So I installed a winch on my 82, and I noticed when I was winching a buddy's truck the other day that after a couple min of winching, it had drained the battery. Now I've converted the alternator to a Chevy 1 wire, which is supposed to be 110 amp ( or at least that's the one I ordered) and installed a second battery in series. Basically I ran a hot between the two positive terminals.

Now I used my winch today and it drained the batteries again, just took a little longer to do so. What am I doing wrong? Should I have some type of regulator or something on the batteries?

 

I don't have much info in this area, but...

https://www.yotatech.com/search.php?searchid=8120643

 

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...atteries.shtml

 

I didnt go the dual battery set-up and just moded the battery tray to accept a big ol sears platinum die hard. Never had a battery problem even on multiple winch pulls.

I was using a SuperWinch EP 9.0--what winch are you running?

 

if your running duals without an isolator the alternator is only charging each to 50% run an isolator or selectable switch. pm me and i can send you some info on this if ya cant figure it out. ive ran plenty of setups for our plow trucks this way

 

Hey Blake- why don't you put that info up on YT, so we can search it out in the future? I love being able to see two or three perspectives on a project before deciding which way to go.

MC

 

http://www.hifisoundconnection.com/S...tery_Isolators

http://www.ehow.com/how_6029826_wire...lt-system.html



hope this helps read the how tos and youll grasp it

 

Im a little confused blake. Looking at the diesel trucks that roll through the shop, they don't have isolators between the stock dual batteries. I don't understand why a gas truck with the same setup would need an isolator? We've set up a couple dual battery setups on gas plow trucks, and all we do is just connect the cables to the coresponding terminal on the stock battery, and I haven't seen any problems with this...

 

The winch is a Warn 8000#, and I'm running dual yellow top optima's. I'll look into the isolator.

 

not too familiar with the diesels but i believe cummins has a 24 volt starting system and 12 volt everything else, could be wrong though. i also think if your alternator puts out enough amps to charge both. but your alternator is only looking for a 12.8 volt charge and between 2 batteries run in paralell your only getting 6.4 outta each to meet the aternators output.

 

The batteries in the diesels are in parallel. I know the cummins doesn't use a 24v system just for starting. You would have to have two different battery systems for one truck. One 12v for all the normal electrical systems (ignition, interior lighting and accessories, etc.) and one dedicated 24v system for starting. Like I said, what you said above just confused me a little. I'll check with the guys that I work with and see what they have to say about it.

Also, what kind of plows do you put on? The shop that I work for does mostly Curtis, plus the occasional Western or Boss.

-So I checked with the lead tech at my shop, and I think we were both a little confused. If I'm understanding you correctly blake, you use the isolators in your plow trucks to have a sort of fail safe system, so that when the first battery drops to a certain point, the second with kick in and allow the first to recover. This way, it doesn't drag the alternator down to much, or burn up a single battery. In this case, I think the way you are suggesting to the OP would work great, in that while winching, once the first battery falls to a certain point, the second one will pick up the slack and not kill them or the alternator. Correct?

 

It is easy to do a 12/24 volt system you don`t see them so much as the batteries and starters seem to be better.

You just used a series parallel switch to get your 24V

 

Touche...didnt think of that...

 

I've had dual batteries in my '85 for 10+ yrs. now and they are in parallel w/o an isolator and they get fully charged when the engine is running.
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...es.shtml#Parts

Sure, the output of the alternator will go partly to each battery depending on it's charge state, but both batteries will indeed reach full charge in time.

 

are you winching withj the moter running? or just running off the battery?

 

Here is Sol's setup.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f127...on-more-98031/

It is similar to mine, it uses the Painless Wiring Dual Battery kit.

 

Winching with the engine running.

I installed a isolator today, I'll go do some winching tomorrow and see if it helps.