Ideal configuration is to use five neutrals between a positive, and negative.
Most alternators are providing somewhere around 14 volts (not just 12),.
And, for every cell (cell is the gap between plates), there is an approximate 2 volt drop.
With 14 volts input, and two volt drop per cell, the +NNNNN- configuration provides for the 14 volt to drop to a 2 volt output, at the ground lug.
14 12 10 8 6 4 2 anything less than the five neutral plates, yields too much heat, causing problems. Use minimal catalyst, and if need be add additional generators in the same configuration, but wire them in parallel, using separate fuse/breakes.