Im just trying to figure out here if the OEM alt has a ground stud on it or does it receive it's ground from the mounting bolts? I'm trying to finish my big 3 with a run of 0 awg from alt ground to batt. negative.

 

the starter is grounded through the bell housing so any bolt on it can serve as a proper grounding point

 

The alternator gets its groung through the mounting bolts. IIRC, some of the older alts had a ground stud on them, but Nissan never used it. Hitachi did away with the stud somewhere along the way.

 

Oh duh sorry I fail at reading I thought I read starter

 

Ok that's what I figured. Unless the ground stud is in some obscure place, doesn't look like there is one.

 

There is no ground for it. It shares the ground with the negative battery wire attaching to the engine block.

 

If you do end up getting a high output alternator then it will likely have a grounding stud on it. The oem alternator doesn't need one because for the level of current it produces (~120 amps) the mounting bracket is sufficient.

The big three upgrade doesn't really do much more than restore the charging system to the condition it was in when it was new. Over time, the ground points get corroded and the cables oxidize. I have 4 gauge on my car to help this...0 gauge is overkill and provides no benefit over 4 gauge...until you upgrade the alternator.

 

I'm still getting quotes from different guys but so far I'm leaning towards a Mechman 270a, which does have both a pos and neg stud on it.