What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Thanks for the heads up!

 

Upgrading the alternator to a CS-144 GM 140 amp alternator and 150 amp breaker.

 

I installed a luggage rack on my shell and built a roof rack.. Now to get air dam and paint it and install lights...

 

What is running on the breaker?

 

If he is doing it the same way I did it, I put the CB between the batt and the alt.

 

Interesting. I somehow talked myself out of that when I was reading about HP alternators and Big 3 wiring. I do have a 200A breaker coming for my winch but that will be on the load side.

 

Just the opposite for me. I figured the winch could pull up to 500 amps (what I've read) no way I was going to do a 500A CB on the winch. It seems like 200A will get tripped under normal winch usage.

As for the alt CB, just some piece of mind there. Since the CS-144 alt maxes out at ~140A, the 150A CB should be fine and is affordable.

 

I just got the 200A because it was closest to what ComeUp website calculated at 190A. I didn't even think to check it myself. I hope 200A doesn't end up being too low.

 

The battery and everything I connect straight to it will be running through the breaker.
The CS-144 puts out 140 amps, the stock fuse is only for 120amps. The stock setup has the power from the alternator running from the alternator to the fuse box and then to the battery. So if I have more than 120amps flowing through the fuse box it will blow the fuse and I'm installing a 140amp alternator.
I am going to disconnect the alternator from the fuse box by disconnecting the wire inside the fuse box. Then run a bigger wire from the alternator to the 150amp breaker and then to the + side of the battery. Since there is already a stock wire ran from the fuse box to the battery, the fuse box will get all of its power from the battery run back through the 120amp fuse in the fuse box.
Since all my future power connections will be to the battery or a distribution block connected straight to the battery there should never be over 120amps pulling through the fuse box.
So that will give me a 150amp breaker between the alternator and the + battery post. If the draw from the battery is over 150amps the breaker will trip and I want have to replace the 120amp fuse in the fuse box. All I will have to do is reset the breaker.
Does that make since?

 

Anybody running RokBlokz flaps? I don't see them on the website but I kinda need something similar that I can trim/offset to fit with 1.25" spacers and flares.

 

Ok, I see. I'm thinking our 03's must be different though because when I installed the big three I'm almost certain that the main power from the alternator runs directly to the battery and then a smaller wire from the battery powers the fuse box.

This is a terrible pic but in the stock setup you can see the large wire coming to the battery from the alternator and the white wire going back to power the fuse box.

 

Can you give more info on that roof rack? Materials you used? Process?
Thanks.

 

Picked her up a few weeks ago, Tires/Wheels/New wheel stud/ Paint Drums/Lift/Bed-liner.. She is clean clean! 79K miles...

 

It's not. It still goes through the fuse box. Check the top of the fuse box and you'll see the fuse for the alt. it is the wire that comes up on the passenger side and is bolted in.

I did a cs144 on a 03 and it was just like my 96.

The large black wire is for the starter.

 

I'm doing the upgrade on my 2000 Tacoma but the 2003 Tacoma is ran the same as the 2000. That large black wire runs from the battery to the starter, the wire on the alternator runs from the alternator to the fuse box and then from the fuse box the white wire to the battery.
Here is a diagram from one of the many write ups I used .
In the diagram the stock alternator wire is #3. The wire labeled #2 is the large wire running from the battery to the starter.
In this diagram the big 3 + wire they use a 120 amp breaker but since I used a 140 amp alternator I went with a 150 amp breaker.
Hope this helps.

 

Are people getting their front grills painted to match or can you buy them factory pre painted?

 

I am going to guess here, but most painted parts on a vehicle come primed black and need to be painted by body shop to the color you desire. Stocking all the various colours would be a nightmare.

 

Clay bared entire truck, got rid of sidesteps, now need to remove box tube rails and get gator Hyde sprayed on rails.
Put a coat of meguiars gold class wax on it after this picture, and tried out the aerospace 303 protectant as well.

 

Replaced my oil pan gasket (well, it didn't have a gasket, just RTV, but now it has a gasket!), replaced my carrier bearing, radiator, and the U joints at the transmission and differential. Fun times, at least I can do most the stuff myself so I don't go broke.

 

Clay barring is so much work but so worth it after it's done!