Exchanging the cable between battery and fuse box

[nevada]

Since I need to get my battery in before I park my truck at the airport for a week, I will just run with the cable I have now. It's still better than stock. If I switch to a high output alternator I will at least know what I'm doing and I'll change out the cable at that point to the welding cable.

Based on what the McMaster website says, the thinner strands allow higher amps (147 vs 190) compared to the non-high flex cable.

Great suggestion though for anyone working on a dual battery setup.

Okki

yes, smaller wires are better. the current flows on the outside of the wire, the smaller the wire, the more you can fit in the same space.

my GO-TO wire is welding ground lead. its sold by the foot and fairly inexpensive, and is designed to handle max amps.

 

[DannyLlama]

This is unrelated to your question [MENTION=55815]Okki[/MENTION] but thought I would share the link Brand new in box T-MAX Dual Battery Kit - Expedition Portal in case you are interested.

 

[Okki]

I just checked the cable I have and it's a SAE J1127 marked 2AWG. Still digging for the SBE code for welding cable.

Okki

 

[eddiebx]

I just checked the cable I have and it's a SAE J1127 marked 2AWG. Still digging for the SBE code for welding cable.

Okki

Don't stress yourself out man, a 2 gauge standard battery cable (even a crapola brand), will still handle waaaaay more current than the tiny OE cable you're replacing.

Just from looking at your picture, I can tell you that it's most likely not a welding cable, the strands are really fine (almost like hair) and twisted much tighter.

Use this for now since you're in a hurry and replace it with welding cable when you have more time, no biggie IMO. Look at it this way, you can practice crimping and terminating the lugs on the cheaper cable, then have it perfected for when you get the good stuff

 

[nevada]

I just checked the cable I have and it's a SAE J1127 marked 2AWG. Still digging for the SBE code for welding cable.

Okki

I have no idea what an SBE code even means...

I think the cable I ended up using was 0 or 00, and around $2/ft.
this wasn't for my battery, it was the leads for my winch. between the battery and motor, and motor and control box. theres much more load on those, then the battery cables.

 

[Okki]

I have no idea what an SBE code even means...

I think the cable I ended up using was 0 or 00, and around $2/ft.
this wasn't for my battery, it was the leads for my winch. between the battery and motor, and motor and control box. theres much more load on those, then the battery cables.

SBE is a typo on my phone for SAE. Just doing the comparison research since my wife keeps getting called by work and making me pause the Dr Who 50th anniversary episode :lmao: :banana:

As mentioned, sticking with the wire shown in the picture for now.

Okki

 

[flyrv9]

Another thing I should have mentioned - Make your wires a little longer than necessary to allow for at least one re-termination on each end. Remember to include the length needed to go inside the barrel of a new terminal. That way you won't have to run a new cable if the unthinkable happens and you have to replace an end. A couple extra inches will make no difference electrically.

 

[TexasAg]

I intend to head over to the welding shop to get my cables. They can cut and crimp ends for me, then I will bring home and heat the end and fill with solder before heatshrinking.

 

[eddiebx]

I intend to head over to the welding shop to get my cables. They can cut and crimp ends for me, then I will bring home and heat the end and fill with solder before heatshrinking.

If you are having the lugs attached with a professional crimper, soldering might be overkill and might make things worse if you don't flow it properly. You have to be careful with making sure the solder does not wick upwards into the braided cabling. Once it loads up, it's going to make that joint real stiff and brittle; and inherently MUCH less flexible.

IMO, if you're having a pro do the crimping you most likely have nothing to worry about, just heat shrink it to make it pretty and call it a day

 

[flyrv9]

I agree - soldering really isn't necessary. For a good solder connection on that sized wire, you're going to have to get it really hot. Too hot IMHO. You risk the wicking mentioned and it's possible you could really screw up the insulation. I terminate wires all the time at work. Most all are crimp type terminations. We do solder some; but it's with small wires - usually 20ga and under. I had to do a couple of power wires once and it took me a couple trys and a big iron to get a good joint on a non crimp type terminal. A poor solder joint is useless and will corrode quickly. The wires I did were much smaller than your battery cables; 8ga I think and they were a *****.

 

[Titanpat57]

I used my plumbing torch...map gas I think..yellow tank..

took all of about 10 seconds to get the lug hot enough..

I mean....what could go wrong?

 

[GrantK]

Okki,
If you want to solder, drill a smallish hole in the end of the connector before crimping and solder through the hole AFTER crimping. You'll need to CAREFULLY use a propane torch to get it hot enough.

Regardless, cover the connectors with double wall, adhesive lined heat shrink tubing. This will provide a hermetical seal and keep everything out forever. If you don't have any, PM me and I'll send you enough for your project (I always have it on hand).

 

[Okki]

Okki,
If you want to solder, drill a smallish hole in the end of the connector before crimping and solder through the hole AFTER crimping. You'll need to CAREFULLY use a propane torch to get it hot enough.

