Bus Bars Configuration Help PLEASE

[Squibbly]

This cable coming off the 12V side is also interesting because it's still going through the dual resistors for a dropped voltage.
I think that is going to be a problem for your batteries because each time your glow plugs need to fire up it's always going to draw off of the front battery, and you're going to discharge your batteries at an unequal rate. Not the end of the world, but evening the load is always preferred I suppose.

I don't know what your glow plug relay is connected to though. Sometimes people just cut the wire coming out the other side of the resistor pack, and if that is the case then this wire doesn't need to be connected at all.

 

[Keith_J]

So now you need to check the starter to make sure of voltage. A 24 volt will not fling the pinion and make starter motor engage on 12 volts. A 12 volt on 24 volts won't last long.

24 volt starters draw half the current as equal 12 volt. So if the prior owner did a 12 volt conversion, you need a new #0 cable from the front battery to the starter. You also need to check the purple wire voltage, it must match main voltage.

This is why keeping wiring stock is preferred.

 

[Squibbly]

So now you need to check the starter to make sure of voltage. A 24 volt will not fling the pinion and make starter motor engage on 12 volts. A 12 volt on 24 volts won't last long.

24 volt starters draw half the current as equal 12 volt. So if the prior owner did a 12 volt conversion, you need a new #0 cable from the front battery to the starter. You also need to check the purple wire voltage, it must match main voltage.

This is why keeping wiring stock is preferred.

Agreed. In the POs defense, he did write it in large bright white letters letters on not only the body, but the plastic housing with arrows.
It is dangerous if someone isn't familiar with how electrical systems work. I'd also hate to be working on something back there and short across those posts that are an inch apart by accident. Although if I have the cover off the bus bar, and the batteries connected, I probably deserve it.

 

[jplace1011]

Agreed. In the POs defense, he did write it in large bright white letters letters on not only the body, but the plastic housing with arrows.
It is dangerous if someone isn't familiar with how electrical systems work. I'd also hate to be working on something back there and short across those posts that are an inch apart by accident. Although if I have the cover off the bus bar, and the batteries connected, I probably deserve it.

Rather than type out a small novel, I think I’ll shoot a short video about what I discovered and how I fixed everything.

On a Side Note, the Starter is 24 Volt. The Red Cable running to it, is hooked up to the 24 Volt part of the Positive Buss Bar.


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[jplace1011]

Rather than type out a small novel, I think I’ll shoot a short video about what I discovered and how I fixed everything.

On a Side Note, the Starter is 24 Volt. The Red Cable running to it, is hooked up to the 24 Volt part of the Positive Buss Bar.


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A BIG Thank You to everyone that helped, including Johnny Tyler who have great advice on re-routing the Rear Battery’s Neg Post wire.

Here’s a short video that explains what happened and how I fixed it. I don’t mention it in the video, but I also removed the set of Resistors and the one wire running to it. Everything seems to run fine now.

I also avoided another problem that I discovered while all of this was going on:

Side Note: There’s a 12V Power Inverter hooked up to the Power Buss Barr inside the cab. Before all of this, it was running off the 12 Volt part of the Power Buss Bar in the engine compartment. There’s also a set of KC lights mounted at the rear that are patched into that inverter.

Now that Power Buss Bar inside the cab is running at 24 Volts. So I have to either get a New 24V inverter or re-route all of the wires to the 12V solenoid near the master brake cylinder. Those inverters aren’t cheap though!!


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[Guyfang]

Thanks for closing the loop. Thats what its all about. People learn from what you post.

 

[Keith_J]

You want 12 volts to the communication power on the rear passenger side of the M1009? Because restoring the under hood to stock made it 24 volts?
Easy as running a #4 wire from the back battery negative to the rear communications power bars. Color code it red with black. Now you have access to both battery as you have 12 volts measured from black to red-black, another 12 volts from red-black to red and 24 volts black to red.

This is very handy as you get twice the power since both alternators are used.

I run a 24 volt powered inverter off the NATO port, I can brew a pot of coffee with engine off.

 

[jplace1011]

You want 12 volts to the communication power on the rear passenger side of the M1009? Because restoring the under hood to stock made it 24 volts?
Easy as running a #4 wire from the back battery negative to the rear communications power bars. Color code it red with black. Now you have access to both battery as you have 12 volts measured from black to red-black, another 12 volts from red-black to red and 24 volts black to red.

This is very handy as you get twice the power since both alternators are used.

