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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: March 17, 2017, 7:33 am 
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horchoha wrote:
Can't disagree with anything here. All good advice.
Yeah, the Smart Kids beat us to it... Again... :mrgreen:

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PostPosted: March 17, 2017, 11:30 am 
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GonzoRacer wrote:
horchoha wrote:
Can't disagree with anything here. All good advice.
Yeah, the Smart Kids beat us to it... Again... :mrgreen:

Hey, watch who you're calling smart. My hat's getting a bit tight. Probably just because I need a haircut, and you didn't mean me at all, but still.
Kristian

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PostPosted: March 17, 2017, 8:58 pm 
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Could fill up the gaps in the wire/lug interface with some hot solder, or at least seal it up with some paint or silicone?

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PostPosted: March 19, 2017, 8:05 pm 
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I make all my own battery cable and have polarized plugs fed by 0 and 00 (pronounced ought and double ought) wire run to the back
of all my work trucks to operate my hydraulic winches and cable reel lifters. I use a hammer driven V-wedge vise to attach the connection pins and any other type of crimp on terminal. This vise ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cable-Hammer-Cr ... 2074169267) makes for a very tight crimp, much better than the hexagonal crimps they use in the electrical industry. The bad news about this type is that you need a heavy plate or anvil to set it on and not move away from the hammer blow. I use a 5"x5"xx2" hunk of flat plate.

I also use industrial grade heat shrink ( the 4-to-1 shrink ratio, not the 2-to-1) that has the hot-melt glue on the inside. So when you heat the sucker on, it is on like white on rice. Seals the terminal from battery juice getting on the fine copper wires of the cable if you run the cable to the battery.

All my cables go to the hot leg of the starter solenoid ( to stay away from the crowded battery terminals) and are encased in 3/4" non-metallic flex to keep the welding cable, that has a realatively soft rubber sheath from being abraded by sharp edges or moving parts like springe. I attach the flex conduit with 3/8" wide stainless steel straps that we use in my industry.

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PostPosted: March 21, 2017, 12:40 pm 
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GonzoRacer wrote:
Hi Lonnie-
I kinda got here late... Sorry... :oops:

Looky here:
https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/battery-cables?sortby=Default&sortorder=Ascending&keyword=battery%20cables&kr=battery%20cables Looks like the cables they sell at Summit are mostly 1, 1/0 and 2. Mostly... Those size wires should work for you, based on that reference.

. . . <snip>

JDK


Hey, JD, thanks for that tip. They have what they call a "Premium Battery Relocation Kit" part# G1231-K that proved to be a really good deal. The best price I could get on welding cable was about $90 just for the positive side, but didn't include anything else. The Summit kit includes positive (20') and negative (3') cable plus a NHRA-approved battery box, box breather, hold down hardware, rubber sealing grommets, battery-end and firewall terminals, etc., and the whole shebang cost about $167 with free shipping. It's 1/0 cable and should be fine. The battery box will take a Optima battery considerably larger then my donor's size, so I should be good even if it turns out I need a larger battery for the starter torque.

It should be good for anything I need, and I don't have to shop around for all the other parts. It will ship from Sparks (Reno), Nevada and I should have it in two days. There's not much to complain about there!

Cheers,

Lonnie

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PostPosted: March 23, 2017, 8:01 am 
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turbo_bird wrote:
GonzoRacer wrote:
Yeah, the Smart Kids beat us to it... Again... :mrgreen:
Hey, watch who you're calling smart. My hat's getting a bit tight. Probably just because I need a haircut, and you didn't mean me at all, but still.
Go get a haircut, Kid! And get off my lawn!
:rofl:

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PostPosted: March 23, 2017, 1:05 pm 
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GonzoRacer wrote:
turbo_bird wrote:
Hey, watch who you're calling smart. My hat's getting a bit tight. Probably just because I need a haircut, and you didn't mean me at all, but still.
Go get a haircut, Kid! And get off my lawn!
:rofl:

Done, almost lost my hat now. As far as getting off your lawn, I'm bringing a tarp and the whole family, and staying until it warms up at home. Hopefully this global warming the experts keep promising will kick in soon.
Kristian

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PostPosted: March 25, 2019, 7:46 pm 
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I've been an industrial electrician for 40 years, and on my locost I ran the batteries ( 2 compact wheel chair batteries) in the rear and fed the starter with #4 welding cable. I use an Acura permanent magnet gear reduction starter, with a smaller diameter home made flywheel (toyota ring gear) starting a 3.5 Liter Rover V8 (10.5 to 1 CR). The combination has worked excellent for years. Keep it light and Good Luck, Smitty


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PostPosted: April 3, 2019, 9:54 pm 
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IMO, welding cable may be good ( I don't know the long term oil resistance) , but is more than is needed. it is pricey due to the very flexible insulation ($$) and the high number of fine strands used ($$$). That is necessary for welding applications but not needed for a car application.


In my area, any cable larger than #4 will be a special order from an auto parts store, and it will be three or four times more expensive than welding cable.

Welding cable is available off-the-spool in 3-0 and 4-0 sizes, and they will sell and crimp the lugs while you wait.

NAPA sells a better option for the lugs, though. They handle a line of solid copper collet ends in various lug sizes and battery connection types. They're $10-$15 each, but you just fill them with dielectric grease or vaseline, stick the wire in, and tighten them with a wrench. You can disassemble them to check for corrosion or to move them to different cables, etc.

Of course, now that you can get cables online, local prices are pretty much irrelevant...


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PostPosted: April 4, 2019, 5:45 am 
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I make my own lugs from copper pipe, annealed, crimped around the cable, flatten the end in a vice, solder the crimped end filling the cup, drilling to size. I like the gm side terminal batts since you just need an sae bolt, washer, and jamb nut for a terminal. The bolt head is much easier to clamp to for batt charging/jumping or adding other connections and you'll never strip the threads in the batt.

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PostPosted: April 4, 2019, 11:36 am 
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When I removed the DPO's installation of welding cable that ran from the battery in the rear, up to the starter in my MGB, the effects of oil on the insulation in and around the engine compartment was clearly obvious. It was swollen about 50-100% thicker than the original thickness and much more "squishy". I would, and will, go out of my way to get proper automotive wiring suitable for the job.

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PostPosted: April 5, 2019, 7:36 am 
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Chuck
You should know that "much more squishy" comes standard along with the smoke for British electrics. :D
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PostPosted: April 5, 2019, 6:50 pm 
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rx7locost wrote:
the effects of oil on the insulation in and around the engine compartment was clearly obvious. It was swollen about 50-100% thicker than the original thickness and much more "squishy".


I never had any trouble with welding cable and oil or heat, but there may well be more than one type of insulation used.


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PostPosted: April 5, 2019, 6:54 pm 
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Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F wrote:
I like the gm side terminal batts


I hates them, I do. Especially when the paltry four threads into soft lead strip out when you're trying to snug things down.

My fix for that was to cut short pieces of threaded rod and use those as studs. Brass or copper would be better, but none exists locally, including bolts that might be cut for that purpose.

Also useful when you need to take power for driving lights, trailer brakes, etc. from the positive post instead of jacking the car up, crawling underneath, and wondering how you're going to attach all that stuff to the starter post you can't even see...


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