Electrical System upgrade GROUPBUY (BIG 3 PLUS)! CLOSED

FtApache · Oct 15, 2015

No. I'm going a different route with this truck.

BamaToy1997 · Oct 15, 2015

Today I will be compiling my list and starting a new thread so that I can keep orders and names sorted out where people can keep track of how their Kit(s) are progressing. The requests will be posted in groups. PLEASE HELP ME OUT HERE, and if you are not in the group that is being posted, do not send me your email yet. It won't make your order get shipped any faster and will only get my system confused and slow things down for everyone. I will have all requests for emails posted by tonight, so please be patient. The link to the new thread is below. T4R users the link will be different on your forums, so the link below will still work for you.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/electrical-upgrade-group-buy-order-ship-thread.395975/

AznTRD · Oct 15, 2015

ramonortiz55[OP] said: ↑

Are you three still interested? I will add you since you posted yesterday.

Sign up period for this GB is now CLOSEED
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I'm still interested, please add me

ramonortiz55 · Oct 15, 2015

AznTRD said: ↑

I'm still interested, please add me
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gotchuu

BamaToy1997 · Oct 15, 2015

Everyone was in such a hurry for the GB, and I have had ONE send me their email for their invoice, other than of course the ones on the early invoice option. Hahaha. I'm sure everyone is tons busy though considering the middle of the week still.

D.Mathys · Oct 15, 2015

BamaToy1997 said: ↑

Everyone was in such a hurry for the GB, and I have had ONE send me their email for their invoice, other than of course the ones on the early invoice option. Hahaha. I'm sure everyone is tons busy though considering the middle of the week still.
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First time on TW today. Just sent the email.

RobertO · Oct 15, 2015

ramonortiz55[OP] said: ↑

Are you three still interested? I will add you since you posted yesterday.

Sign up period for this GB is now CLOSEED
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For sure still interested.

ramonortiz55 · Oct 15, 2015

RobertO said: ↑

For sure still interested.
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gotchu

BYJOSHCOOK · Oct 15, 2015

Have sent pm to Bama

ACEkraut · Oct 15, 2015

Interesting. I was interested. I thought I made a relatively simple request. Maybe I missed some obvious link that contained the answer I was looking for. I am certainly guilty of not starting my inquiry as early as I should have but I really didn't think a copy of the installation instructions was especially difficult to provide, since it was mentioned in the first post as one of the items you would receive with your purchase. I am relatively mechanically inclined but I just wanted to make sure I would be all set to do the installation myself. Bummer. In all seriousness, many thanks to ramonortiz for managing the group buy and to bamatoy for caring enough to produce a quality product. Good luck with the group buy gentlemen.

ramonortiz55 · Oct 15, 2015

ACEkraut said: ↑

Interesting. I was interested. I thought I made a relatively simple request. Maybe I missed some obvious link that contained the answer I was looking for. I am certainly guilty of not starting my inquiry as early as I should have but I really didn't think a copy of the installation instructions was especially difficult to provide, since it was mentioned in the first post as one of the items you would receive with your purchase. I am relatively mechanically inclined but I just wanted to make sure I would be all set to do the installation myself. Bummer. In all seriousness, many thanks to ramonortiz for managing the group buy and to bamatoy for caring enough to produce a quality product. Good luck with the group buy gentlemen.
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Let me see if i can find you the instructions. If you still want in after the instructions, i can add you to the list since your sincere interest was before we closed the sign up period.

2000tacobro · Oct 15, 2015

Leave it open for a day more lets get 100!!!

ramonortiz55 · Oct 15, 2015

BamaToy1997 said: ↑

Our first test system has gone on without a hitch! We are proud to now offer out 1st Gen high-amperage electrical system upgrade! This upgrade comes in 3 different stages and will allow your Tacoma to be ready for most any stereo and/or winch system that you will put in your Tacoma!

Stage 1 - Power and ground system upgrade (Base kit price: $120)

Stage 1 consists of new positive and negative battery cables and terminals for an Optima, or heavy duty top-post battery. Stage 1 uses 2-gauge welding cable for the power cable to the starter, as well as the ground cable to the engine block. It also uses 4-gauge welding cable for the alternator, as well as the cable to the fuse block. All cables have soldered terminal ends, which are better than the factory crimp connections. The only ends that do not have soldered terminals are the ends that go to the heavy-duty battery terminals, which use a brass allen set-screw. These set-screw ends are quite common in the audio industry for battery terminals.

Stage 1 will get your truck set for any heavy loads or future upgrades, and must be done before any other upgrades you add on your own can be effective.

