Doubledown:
OK, you're stupid.. <joking, dude>
This sounds like a good excuse for a tech article.
I'll write one up, but if you have any specific questions other than the following, ask away:
cables we're concerned with:
Ground-
-battery to engine block
-battery to body
-body to engine block <yes I know it's electrically duplicated-- not a bad thing, though.>
Positive-
-battery to isolator
-battery to alternator <on my 90 w/ GM alternator, this is the one that has a ring terminal on the alternator end and bolts to the large lug on the case>- this is the charge lead.. and if you use an isolator in a dual battery setup, this will be moved to the "A" terminal of the isolator.
-battery to starter <the less resistance, and hence more voltage, here the better>
All the other wires on the alternator are used for field excitation and the like, and thus not really in need of upgrading <they don't carry high current>.
I use 2AWG welding cable, cuz it's cheaper than that grabasstic Monster Cable, and if it'll handle welding spall dripping on it, it'll handle underhood heat. Don't pay more than $1/foot.
Additionally- if using a dual battery setup with the Ford starter solenoid for auto-slave like I recently posted, you'll need various 2AWG jumpers-
jumpers-
battery1 to isolator
battery2 to isolator
battery1 to term1 of solenoid
battery2 to term2 of solenoid
To make these leads <all of them>, I use a razor knife, a propane torch <tuned down to a pencil-tip flame>, 2AWG ring terminals <I use the less expensive gold-plated terminals from the car stereo shop- $1 each- and they don't oxidize due to the gold coating>, silver solder <from radio shack>, and HIGH QUALITY heat shrink tubing <not the stiff stuff, the very flexible- I believe the one you want is NOT the polybutylene stuff, but it's been a while since I bought any..
Measure cables to your component locations and cut with a set of cable cutters <preferably- $7 at Radio Shack and worth it> or a hacksaw <messy cut>.
Strip 3/4" of insulation and put the terminal over the bare wire. Light torch and heat the END of the terminal <convection will carry the heat to the wire, and this avoids burning the jacket of the cable>.
Feed solder to the wire's stripped end and flow it until the entire surface of the stripped end is coated in a shiny layer of solder <NO Gobs!>. "Solder for inspectability" as they tell us in the DoD.
let cool <ask me how I know-- momentary lapse of reason!
cut a sleeve of heat shrink long enough to cover the barrel of the terminal and 1" onto the cable. Using a heat gun or your stove top set to high, shrink the sleeve down to the cable.
Install!
If you have a high outut soldering gun, it's even better to use- but most folks don't have one sufficient to solder on 2 AWG.
While you're at this, it might be a good idea to run a piece of 4AWG <or better, if you're running a serious sound system> to the back of the vehicle so you can put in a 12V cigarette lighter plug and disconnect. Unless you're a basshead, this should be more current than you'll EVER need. Remember to fuse this lead in the engine compartment within 18" of the battery, and use a rubber grommet in the firewall where you penetrate <wouldn't be bad to seal over it with RTV, too, since we're Jeepers>.
Suggest putting a fuse on the leads going to the batteries from the isolator, if you're going that route. One in series on the autoslave cables, too.
Any questions?
Double Down said:
Burntkat,
Call me stupid, but I was wondering if you have any pics of the setups with the 2awg cables? I would like to do the same but don't really know what I should do or start with. What exactly should I change/upgrad in regards to cables? How do you recommend doing it (remember, I'm not an electrical genius)
Beebe (Double Down)