minimum battery cable size to starter ?

[rat-on]

I'm in the wiring phase of my rat rod and I can't find out any information off hand on the minimum main battery cable wire size to the starter I can use. It would be a 6 foot run from battery to starter. I'm running a small chevy v6 with electric cooling fan and minimal accessories.

 

[hotrod preacher]

the very minimum would be a 4 gauge, but i say go with a bigger one, my old truck is a v-8, i have an old welding lead 2 gauge i think, about 6 ft long for my bat cable... it is never a bad thing to have a heavy wire...it keeps the "smoke" from leaking out...lol

 

[Sam_Fear]

I'm with HRP - bigger the better. And make sure it is well protected from vibration rubbing and sharp edges or you will be arc welding or worse. It doesn't matter what accessories, etc. you have, that main lead is for the starter motor only. A separate lead off the the battery is used for anything else.

Don't forget an equally heavy ground wire from the bat. to the starter housing. A trick there is to also clamp the ground wire to the frame at some point.

 

[donsrods]

Yep, 4 ga is ok, 2 ga is better.

Don

 

[51FordF1]

And dont skimp on the ground wire either........it completes the circuit.

 

[REBEL43]

we recommend at least 2 ga.

 

[Roadent]

Battery cable size

For the difference in cost...jump off the bridge and go #2/0 for both.

Less resistance (particularly for longer runs...trunk to starter), thicker insulation and generally higher quality conductors.

+ your local battery shop will generally crimp on qualilty connectors for little or no cost when you buy the larger cables....which is a huge plus.

 

[rainman]

Welding cable is gooood!! ha ha

 

[sgtpontiac]

I've used 0 and 1 welding cable several times....

Welding cable is gooood!! ha ha

Not sure if you think that is good or bad?? [S

 

[jfg455]

I use 0/0 welding cable for trunk mounts. the welding cable is stranded wire where the automotive is 6 or 7 solid wires inside. the stranded wire has more area inside the insulation than the solid so it conducts better. and it bends easier. at least thats how I see it by looking at the ends of the 2 wires side by side.

 

[Roadent]

JFG455 is right.....welding cable will have a very large strand count. This increases the surface area of copper, decreases resistance and increases conductivity, particularly at low automotive voltages.

The jacket on most welding cable is thermoset, typically EPDM or Neoprene which is very flexible and resistant to moisture, chemicals and abraison.

It is important to understand the difference in strand counts on welding cable. The stranding is what makes up the majority of the flexibility of the cable.

There are two primary types of stranding on a welding cable. One is Class M, which is 30 awg strands and this will be your typical welding cable that is offered most predominately in black and red jacket colors. The other version is Class K stranding, and that is 34 awg and is a more durable and flexible version. It is the one that typically comes in the brighter florescent jacket and it will cost 20-40% more than typical welding cable due to the increase in copper involved and tougher jacketing properties.[