Cable Length

[saltare inverts]

Looking for suggestions on how long and were to get new marine grade cables from starter to battery. I think my cables are OK but why find out they are not on vacation or in the middle of the lake.

[ktm408]

If i were you i would just take them out of the boat and go to a auto supply place,but dont pull them out without pulling a fish wire or small rope so you can get new ones in easy.just my opinion.

[Blackntan90]

I read somewhere about someone using welding cable, as long as the gauge is the same. I think it is cheaper also, but probably not tinned or the jacket could also not be as resistant to fuel and oil etc. I just use an ohmmeter to get an idea of the resistance, and a good visual inspection goes along way- but you already know that, i'm sure.

[saltare inverts]

BlackTan, visually they look great. I understand how to use ohm meter, I guess Im looking for zero resistance? I use them in home electrical but not sure what ohm to read for this application. I was also wondering if there is a special type of cable used in marine systems. The bilge is high humidity area.

[csuggs]

I just used #2 welding cable on mine and I made them the same length as the old cables. As a general rule, shorter is better so you have less chance of loosing voltage to the solenoid and starter. Which reminds me, I used a short piece of extra cable that I had to replace the heavy wire from the solenoid to the starter as well. If you don't have a large enough crimper for the terminal ends, most good electrical supply stores will be able to do that for you. Then I used heat shrink on the ends after the terminals were crimped on.
I don't know if this is the best thing for marine applications, but I do know that welding cable is hard to beat as a conductor for higher amp applications such as a starting battery. I guess we'll have to see how well it weathers. (My boat stays in the garage with the bilge opened up between uses so I expect it will be ok)

[Sluggo]

When I added my perko switch and onboard battery maintainer/charger, I used 0 guage welding wire and the same online place had lugs with solder pelets that you just pop in the lug and heat up with a torch. I would caution to protect the area around the work since there was some solder that splashed out when inserting the cable ends into the lugs, but finished product looks very good. Let me know if you want the info and I will go back through my archived mail for the links.

[saltare inverts]

Yes I would like the imfo. I just orcdered a 140 amp marine alternator to replace old 63 car alternator that was installed by previous owner. Does anyone think I should enlarge charging wire from alt. DB electric were I got alt says I will be OK.

[2002 LAUNCH SS OWNER]

When I added my perko switch and onboard battery maintainer/charger, I used 0 guage welding wire and the same online place had lugs with solder pelets that you just pop in the lug and heat up with a torch. I would caution to protect the area around the work since there was some solder that splashed out when inserting the cable ends into the lugs, but finished product looks very good. Let me know if you want the info and I will go back through my archived mail for the links.

Careful when using soder to hold your battery ends on!! High amperage draw
can melt soder and cable lug will fall off( this happened to me on welding cable I had made for 3.7 liter MERC 4 banger that was based on 460 Ford
engine, small starter motor for large coffee can size pistons) = excessive
amperage draw when motor is hot.
I recomend crimp style lugs,then soder around any bare copper showing then
follow with heat shrink.
Dave

[csuggs]

I've heard of the same thing happening that Dave mentioned when using soldered lugs. They can get hot enough to melt the solder for sure. If you have the right size lugs for the cable, and the correct crimper, then you won't have to worry about crimped terminals.

[Sluggo]

Here is the site I ordered wire and lugs from. Being somewhat of an engineer type, I would think that you would have to pull some outrageous amount of current through a 0 gauge wire before it would heat up enough to even be hot to the touch much less warm. For smaller wire gauges that are at or below spec for the application, I would agree, this could be a problem. I chose to go with higher gauge wire with a solder connection, more surface or conducting area from wire to lug, so I did not have to worry about corrosion and potential for the cable to work it self loose in the cripped connection over time. Shrink wrap will help, but there will still be air in there that will be subject to the temp changes and thus moisture will be present.

http://www.wiringproducts.com/

(Correction from earlier post, I used 0 gauge Red Battery Cable given it was more flexible)