Rewiring Boat
 

Hello,
So I am in the process (Or very soon) of rewiring my boat with all new battery cables, when I rewired my Mirage I used 1/0 for both, would you consider this over kill?

Thanks
Bryan

Ayuh,.... When it comes to battery cables,... Bigger Is Better,....

I use weldin' cable, as it's a finer wire, with lower resistance,...

Make sure you use tinned marine wire no matter what size. If you just use copper it will eventually oxidize and drastically increase it's resistance. This will be particularly true in wet parts of the boat such as the engine bay. I think it is also a good idea to seal the terminals with good, waterproof (adhesive lined) heat shrink tubing.

Dan

I did the exact thing with my Mirage (Tinned), I bought a tinning pot just for that purpose and heat shrink tube for the ends, only reason I was/ am asking is I had someone tell me that you can go to large and it will be counter productive. So I wanted to check before I order my wire again.

Thanks
Bryan

Too large is just harder to run. The larger the wire the less voltage drop

One of the few times where bigger is better.

marine cabling also resists gas/oil/UV/corosion and proper marine connectors/lugs with proper crimping and insulators to resist loosening from vibrations.

whatever u do, dont listen to anyone telling you to go buy "welding cables." /facepalm.

I am going to order the 1/0 cable again that I got a few years back, as far as the lugs go, they come with solder cups and are soldered in, then I use 3mil thick shrink tubing and extend 2" back of the solder joint.

Too large of a cable becomes an issue just like too small in the areas of sound reproduction......especially on the ac side.

Batteries......nahhhhh. I run O/O in my boat....

im not sure why this thread exists. you're doing everything "the right way" :)

That "someone" is an idiot :)

So are you guys trying to say that 10 gauge house wiring with a couple of splices isn`t good enough for a 100 amp alternator to starter wire???

http://33outlaw.zenfolio.com/img/s7/...99881587-4.jpg

lol


btw, this place is great, I ordered (2) tinned 3.5' 6 gauge wires with custom ends , (they make everything for ya) ... for $20


http://tinnedmarinewire.com/wire/

Ayuh,.... Donno where yer goin' with That comment,.... :rolleyes:
But I'll discuss the merits of the sentence above it,...

The ONLY draw-back of runnin' weldin' cables, Vs: tinned marine battery cables, is the Tinning,....

Weldin' cables have neoprene sheathin', not Plastic/ vinyl,....
The neoprene is many times More durable to gas/ oil/ UV, 'n anything else ya throw at 'em,.....
Look at the Abuse of a jobsite,...

Weldin' cables make clean installations, as a cable twice the diameter, can be run in 1/2 the radius,...

Weldin' cables, bein' fine strand cable is almost immune to Vibration issues,...
And are of lower resistance,...

Weldin' cables, are crimped everyday, with any end ya want,...
You can seal the ends, with whatever sealant you believe in,....

Weldin' cable's Only downfall is immersion in Saltwater,...
'n to be honest, Immersion in Saltwater will kill any, 'n every wire on a boat, anyways,....

I ran weldin' cables in my barge over 15 years ago,... No problems yet,...
granted, I'm up here on the sweetwater seas, so brine ain't an issue,...

$9.53 each


http://33outlaw.zenfolio.com/img/s7/...61334625-4.jpg

What crimp tool is everyone using?

I am going to solder my lugs again and then heat shrink

Crimping large gauge wire can be difficult. A tool can be several hundred dollars.
Some battery, automotive or car audio shops have the proper tools and will usually do it for a couple bucks.
In a "pinch", I use vice grips to fold each wing into the wire bundle then squeeze side to side to bring it back into round.

Edit - As I looked this up, Ancor 701010 has a striking die on Amazon for $80. I see Sea Choice has one 50-61241 that should go for $45.

An alternative is using a terminal with a solder cup. You need a small torch to melt the solder in the cup then plunge the wire into the cup and let solidify. A standard solder gun cannot generate enough heat fast enough to solder large gauge effectively from my experience.

For crimping up to 10ga Ancor 701030 is so superior to the cheap $5 crimp pliers I cant put into words.
http://www.amazon.com/Ancor-701030-D...anchor+crimper

Ayuh,.... I've got one like this, only older, 'n American made,....

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxNj...kHHQ~~60_1.JPG

I use it to crimp alota bigger crimps,...
Especially for Weldin' cables,.... :whistle:

That really depends on what im doing and how much they are paying lol..all bs aside i like the silver hyd one the best for battery cables..-4/0 is no problem..
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps08b2b449.jpg

I use an old set of wheel weight plers they have a point inside the handle. Put the end/ wire in between smack it with a hammer. Block of wood and a dull chisel works well to.

Fixx - What other jaws are available for the Ancor? Any links?

Gotta keep in mind your good quality crimpers aren't a 1tool crimps all. There are crimpers for your cheap PVC automotive terminals, crimpers for the heat shrink terminals, non insulated terminals, battery sized cables...... :)

I use a large Greenlee crimper for my battery cables that produce the hex crimp, ( 10awg and larger)and 2 different Ancor brand crimpers for wire terminals, depending on whether they have the heat shrink covering or vinyl insulated terminals. All are ratchet crimpers. They don't release until the crimp is made in full. For those that use the universal crimper, pliers or the hammer/anvil method, you'd really be surprised at the difference of a crimp attained by a tool made just for such. But it comes with a price. The ratchet crimpers start around $60 I believe. This is an newly crimped terminal I cut for a looky see when I rewired my cruiser. (The pics show how tight the crimp is making the wires appear as 1, with no voids between the strands. 2nd pic is just a quick pass with some 1200 grit paper) The wires behind the main circuit panel were originaly all just done with the universal crimpers and PVC terminals. There were several wires that just pull out of the terminal with a slight tug. Voltage loss and resistance, electrical demons= warm wires! Ended up redoing every connection properly.

it has 5 separate dies you can change..i got mine from snapon but amazon has it cheaper..i also got the msd ignition wire dies and the octagon ones..http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...F25N05CF36SM4C

i agree,,all three will make the copper tight,,i like the one on the right,,its hydraulic and wont let go until the crimp is done,,i can also adjust the release pressure..it also has a 360* swivel end so i can crimp in any position..

I should have specified- what crimper for instrument wiring? Say10-22awg.

Use this one (style) for the more popular terminals with the colored insulated terminals.Not used for the terminals that have the heat shrink covering. You will cut thru the heat shrink using this tool


http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp...0010&id=336039


Use this one for the heat shrink insulated terminals. The jaws are ground smooth so as not to cut the covering, which is the whole reasoning for using heat shrink in the 1st place. This one is a SeaDog brand. Not sure how it compares to Ancor (other than price). Didn't see this tool in Ancor from Defenders

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp...010&id=2187342

These are both rachet type crimpers. one nice feature is that you can insert the terminal and close the tool on it 1 click to hold it while you hold the wire with your other hand. Sometimes that makes it ease to install on the wire when working in tight quarters and with short wire leads.