Robert Weaver

Has anyone made their own Positive Battery cable? I need to replace mine and the starter wire is pretty long.

pro-tech

Really???????? If you have ever worked on a car you have made/replace a battery cable.. An old lady came into the store the other day bought and replace her cable in the parking lot...................................

Robert Weaver

I've replaced em just never made em from scratch

RacerHog

On the other side of that.... Over on the Industrial / Commercial side of thing. We have to make lots of cabling....
The Catalog I have listed is only one of a few that are out there... Look at about Page 65 on, and you will see all the items you might need to make your own cable.... Note: its not OEM... But you can make a nice one to last many years.

http://digital.turn-page.com/t/12291

DDodger

I don't even know if many parts stores carry this stuff anymore. In a different time I used to make 'em all the time. You need a crimper for the terminals you are using if they are crimp type, and the eye ends usually are.

you need rosin core solder as used on electrical, NOT plumbing, and a good propane torch.

Some of the electrical suppliers (we used to carry Whitaker and Belden) had jelly impregneted (sealer) heat shrink sleeves.

Put the end in a vise so that most of the terminal is out of the vise, so it doesn't soak up so much heat. Strip and insert the cable to test, with, maybe 1/4--1/2" of bare wire "out the back" of the terminal. "rig" a way to suspend the top of the cable from a shelf, etc, above. You need to secure the cable so it can't waltz around.

THAT IS ONE OF THE secrets of good soldering----"not moving" the connection.

Heat the bottom area of the solder cup, trying to keep as much off the wire insulation as possible. "Try" feeding solder in, and as soon as it flows back the flame away or remove.

Feed solder in until the cup and wire are flooded with solder. Take care the wire doesn't move and allow to cool.

Last, shrink your sleeve over it for a nice finished look.

moe7404

dont fore get to make the positive cable red in color the electrons DO know what color the cable is. LOL LOL LOL.

pro-tech

To be a Mechanic/Technician you need common sense.. If you don't have common sense leave it to someone that does...............Bill

JS23

when making a ground cable I use 12 feet of 1/o
(one ought) welding cable. (trunk mounted)
I don't solder the connections but I do crimp them in a 12 ton arbor press,
I have never had one come loose.
I've done it with a big bench vise too. But don't crush it flat, you need a jig.

pro-tech

Actually the crimp on the eyelet end is best done with a W crimp and soldered. The battery end can be done with a bolt on type or set screw type. There are also many cable pre made and available in all lengths at any parts store.

JS23

I remember seeing the Taylor wires makes a fairly stout screw on connection that looks pretty easy. But I've never used one.