Battery cables

[jojackson4]

Body coming off soon and on the list is re work the main battery cables
Looks like the original ones are 16mm and are struggling with age so to update them thinking 35 or 50mm to replace them battery is staying in the foot well
So the question is for the ones that have done it how big and how long did you go?

[phillpot]

35mm sq is ample imho.

[Hedgehopper]

I used 40mm (and strangely was advised to use 35mm terminals as they fit better...which they did). I seem to remember that the Pos cable is 86" long. I bought 3 metres of Pos and 2 metres of Neg. There was enough spare to run a separate cable from the chassis diagonal to one of the starter motor fixing bolts.
The difference in starting was amazing, reluctant, very slow cranking when hot was completely eliminated.

Edited by Hedgehopper on Monday 4th October 18:37

[jojackson4]

Hedgehopper said:

I used 40mm (and strangely was advised to use 35mm terminals as they fit better...which they did). I seem to remember that the Pos cable is 86" long. I bought 3 metres of Pos and 2 metres of Neg. There was enough spare to run a separate cable from the chassis diagonal to one of the starter motor fixing bolts.
The difference in starting was amazing, reluctant, very slow cranking when hot was completely eliminated.

Edited by Hedgehopper on Monday 4th October 18:37

Did you do all of the + 3m sounds a bit short to go from alternator starter and battery

[Belle427]

I went 50 mm and even though it’s the flexible welding type cable it’s a bit ott so I’d go with the suggested 35 mm.

[Hedgehopper]

jojackson4 said:

Did you do all of the + 3m sounds a bit short to go from alternator starter and battery

I only used the new cable to the starter. Starter to alternator wasn’t changed. I’m not an electrician by any means so I assumed that the poor hot starting was caused by the battery/starter part of the connection.

[Zener]

If you doing this I recommend a seperate earth/ground strap from battery through footwell corner & sealed with a grommet direct to N/S of engine block , thus no longer using the chassis for starter earth return

[jojackson4]

Zener said:

If you doing this I recommend a seperate earth/ground strap from battery through footwell corner & sealed with a grommet direct to N/S of engine block , thus no longer using the chassis for starter earth return

Yes I think it’s the way to go
Battery to block
Battery to chassis
Battery + to starter
Battery + alternator via fuse which I think I’m going to move