Battery Cables

Anyone know where I can get a pre-made negative 4AWG batt cable that is around 90" long? I haven't been able to find one anywhere. Does it even need to go all the way to the rear of the motor? It currently mounts all the way at the rear starboard side just down and to the right of the starter relay. The longest pre-made cable I've found is 78" and is automotive, not marine. I guess I could get a blank cable and then crimp the end on that connects to the motor and get a mechanical type fitting for the battery connection but I'd prefer a "factory" made cable. Is this something that the dealer would have?

Genuinedealz.com will make you a cable to your specs using tinned marine wire. I have not had them make one as I have a large crimper and can make my own. I do however buy all of my supplies from them and have for several years. They have great products and are pretty fast on shipping.

I love my Genuinedealz cables. Highly recommend.

Thanks guys for the help. Wish I had more time to get them from genuinedealz.com but just like Joel's situation, I want to ski this weekend! I was in Melbourne, FL today for work and so I stopped at the local West Marine and they had everything I needed. I even got to use their tools to do my own crimping. Just have to heat up the shrink-wrap sleeves on when I get home. (guess they are afraid of people burning the place down!)

8122pbrainard wrote: Bret, Even though you used the crimping tool, I still suggest you solder the lugs to the cables. I assume you used tinned cable and that stuff isn't cheap. You don't want the inside of the lug to corrode and have to go through this again. Yes, the lugs may be tinned but it's plated on and the inside plating is real thin! We solder all of our electric vehicle battery connections together here at the plant. BTW, a heat gun works better than a torch on heat shrink tubing!

What kind of soldering iron is required for cable that thick? Can a normal low-wattage hobby one be used?

Also, and this may be a stupid question, can you solder to lead? That seems to be what most terminal clamps are made of, if not a metal of very similar density and appearance.

Joel and Bret,
There are several methods of terminating the cables and soldering will be determined of what you crimped on the end.

I personally like the regular lugs:
and then the stud type adapters to the battery posts. The lugs are real easy to solder on.


If you used the crimp on post connectors:
, these are tin plated copper and soldered on in the same way.


Then there are the compression bolt ons:
and they do not get soldered.

A hobby type solding gun/iron will not provide the heat needed. Ether a torch or a large iron will. Don't worry about the insulation being too close since you'll be heat shrinking over it anyway. In fact, you'll need to trim a small (about 1/8" notch off). Use some rosin core solder, heat the lug or connector until it melts the solder next to the small section of cut off insulation. Then let it suck into the joint.

I just made new cables last week. Used 2AWG tinned cable from genuinedealz.com I would also recommend them. Great product, great prices, and fast free shipping. I chose to assemble my own cables but bought the wire,lugs, heat shrink and solder pellets from them. First time using the "solder pellets" worked out pretty well, just drop the pellet in the lug heat up with torch and insert the wire into the lug.

My old cables were badly corroded internally and I'm pretty sure this is what has been causing me to blow starter relays.

Bret,
You'll have cables for life in that boat!!

TX Foilhead wrote: Question for Pete, why the tinned cable for freshwater.

Don,
You don't need to be around salt water for copper to corrode. I've seen plenty of green corroded connections and I've never worked on a salt water boat!! As a example, I replaced a whole bunch of bad wire ends and sta-cons picking up over 2 volts of drop just from the engine to my dash on my Tique. At least you soldered your's so you should be good. I just like to go all the way with wiring.

I've seen battery cables with green over 6" from the ends.

Have you ever had problems with trailer wiring? There's a great example of wiring/connection problems just from moisture.

The reason the OEM's don't use it is as you found out, the cost.

Trailers have problem wiring in general, my lawn trailer doesn't seem to have working lights any more often than the boat trailer. I understand the point of using the tinned wire, and I do for most things, but the expense becomes very noticable in the single number sizes. I did consider doing it with stereo wire which was tinned, but figured the welding insulation was more durable and even cheaper. I guess time will tell, it's all above the bildge and secured with many zipties, if it were to get wet I would have much bigger issues.

eric lavine wrote: have you ever seen a copper roof? or copper gutters

Not one that has been tinned with the ends shrink wrapped.

bhectus wrote: FYI, the PO used welding wire 4awg for the ground and I was replacing it because the jacket was completely dry-rotted and cracking. It felt a lot softer than the marine stuff that I was replacing with.

That's why I connected everything that touches the motor with marine wire, alternator, ground, and the wire from the main switch to the starter solenoid. The welding cable only goes between the switches, the batteries, and the ground bus.

The welding cables on all of our portable machines at work get drug over rocks and dirt, through the water and across hot metal. They also stay outside in the sun and the elements with crimped copper lugs and no heat shrink, the only welding cable I've never bought cable for any of them. I expect these to last as long as I need. They're more likely to be replaced because the stereo continues to grow.