Stage 2 - Charging system upgrade

Stage 2 includes all the parts listed in Stage 1, with the addition of a high-output alternator. This alternator is professionally built, and consists of not only a replacement stator, but a rewound armature as well. Lots of cheap systems only replace the stator. This allows for great output at high RPM, but VERY poor performance at low RPM. These alternators have a much better idle output. The unit tested at our shop was capable of putting out almost 100Amps at idle speed. We have both 4 and 6 cylinder units available. These are DIRECT BOLT ON units. No need for custom brackets or electrical connector modifications. They look identical to, and bolt directly in the place of, your factory alternator. Even better news, there is no core charge! You can keep your old alternator as a backup!

Our current alternator line has 130A, 200A and 250A alternators that are direct fit. They are all factory reworked units, so they bolt right in!

BASE price of the alternators are as follows:
130A - $210
200A - $265
250A - $320

Stage 2 systems will allow you to immediately run your high-demand stereo and/or winch system, without the concern of draining your battery too fast, or dealing with your lights "flickering" with the loads.

Stage 3 - Total primary electrical system upgrade

The Stage 3 Kit has been removed since there was no demand for it. People had their own preferences for batteries.

Stage 4 - Dual battery Kit

The Stage 4 kit is for those who are, or will be running dual batteries. This comes with the complete wiring harness kit designed custom for your vehicle. (Second batteries are located in a variety of different configurations, so each build is on a per-truck basis, and will be priced based on the length of the cables, and which alternator you purchase) This Stage 4 Kit is a self management battery charge and control system. It is designed to isolate the two batteries from each other, yet still allow a single alternator to charge them both. This means that you will have one primary battery for your truck, and then a second battery for your winch, high power stereo, or other aftermarket accessories. (lights, power inverter, etc) Each battery is "isolated" from each other so that if one discharges, the other will not.

NEW NEW NEW! After a long look over all of the systems involved with the Stage 4 Kit, I have decided to break it down into two systems. The basic Stage 4 Kit will still be for a dual battery isolation system as originally designed, but I have decided to separate out my Self Start Control System and have it as an option instead of part of the Stage 4 Kit.

Here is the SSCS system: The sweet spot in this kit is the self-jump system. Left your headlights on and discharged your primary battery? Flip a switch on the dash and start yourself right up! The built in control solenoid will temporarily connect the secondary battery to the primary, allowing you to jump start your own truck without having to even open the hood! This system uses the ever-popular Carling V style of switch from TTRAWW!

Stage 5 Kit - Expedition Ready!

The Stage 5 kit includes everything you find in the Stage 4 Kit, and adds a self-regulating solar charging system. Two options are available at this time, a 100W and a 200W solar charging system. Please not that these panels are somewhat large, so if you plan to fix-mount them, you will need an appropriate area on the top of your truck. Otherwise you can plug them in and just set them on the ground where they will get the most light exposure to the sun. This upgrade is great for when you may want to run a few camping items off your battery, but not want to have to keep your truck engine running. (conserving fuel!)

Please note that EACH of these systems are custom made in my shop by me. This means that each will be made to order and may take up to 2 weeks depending on current orders. Because of the variation in each custom truck and application, prices will be set according to your truck specifications. (Some trucks do not have their battery in the factory spot, some trucks have additional fuse blocks, etc) In order to get a set price you will need to PM me with your specifics, and I will then calculate the price and get back with you.

Common questions I have heard:

Q: Why do I need to upgrade my electrical system in the first place?

A: The Tacoma is designed to charge your battery and maintain your factory electrical load. Many owners customize their truck with winches, air compressors, and high-power stereo systems. Your factory battery, alternator, and electrical system are not really designed for this, and in many cases are not capable of supplying this high demand without overworking the factory alternator, or causing excessive discharge rate on the battery.

Q: Why do you use welding cable?

A: Welding cable and standard battery cable are designed differently. When it comes to high current applications, cross section of the cable transferring the power is key to prevent voltage drop, and overheating of cables. Welding cable is DESIGNED to transfer larger amounts of current, over a longer period of time, than standard battery cable. Also welding cable, by it's design, is much more flexible and easier to route.

Below you will see a complete Stage 3 system installed in a 1997 Tacoma.

Our first step in upgrading the electrical cables is to remove the assembly. The first parts are easy: Disconnect the battery terminals from the battery. This prevents you from accidentally having a wire cross, or touch something that will short out. Since I was installing the Stage 3 kit I removed the battery completely, but you do not have to if you are doing Stage 1 or Stage 2 alone. As you can see, corrosion has built up on the positive terminals. From this are 2 cables of different size. One cable goes to the starter, and the 2nd to the fuse block, on the underside.

