Trunk mount battery cable???

[greenhornet]

What's the best gauge starter wire cable to use with a trunk mounted battery??

 

[IfItsGotWheels]

This may be overkill but I've always used 0 gauge welder's cable.

 

[greenhornet]

This may be overkill but I've always used 0 gauge welder's cable.

I tried the welding cable once in a 79' malibu wagon I had, seemed like a lot of times the starter seemed to drag, starter never drug before I mounted it in the rear..

 

[pettybludart]

Check the kits Summit sells,I believe there 10-12 guage.

 

[IfItsGotWheels]

The problem had to be elsewhere. I've used welders cable on several dirt track cars & on a high compression 340 without any problems at all. I assume you ran your ground to the frme rail at the back. it's possible that you didn't have it grounded well enough or that the chassis to motor ground cable wasn't grounded right.

When you grounded your battery, did you grind the grounding surfaces clean?

 

[IfItsGotWheels]

Check the kits Summit sells,I believe there 10-12 guage.

10 - 12 gauge is way too small for any battery cable.

 

[greenhornet]

10 - 12 gauge is way too small for any battery cable.

Yeah, I had good grounds on the wagon, I was thinking it was the amount of cable that I had to run back to it.. My cousin did the same thing with his battery in a small ford Ltd wagon with a gt-40, it drug also, he mounted his battery back up front.. I'm gettin' ready to trunk mount the battery in my 66-valiant, just want to make sure I get the right cable this time...

 

[crackedback]

Whatever you buy, make sure it's fine strand. I buy my stuff from Anaheim Wire in Anaheim, CA

I've used 0-2 Gauge welding cable and marine stuff. Only time the engine dragged down was ground issues or a bad wire end connection.

 

[Purple Haze]

I use 2 GA in my BB Duster, no problem.

 

[LXguy]

Also, be sure to leave a heavy ground cable from the motor to the chassis after you move the battery.

 

[64physhy]

The summit kit comes with 0 or 2 GA, but it's not fine strand. If I did it over, I'd use the fine strand welder cable.

 

[LXguy]

I use the kits from these guys (you can usually find their kits elsewhere for less money):

http://www.quickcar.net/electric/battery.html

Its fine stranded wire. Works very well.

Steve

 

[CHEATHAM]

Be sure you have a healthy battery too

 

[Jimmy]

If you have a battery place around you, you can probably bring in your original starter cable and have them remake it to a different length, I had to do this to move mine from the drivers to passenger, original was 8" too short, and when I moved it to the back I had too many issues with ground and ignition and decided that the firewall and extra cable weight was better put into a deep cycle agm. Cable only cost me $50 and it's better than stock.

 

[cudaspaz]

Run it through conduit also, don't want sharp edges digging into the positive cable.

Can't tell you how many nice show cars I've seen with trunk mounted batteries hidden under compartments with a rats nest of unsafe wiring not isolated and touching sharp metal objects.

 

[trapster]

I would run a ground cable to the engine also.
Don't just use the frame of the car for ground.

The best way to check your system is with a volt meter while cranking the engine over.
You should not see much difference in voltage at the starter then what you see at the battery during cranking.

 

[340mopar]

I have used and am using welding cable now with no issues.


Chuck

 

[green1]

I used the Summit, I think it was 2. I had problems until I used a regular cable to ground the block to the k frame.

 

[SUPERSTOCKRACER]

I USE 0 welding cable. works great, cranks over with 14.5 compression with no issues.

 

[moper]

I use 0 or 2ga welders cable. I run the seperate ground to the front too.

 

[greenhornet]

Thanks guys,

That front heavy engine ground cable may have been my past problems..