Regardless, cover the connectors with double wall, adhesive lined heat shrink tubing. This will provide a hermetical seal and keep everything out forever. If you don't have any, PM me and I'll send you enough for your project (I always have it on hand).

Thanks Grant.. I don't have any that big, but that's one of my morning to-do's before I disconnect everything. I was hoping to take inventory today, but the wife had me running around with xmas errands.

I have a ton of electrical tape, so worst case I was going to wrap them in that.

Okki

 

[Antman]

I have a ton of electrical tape, so worst case I was going to wrap them in that.

Okki

Ummmmmmm. No. Please don't do that.

 

[Okki]

Ummmmmmm. No. Please don't do that.

Come on Jeff... a little more detail... What is wrong with wrapping the terminal on the alternator side in some electrical tape? how is that different from shrink insulation?

Okki

 

[Antman]

Come on Jeff... a little more detail... What is wrong with wrapping the terminal on the alternator side in some electrical tape? how is that different from shrink insulation?

Okki

Because eventually it will unravel itself.

There are some tapes that stretch and are self bonding that work pretty well. They aren't "sticky" more like tacky and they almost become a solid rubber covering when stretched. Ordinary electrical tape is not even in the same league as that stuff or quality shrink wrap. Just spend the $5 and never have a problem!

 

[1engineer]

Because eventually it will unravel itself.

There are some tapes that stretch and are self bonding that work pretty well. They aren't "sticky" more like tacky and they almost become a solid rubber covering when stretched. Ordinary electrical tape is not even in the same league as that stuff or quality shrink wrap. Just spend the $5 and never have a problem!

3M Rubber Splicing Tape - Amazon.com

 

[Okki]

So first the good news:

The crimper is AWESOME!!!! (Used the #35 die)

The [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] splicing tape is awesome:

After that... it all sorta started to suck.
I got some battery cable with lugs on both ends to replace the battery-to-body cable and the battery-to-fuse box cable.

I used a 24" length for the battery negative to body. That was easy.

Then I tried to get the fuse box top separated from the bottom and was partially successful, but couldn't get the #$*(#$*(# to fully separate.

3 little tabs on the headlight side, 1 on the engine side, and 2 on the firewall side was all I could find, but it would not release. ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET THAT THING OFF?

I also tried to follow the ground and power cables and couldn't find where those terminate.

The wire with the blue stripe is ground. The one with the red wire zip-tied to it is positive (power). I first thought they would terminate at the front of the alternator (wrong).

I'm not sure where they end up, but I'm guessing one goes into the mirror-image L shaped cover in the middle of the picture below.

I could not get that cover off to see what was under it. In the bottom-middle you can see where power goes into the fusebox, and to the right of it the only clip (little) that I found on that side of the fusebox.

Immediately to the right of the L-shaped cover you can see some metal-tape wrapped wire. I'm wondering if that is the ground cable from the battery and it's going to a grounding point somewhere further back on the engine.

Any thoughts/input/guidance is greatly appreciated.

Okki

EDIT:
Looking at page 5 here: http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h8.pdf
I think I'm right about the L-Shape cover being the one that covers the power cable. Now I still need to figure out how to get that $*&!#$!@ cover off.

 

[flyrv9]

You could also use F4 (guideline) tape. It stretches and seals to its self. We use it at work all the time. Good stuff and waterproof if you wrap it right.

F4 Tape - Self-Fusing Silicone Tape - F4 Tape Red Oxide Photos

 

[Okki]

[MENTION=73139]N2GLOCK[/MENTION] do you have any suggestions / answers to the questions below?

I tried to get the fuse box top separated from the bottom and was partially successful, but couldn't get the #$*(#$*(# to fully separate.

3 little tabs on the headlight side, 1 on the engine side, and 2 on the firewall side was all I could find, but it would not release. ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET THAT THING OFF?

I also tried to follow the ground and power cables and couldn't find where those terminate.

The wire with the blue stripe is ground. The one with the red wire zip-tied to it is positive (power). I first thought they would terminate at the front of the alternator (wrong).

I'm not sure where they end up, but I'm guessing one goes into the mirror-image L shaped cover in the middle of the picture below.

I could not get that cover off to see what was under it. In the bottom-middle you can see where power goes into the fusebox, and to the right of it the only clip (little) that I found on that side of the fusebox.

Immediately to the right of the L-shaped cover you can see some metal-tape wrapped wire. I'm wondering if that is the ground cable from the battery and it's going to a grounding point somewhere further back on the engine.

Any thoughts/input/guidance is greatly appreciated.

Okki

EDIT:
Looking at page 5 here: http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h8.pdf
I think I'm right about the L-Shape cover being the one that covers the power cable. Now I still need to figure out how to get that $*&!#$!@ cover off.