After removing the battery I then disconnected the positive cable to the starter, as well as the connector for the starter solenoid. Then I disconnected the positive cable and connector from the alternator. Next came disconnecting the quick-connect where the starter solenoid wire and alternator control wires connect beside the fuse block. That picture came out blurry but you should easily be able to find the connector as it goes into the entire assembly. Lastly I unbolted the alternator's primary charge/power cable from the fuse block. You can remove this by sliding the secure-connect loose from the side of the fuse block as pictured below. (Note the yellow wire is for an aftermarket connection, not to be confused with the factory wiring)

After that I disconnected the small ground wire that went to the driver's side of the body, at the fender, and the ground cable that bolts to the side of the engine block. Once these are all disconnected you should be able to remove the entire harness and positive cable assembly. This is what you will have:

At this point I separated the starter solenoid and alternator control harness from the rest of the cables, cleaned them up and prepped them for reinstallation buy inserting them into a new wire-loom.

Then came the building of the Stage 1. Each terminal is held in a pair of Vice Grips, inverted. It is then heated and filled with silver solder. (You can use solder plugs, but it is actually cheaper I have found to just use thick solder from a spool) Once the terminal is hot enough I inserted the end of the solder into the opening, allowing it to melt and create a small pool inside the terminal. I stripped about 1/2 inch of the appropriate cable, depending on the size I was using, and inserted it into the open end of the terminal. I allowed sufficient time for it to solidify before taking it out of the Vice Grips, and setting it aside to cool.

I repeated this for all of the other cables. This included the ground cable, as well as the other positive cables.

I then prepped the battery terminals for both the positive and negative. These were not only nice appearance-wise, but they have an internal volt meter for at-a-glance checking of state-of-charge, but they also are solid and use a great set-screw type of solid terminal connection. Each cable was inserted in an appropriately sized slot, and the set screw tightened down. In the case of my particular one, the terminals each have the following sized connections:

1 - 1/0 gauge location

1 - 2 gauge location

2 - 4 gauge locations

As you will see in the picture there is a small blue wire from the positive terminal. That wire needs to be connected to a ground location, either at the battery itself, or a ground spot on the truck. In this case I stripped off about 4 inches of insulation and wrapped it around the 2 gauge ground terminal end that went to the negative terminal. This allows the volt gauge to read directly at the battery.

Next came the alternator. The unit I have puts out almost 100Amps at idle, and is capable of 140Amps when above idle speeds. As you can see it looks identical to the original.

The alternator replacement is pretty simplistic, so I did not take any pictures, nor write up an explanation on how to replace it. After swapping out the alternator I connected the custom cables from my Stage 1 kit to the alternator, starter, and fuse block. The white wire that was originally from the underside of the fuse block, and went to the positive terminal of the battery got it's terminal cut off, and inserted into one of the 4 gauge slots in the new terminal for the positive post.

I then installed the battery itself. I found that in order for it to fit properly I had to place the included spacer underneath the battery before I placed it on the battery tray. I then installed the hold-down, and connected the new battery terminals. The terminals are tightened down by another set-screw, located on the side. Here is what the battery area looks like now.

I know I could have taken a lot more pictures, and I will see what I can do to take some more detailed after-shots soon. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what it looks like, and the quality that goes into it. All 3 stages can be easily installed by someone with a minimal amount of technical expertise. I would say on a difficulty scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being only able to change a tire, and 10 being you can rebuild every component on your truck, this job would fall into a 2-3 range.

If you are interested in any of these kits, feel free to contact me by PM here, or by email at Marionb2bauto@gmail.com for more information on the details, and to get a price plan. I hope you all like my kit! Please note that I nor my company assume any liability for adding higher-than-factory rated components to your truck. By purchasing these Kits you are accepting all liability on your own.

Please note that these kits are custom made, and the alternator has to be ordered for each application. This does mean that an average of 2 weeks will be required on each order. PLEASE take that into account when ordering! Thank you!

ADDED INFO!!! These are the newer style digital terminals that I now use.

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here ^^^

ACEkraut said: ↑

Interesting. I was interested. I thought I made a relatively simple request. Maybe I missed some obvious link that contained the answer I was looking for. I am certainly guilty of not starting my inquiry as early as I should have but I really didn't think a copy of the installation instructions was especially difficult to provide, since it was mentioned in the first post as one of the items you would receive with your purchase. I am relatively mechanically inclined but I just wanted to make sure I would be all set to do the installation myself. Bummer. In all seriousness, many thanks to ramonortiz for managing the group buy and to bamatoy for caring enough to produce a quality product. Good luck with the group buy gentlemen.
Click to expand...

BamaToy1997 · Oct 15, 2015

Please everyone, I need to try and keep this as organized as possible. This is why I wanted to go in stages. PLEASE read the instructions in the post for the invoicing and ordering. DO NOT SEND ME A PM with the information. Please send it to the email address listed at the bottom of the post. I need them sent there so that I can keep everything organized.

