| Author | Message | ||
| Larry & Lynne Dixon (Larry_d)
Registered Member Username: Larry_d Post Number: 201 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 71.111.182.79  Rating: N/A |
I am going to put the generator on a slide. I need to extend the fuel lines and the battery cables. Should I use small welding cables or will regular size carry the juice fine? The cables will be five or six feet long. Thanks 4905 Larry | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 1005 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 71.3.75.244  Rating: N/A |
How long are the existing cables? If almost as long as the new ones will be, same size should work. However, I try to "overkill" wiring, so I always increase the size by at least 1 or 2 sizes. Remember, you can't have too large of cable, but you can have too small of cable. Jack | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1540 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.66.17.6  Rating: N/A |
And this northern busnut makes the same choice. Over-engineering in cabling is a minor upcharge. Longer for the green creeping death to kill the cable, less power drop, in both directions, really important in the cold... Add some wire loom to protect the cables, since when rolled in, that length of cable will be resting against something. Better to find it rubbing through the wire loom than the insulation! happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| Jim Gibson (River_rat)
Registered Member Username: River_rat Post Number: 2 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 75.95.96.192 Rating: N/A |
If you don't have a heavy cable crimper, I learned a good trick. I bought a 24" set of bolt cutters from Harbour Freight, took a die-grinder to the jaws to make a full round hold just a bit smaller than the connector (I did 00 size), then weld a 1/8 bead on one side in the ground hole. Presto, you have a great 00 cable crimper for about $30.00. There is enough room in the jaws to do a smaller size as well, or leave it as a cutter. Used it many times. Go witht he bigger cable, always, especially when you do good size inverters. Jim | ||
| Jim Gibson (River_rat)
Registered Member Username: River_rat Post Number: 3 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 75.95.96.192 Rating: N/A |
Another tid-bit of good info - use marine quality cable. It is 100% tinned, uses more of a smaller size wire, and will outlast normal cable by years. I found 00 on ebay really reasonable - no more than the cost of buying regular cable locally. Jim | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 861 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 208.54.200.99 Rating: N/A |
It is easy enough to extend the fuel line in a loop but I decided to take another route for the heavy battery cables. I installed the battery cable on a bolt through my plywood box so it was a stud on the outside. I then attached the battery cable on the outside by a wing nut and washers. Now all I have to do when sliding the gen box out is spin off the wing nut. Also, if you use a fuel line loop be sure not to get it higher than the rest of the fuel line because it can cause an air void in the fuel line. Don't ask how I know this!! | ||
| Clint Hunter (Truthhunter)
Registered Member Username: Truthhunter Post Number: 117 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 24.129.235.190  Rating: N/A |
...for a lasting join,fill the lug with solder (use flux on all surfaces)after you push the cable in, no room for corrosion to start. Just heat the lug with a propane torch and keep melting solder in until sealed. If you had shrink tub over the cable , you could seal where the wire insulation was removed or melted for extra corrosion resistance, but wait till cool before you slide it in place. The wire will lose flex near the join, so allow for this in your installation design. | ||
| Larry & Lynne Dixon (Larry_d)
Registered Member Username: Larry_d Post Number: 202 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 71.111.182.79 Rating: N/A |
Thank you all for so much very good information. The one thot I had was to hook a spring to the top of the quiet box and to the cables and fuel lines and maybe help keep them out of the way. Jack the genny is just behind the driver and the battery is with the 8Ds straight across on the passenger side. So cables that are there are about two feet or less. Thanks again all this genny has been and still is a thorn in my side. Still don't know what is wrong with it. It is out now in rear of P/U to be delivered in Portland in about two weeks. Thanks again 4905 Larry |