A tale of battery cables
I recently discovered that my battery cables needed help. I was in my low 20's and needed to replace the battery cables around 1980. I took the cables to a farm store and match the length as close as I could with just few inches of excess. I found that is was possible to pull the old starter cable out of the protective wrap that also held the solenoid wire. The new cable was inserted. All was well for about 36 years, both me and the car getting a day older at a time.
The car started easy, with the exception of cranking a few second to get fuel to the carb when not driven for weeks. Recently I did more cranking when testing the COP ignition, I found that cranking was degraded. I measured voltage drops from battery to starter just below 1V and battery to ground about 0.5V. The service manual suggests voltage drops below 0.2V. Closer inspection revealed the cable insulation shrunk over time, exposing the shiny conductors, and a few of the strands had become broken at each end. I did some research on battery cables and found original spec and look show cables to be crazy expensive, perhaps 10x what a universal cable would cost.
I researched buying bulk cable, terminal ends, custom cable and found to get a good price on cable I would need to buy at least 25' to 100', and also order multiple terminals. With additional postage cost I decided to go local and get SuperStart terminals from O'reilly Auto Parts. The plan was to replace the lead terminals with copper stud terminals, and terminate the cable ends with crimped lugs. The stud terminals would be great to add accessory wire feeds, and also the cables could be changed out easily, if I found they needed improvement.
The #4 cables were cut slightly shorter and terminated by crimping on #4 copper lugs using a crimp die fabricated from 1" x 1/2" steel bar stock. I used a vise to clamp the die for the ground cable, and a huge vise grip for the battery end of the starter cable. I am waiting to change the starter lug when the starter is changed out to a recently purchased min-starter.
The first crank was impressive, actually the sound was very sweet, smooth and fast. I think that sound was long forgotten over the years. I feel a bit silly to have bought the mini-starter, but the permanent magnets replacing the field coils, lighter weight, and good reports, are still good reasons.
I hope to get help from the wife so I can take new voltage drop readings, and report on difference in starting currents.
I recently discovered that my battery cables needed help. I was in my low 20's and needed to replace the battery cables around 1980. I took the cables to a farm store and match the length as close as I could with just few inches of excess. I found that is was possible to pull the old starter cable out of the protective wrap that also held the solenoid wire. The new cable was inserted. All was well for about 36 years, both me and the car getting a day older at a time.
The car started easy, with the exception of cranking a few second to get fuel to the carb when not driven for weeks. Recently I did more cranking when testing the COP ignition, I found that cranking was degraded. I measured voltage drops from battery to starter just below 1V and battery to ground about 0.5V. The service manual suggests voltage drops below 0.2V. Closer inspection revealed the cable insulation shrunk over time, exposing the shiny conductors, and a few of the strands had become broken at each end. I did some research on battery cables and found original spec and look show cables to be crazy expensive, perhaps 10x what a universal cable would cost.
I researched buying bulk cable, terminal ends, custom cable and found to get a good price on cable I would need to buy at least 25' to 100', and also order multiple terminals. With additional postage cost I decided to go local and get SuperStart terminals from O'reilly Auto Parts. The plan was to replace the lead terminals with copper stud terminals, and terminate the cable ends with crimped lugs. The stud terminals would be great to add accessory wire feeds, and also the cables could be changed out easily, if I found they needed improvement.
The #4 cables were cut slightly shorter and terminated by crimping on #4 copper lugs using a crimp die fabricated from 1" x 1/2" steel bar stock. I used a vise to clamp the die for the ground cable, and a huge vise grip for the battery end of the starter cable. I am waiting to change the starter lug when the starter is changed out to a recently purchased min-starter.
The first crank was impressive, actually the sound was very sweet, smooth and fast. I think that sound was long forgotten over the years. I feel a bit silly to have bought the mini-starter, but the permanent magnets replacing the field coils, lighter weight, and good reports, are still good reasons.
I hope to get help from the wife so I can take new voltage drop readings, and report on difference in starting currents.