I run a 24 volt powered inverter off the NATO port, I can brew a pot of coffee with engine off.

@Keith_J hey there good buddy!

As it currently is, there’s a 12V Power Inverter on the wall near the tailgate area. There’s a Red Cable (from the Power Buss Bar in the Cab) running power to the Inverter. I discovered the Ground from that Buss Bar isn’t hooked up to anything. The Inverter is grounded by a small wire attached to one of the bolts holding the Inverter onto the Wall. Funny huh?

Now that I got the Buss Bars in the Engine area all to 24 volts, the Inverter won’t work, since it’s only 12V.

It sounds like an easy fix using your method. Another CUCV guy, Johnny, said I could run a wire from the Black Diamond shaped Solenoid back to the Rear Buss Bars. Sounds like either way will work.

The KC Lights mounted above the Back Window are also wired into the Inverter. So they should start working again, once I get 12 Volts going back to the Inverter. I’m also wondering if the Relay for the KC lights may have gotten damaged, maybe not.

I’m starting to wonder if I should pull out the Current Positive & Ground Wires coming from the Front Buss Bars back to the Rear Buss Bars. Then all I have to do is run a New Positive Wire back into the cab. That would be fairly simple and clean looking.

I love that you use the Front NATO Port. So cool or rather so Hot?! Imagine all of the things one could hook up while camping.


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[Keith_J]

That diamond shaped power terminal on the driver side of the firewall is quite limited in power, I would not recommend applying any more load to it.

The stock M1009 communications kit had two #4 wires to it, one is 24 volt #4 from the top bus bar and should be red. The other is a black #4 and goes to the bottom, smaller bus bar. If you have that wire, disconnect it from the lower small bus bar and lengthen it to go directly to the negative terminal on the back battery. Use a 100 amp circuit breaker near the rear battery.

What this does is gives you an independent 12 volt supply off the back battery. Remember, this is a two battery, two alternator system where all are actually 12 volts. And this mod means you have full power from both alternators, two independent 12 volt circuits and a 24 volt off both.

If you know anything of normal house wiring, this is very similar. Domestic wiring systems have two 120 volt lines feeding a house. Either line to neutral is 120, line to line is 240. So lights run on 120 where heavy loads like oven, air conditioning run off 240. The only difference with that CUCV is the neutral isn't ground.
I've found my cordless tools run just fine on 24 volts corded from my CUCV. A bit better too.

 

[jplace1011]

That diamond shaped power terminal on the driver side of the firewall is quite limited in power, I would not recommend applying any more load to it.

The stock M1009 communications kit had two #4 wires to it, one is 24 volt #4 from the top bus bar and should be red. The other is a black #4 and goes to the bottom, smaller bus bar. If you have that wire, disconnect it from the lower small bus bar and lengthen it to go directly to the negative terminal on the back battery. Use a 100 amp circuit breaker near the rear battery.

What this does is gives you an independent 12 volt supply off the back battery. Remember, this is a two battery, two alternator system where all are actually 12 volts. And this mod means you have full power from both alternators, two independent 12 volt circuits and a 24 volt off both.

If you know anything of normal house wiring, this is very similar. Domestic wiring systems have two 120 volt lines feeding a house. Either line to neutral is 120, line to line is 240. So lights run on 120 where heavy loads like oven, air conditioning run off 240. The only difference with that CUCV is the neutral isn't ground.
I've found my cordless tools run just fine on 24 volts corded from my CUCV. A bit better too.

@Keith_J Is this the right 100 Amp Circuit Breaker?

WOHHOM 100A/150A Audio Circuit Breaker Auto Car Stereo Inline Fuse Holders Inverter, Manual Reset 12V-24V DC for Automotive Marine Boat Audio System Protection (100A) https://a.co/dYZJZAG


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[jplace1011]

@Keith_J Is this the right 100 Amp Circuit Breaker?

WOHHOM 100A/150A Audio Circuit Breaker Auto Car Stereo Inline Fuse Holders Inverter, Manual Reset 12V-24V DC for Automotive Marine Boat Audio System Protection (100A) https://a.co/dYZJZAG


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@Keith_J
I just want double check something. Could I just keep the Neg. Black Cable running from the Front set of Buss Bars back to the Rear set of Buss Bars as is? Then keep the Positive Red Wire plugged into the Rear Buss Bar and attach the other Red End up to the Neg. Post of the Rear Battery? And place a Fusible Link or Circuit Breaker on that Red End going to the Rear Battery.

