Aluminum Cable?

-
KosmicKuda

KosmicKuda

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2011
Messages
2,479
Reaction score
1,329
Location
N Ohio
As part of a 5.7 Hemi swap in a 68 Barracuda, I'm relocating the battery to the trunk. I have a 2AWG cable more than long enough to make the trunk run forward. It is a good old Made in USA cable mfd by Kaiser Aluminum that is 6 strands wrapped around 1. From what I understand, the gauge should typically be increased by one when using aluminum. With the price of copper so high, the benefits for me are I already have it, and it'll save 2/3 the weight.

It will run through the right side rocker panel wiring trough and then into the trunk. It will terminate at the Mopar Power Distribution Center mounted under the dash. It will be 100% in the car interior, nothing exposed to the elements.

I'm a mechanical guy, not a Sparky so looking for opinions.

@67Dart273 @crackedback
@Dana67Dart

20221114_123117.jpg
 
Last edited:
IMHO.....I would think a dedicated automotive cable or welding lead with more/finer strands would do a better job of conducting the needed amperage for starter operation.
 
Not a chance I'd run that stuff for starter operation, UNLESS it was to minimize weight in a car running a specific class.

Stick with copper.
 
Nope. 2 AWG isn’t an upsize anyway, I run 1/0 AWG to run the length of the car for a battery relocation.
 
Alum has roughly twice the resistance of a piece of copper that has the same cross sect area. So
to contain voltage drop [ loss ] to the same value as copper cable, the CSA of the alum needs to have twice the CSA. There is a reason OEM's do not use alum....
 
Strands look too coarse. The welding cable is very fine strand to increase it flexibility and current capacity - travels on the wire surface, so more surface = better current/less ohms.
 
At some point, that aluminum is going to contact copper. That aint cool. Galvanic corrosion I would suspect.
 
Demonic said:
Strands look too coarse. The welding cable is very fine strand to increase it flexibility and current capacity - travels on the wire surface, so more surface = better current/less ohms.
Click to expand...
No, sorry, not correct. DC current does not exhibit "skin effect" that is higher frequency AC only, and gets worse as frequency goes up. That is , EG such things as higher freq HF or VHF and higher RF transmitter circuits use TUBING instead of wiring, and often silver plated at that

Also, the strand thickness has no bearing at DC, except maybe for vibration and installation flexibility.

Also it is debatable if welding cable is fine strand for "skin effect." It is fine mostly because it experiences LOTS of flexing with use, and would not physically hold up otherwise, and would also be "inconvenient" to use if very stiff

A "default" calculator for copper shows skin dept at 6hz to be about .33" so this means a conductor up to .66" has almost no effect at all
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top