 amp alternator and have run a extra 10ga wire from the alt to the horn relay.
The battery cable I purchased looks like the charging wire is 12-14 gauge when I would have expected 10 guage as a minimum, since it also powers multiple devices. But I digress.

My question is, can I just add all these circuits to the stock distribution block? Or do I NEED something better?

You’ve all been a big help to me in the past so Thank You in advance.

 

[Steiner]

Here is what I did to one of my cars a while back. Basically added two new fuse blocks, one always hot and one ACC triggered.
http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=179396

Now, I run a one wire alternator with a 2AWG cable directly to the battery, and then use a post extender as the juntion point at the battery positive. If you are running the alternator to the horn and then to the battery, what you have to be concerned with if using a junction point at the battery is your full load amperage. When all your loads are running, the alternator is going to be pushing current from the charge wire to your junction point. You have to make sure that cable is rated for your loads. Technically two 10AWG cables should be sufficient but one concern with running two cables versus one large one is if there is a bad connection or cable issue. Current is going to take the path of least resistance so one cable could start going bad and then the other would get overloaded.

 

[Microgiant]

Right now I only ran the 10awg to the horn relay, not back. I read that the return was not needed. But I think that is wrong since I will be pulling power from the return line and charging the battery.

I have a 3 wire alternator and some 6awg.

I also read I need to run about 12 feet in order for there to be a voltage drop the alternator can sense so it charges.

If I run the 6awg to the horn relay do I want to run it back from the same point on the relay? Or the way the factory did it?

 

[Everett#2390]

The extra wire depends on the power source for the loads.
If drawing power from the battery post, you will need a heavier gauge wire for the supply demanded.
If drawing power from the horn relay, as the battery remains a parallel circuit, the OE 10 AWG wire will be fine, you have not changed anything in the battery circuit.

As far as voltage sensing point, stick with OE design, 1st choice. Otherwise, chose BATT spade on the fuse panel, 2nd choice.
Also, alt case needs a good path for completing the circuit, a min 8 AWG wire from engine/chassis ground to the case will help.