 

[Keith_J]

@Keith_J
I just want double check something. Could I just keep the Neg. Black Cable running from the Front set of Buss Bars back to the Rear set of Buss Bars as is? Then keep the Positive Red Wire plugged into the Rear Buss Bar and attach the other Red End up to the Neg. Post of the Rear Battery? And place a Fusible Link or Circuit Breaker on that Red End going to the Rear Battery.

That would work too. It will draw off the front battery since this is also where the rest of the truck gets 12 volts for lights, fan, wipers etc.

I run a lot of 12 volt loads off the rear battery, just to split alternator loads. And interior lights on the SECM box are series pairs of 12 volt, running off 24 volts. Because twice the power can go through the same wire gauge with 24 volts.

 

[jplace1011]

That would work too. It will draw off the front battery since this is also where the rest of the truck gets 12 volts for lights, fan, wipers etc.

I run a lot of 12 volt loads off the rear battery, just to split alternator loads. And interior lights on the SECM box are series pairs of 12 volt, running off 24 volts. Because twice the power can go through the same wire gauge with 24 volts.

@Keith_J
Nice! I already have a Red Wire on the Rear Battery Neg Post running to the Black Diamond Shaped Solenoid. I’ll add another one to that same post and run it back to the Rear Pos Buss Bar.

I have 8 Gauge Wire I could add a 12 Gauge Fusible Link. Or 6 Gauge Wire I could add a 10 Gauge Fusible Link. Does it matter which one I use?


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[Keith_J]

What are you planning on running? 1000 Watt inverter will draw over 80 amperes. That is #4. I would go with a circuit breaker over a fusible link because that is a lot of molten metal to capture in the silicone rubber jacket of a #8 fusible link.
Yes, the alternators are wired with #6 and they are 100 ampere units but the voltage drop and temperature rise is provided for. Your inverter would probably voltage drop out with #6 and heavy loads.

I run a 2400 watt 24 volt inverter on 10 feet of #4 to the NATO port. I get about 1 volt drop from batteries to inverter at max load.

 

[jplace1011]

What are you planning on running? 1000 Watt inverter will draw over 80 amperes. That is #4. I would go with a circuit breaker over a fusible link because that is a lot of molten metal to capture in the silicone rubber jacket of a #8 fusible link.
Yes, the alternators are wired with #6 and they are 100 ampere units but the voltage drop and temperature rise is provided for. Your inverter would probably voltage drop out with #6 and heavy loads.

I run a 2400 watt 24 volt inverter on 10 feet of #4 to the NATO port. I get about 1 volt drop from batteries to inverter at max load.

@Keith_J this is what is currently installed:

On a side note, will this Circuit Breaker be ok?

WOHHOM 100A/150A Audio Circuit Breaker Auto Car Stereo Inline Fuse Holders Inverter, Manual Reset 12V-24V DC for Automotive Marine Boat Audio System Protection (100A) https://a.co/0DdpV1P


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[Keith_J]

That circuit breaker will be perfect.

 

[jplace1011]

That circuit breaker will be perfect.

@Keith_J @Squibbly @cucvrus
I disconnected the 2 Gauge Red Positive Cable (the other end goes to the Buss Bars in the Cab) from the 24V Buss Bar and connected it to the Rear Battery Neg Post. *I left the Neg Cable from the Rear (in the Cab) Buss Bar where it is, which is attached to the Ground 24V Buss Bar. As I’ve been told that is no big deal because Ground is just Ground.

I also sanded off the words “12 Volts” written above the Buss Bars. As not to add any confusion!

The Rear Buss Bars are now Inputting and Outputting 12 Volts. The 6 Gauge Red and Black Cables are still running back to the Inverter near the Tailgate. I labeled them as 12Volts, just to be clear.

I attached an 80 Amp Fuse between the Red Cable and the Inverter. I re-attached the Ground Wire to the Inverter. I turned it On and it seems to be working well. I just need to wipe it down, it’s filthy.

I replaced the Bulbs for the KC Lights mounted above the Tailgates. They are now Working well! It’s likely those 12V bulbs blew when 24 Volts ran to that back Buss Bar.

Thank you all for the help again. You guys really rock!! It also nice to have learned more about how more things work in the CUCV.

I’m glad I didn’t spend/waste more money on a mechanic who likely wouldn’t have done it properly anyways.


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[Keith_J]

Good to hear you got it together and working. Now insulate all exposed 12 volt connections and you should be good.