@ACEkraut, I apologize for missing your previous requests. I am running two separate businesses and it does tend to cause me to miss things sometimes. That is why Ramon has been such a great help with the GB part. He did link the installation instructions listed above that detail a good bit of what it takes to do the installation. I do have printed instructions that will be going out with the kits, but since so many of the kits are different, I don't have a standard set ready right at this moment.

ACEkraut · Oct 15, 2015

ramonortiz55[OP] said: ↑

here ^^^
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BamaToy1997 said: ↑

@ACEkraut, I apologize for missing your previous requests. I am running two separate businesses and it does tend to cause me to miss things sometimes. That is why Ramon has been such a great help with the GB part. He did link the installation instructions listed above that detail a good bit of what it takes to do the installation. I do have printed instructions that will be going out with the kits, but since so many of the kits are different, I don't have a standard set ready right at this moment.
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Thank you both for the prompt reply. After reviewing previous posts I now understand my confusion. The original reply ramonortiz55 sent did indicate the installation instructions were on the first page of both the 1st and 2nd gen threads. I did not look on the first gen page since I have a second gen. The second gen has no instructions though. I did follow the instructions for the first gen and though I am not sure if the second gen is exactly the same I am guessing it is similar enough.

Bamatoy1997, I understand and figured you were buried. No worries. I certainly share some responsibility since I have been lurking and did not post the question earlier.

The link provided has given me the information I needed to make the right decision for me right now. And while I appreciate the replies from both of you right now it is best I wait, even though it will probably cost me money in the long run. I have two big hold ups. The first is I am concerned about such a significant change to the truck before the bumper to bumper warranty is up in July. And the biggest reason is that I may be putting a plow on the truck and if I do I would want a stage 4 kit. It makes sense to make the plow decision first.

My sincere thanks to both of you.

BamaToy1997 · Oct 15, 2015

ACEkraut said: ↑

Thank you both for the prompt reply. After reviewing previous posts I now understand my confusion. The original reply ramonortiz55 sent did indicate the installation instructions were on the first page of both the 1st and 2nd gen threads. I did not look on the first gen page since I have a second gen. The second gen has no instructions though. I did follow the instructions for the first gen and though I am not sure if the second gen is exactly the same I am guessing it is similar enough.

Bamatoy1997, I understand and figured you were buried. No worries. I certainly share some responsibility since I have been lurking and did not post the question earlier.

The link provided has given me the information I needed to make the right decision for me right now. And while I appreciate the replies from both of you right now it is best I wait, even though it will probably cost me money in the long run. I have two big hold ups. The first is I am concerned about such a significant change to the truck before the bumper to bumper warranty is up in July. And the biggest reason is that I may be putting a plow on the truck and if I do I would want a stage 4 kit. It makes sense to make the plow decision first.

My sincere thanks to both of you.
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No problem at all!

BamaToy1997 · Oct 16, 2015

All invoices have been sent out for group 1 and group 2 that have sent me emails. Remember to get your invoice you need to send an email to SNTKustoms@gmail.com so that I can prepare and send it. only 9 people have sent me their information.

D.Mathys · Oct 16, 2015

BamaToy1997 said: ↑

All invoices have been sent out for group 1 and group 2 that have sent me emails. Remember to get your invoice you need to send an email to SNTKustoms@gmail.com so that I can prepare and send it. only 9 people have sent me their information.
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Sent my email yesterday and haven't received an invoice. You need me to resend?

Norton · Oct 16, 2015

BamaToy1997 said: ↑

All invoices have been sent out for group 1 and group 2 that have sent me emails. Remember to get your invoice you need to send an email to SNTKustoms@gmail.com so that I can prepare and send it. only 9 people have sent me their information.
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Happy to do so but, as I explained in the 30 Sep PM you requested in Post #210, I'm traveling on business through 23 Oct. I can usually find forum access, but won't have PayPal access until I get home. I remain committed to the GB and will complete my order ASAP. If it makes things easier, please shift me to "back of the line"

bry838 · Oct 17, 2015

Question..so theres three holes in the positive battery terminal for bare wire ends. Is there enought adjustment left in the set screws to utilize ring terminals and still be able to tighten the screws enough to properly secure the bare wire ends?

Another question...in the pic of your 4runner setup(bama) it looks like the wire from under the fuse box is still routed to the battery. I was under the impression that that wire was to be rerouted to the stud within the top of the fuse box? Or does this not matter one way or the other?? Where my confusion lies is the write up on page 4 of that thread seems to mount that wire within the fuse box on the bolt where the new transparent red wire mounts.

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