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    1. #1
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Louisville, KY
      Posts
      152

      1/0 gauge battery cable for trunk mounted battery

      Hey guys,
      I am planning on running a trunk mounted battery in my 68 Camaro resto-mod. Do I really need to run 1/0 cable from the battery or is 1 gauge okay. I plan on using a remote solenoid and the MAD kit. I know MAD uses 1/0 and others do too. There are a lot more 1-gauge options for relocation kits out there - like Painless and Summit.

      Also - is there a difference between welding cable and battery cable?



      Thanks,
      David


    2. #2
      Join Date
      Nov 2006
      Location
      Mountain Springs, Texas
      Posts
      4,488
      Country Flag: United States
      I’ve used 1 gauge with good results. Some guys take this to extremes imho.

      Welding cable uses finer strands making it more flexible.

      Don
      1969 Camaro - LSA 6L90E AME sub/IRS
      1957 Buick Estate Wagon
      1959 El Camino - Ironworks frame
      1956 Cameo - full C5 suspension/drivetrain
      1959 Apache Fleetside

    3. #3
      Join Date
      Oct 2004
      Posts
      419
      13 to 1 big block Chevy or stock Ls? The requirements are different. I used the mad kit and while 1/0 is a bit more money its peace of mind. Wiring a trunk battery is a PIA and I didnt want to do it twice.

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Jan 2014
      Location
      Portsmouth NH
      Posts
      247
      Country Flag: United States
      You can always piece the parts together. I have had good luck with using marine grade electrical components in my build. I sourced my wire, connectors, shrink tube (self adhesive type) and braided sleeving wire covers through http://www.bestboatwire.com .

      They have a handy voltage drop calculator on the site too. http://www.bestboatwire.com/voltage-drop-calculator
      1969 Camaro (Small Tyre Restomod/mild Protour) 245/40/18 F, 275/35/18 R, stock frame, full Ridetech suspension, LS engine, T56 Mag, Wilwood Brakes. A driver car.

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Oct 2014
      Location
      DFW, Texas
      Posts
      422
      Country Flag: United States
      If I remember right, mine is a 1ga and I can measure more voltage drop during cranking that I would like along it. It's easier to do it once, go big.
      1972 Plymouth 'Cuda - Not LS-swapped, 5.7L Hemi [MS3 Gold Box], T56 Magnum 6-speed - 'Cuda Build Page
      1976 Dodge D100 - Warlock
      2016 Subaru WRX - E30 Tune

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Feb 2011
      Location
      dallas, tx
      Posts
      1,729
      Country Flag: United States

    7. #7
      Join Date
      Nov 2006
      Location
      Mountain Springs, Texas
      Posts
      4,488
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by GoodysGotaCuda View Post
      If I remember right, mine is a 1ga and I can measure more voltage drop during cranking that I would like along it. It's easier to do it once, go big.
      Curious how much voltage drop you are measuring.

      Don
      1969 Camaro - LSA 6L90E AME sub/IRS
      1957 Buick Estate Wagon
      1959 El Camino - Ironworks frame
      1956 Cameo - full C5 suspension/drivetrain
      1959 Apache Fleetside

    8. #8
      Join Date
      Dec 2005
      Posts
      60
      It's easier to do it once, go big.

      My thoughts exactly. I'm running 2/0 from the battery to the starter and also for ground cables. Overkill, I know. But on the other hand, its been almost 100k miles since the swap and there have been zero problems. This is not the place to save money. If you need more water, you need a bigger pipe.
      67 Camaro, 96 LT1, 4L60E

    9. #9
      Join Date
      Nov 2006
      Location
      Mountain Springs, Texas
      Posts
      4,488
      Country Flag: United States
      If DSE is using 2 gauge then 1 gauge is good enough for me. The only time the heavy gauge is needed is while you are cranking so it should have zero impact on reliability, especially with an LS where long cranking is not needed....

      Don
      1969 Camaro - LSA 6L90E AME sub/IRS
      1957 Buick Estate Wagon
      1959 El Camino - Ironworks frame
      1956 Cameo - full C5 suspension/drivetrain
      1959 Apache Fleetside

    10. #10
      Join Date
      Feb 2011
      Location
      dallas, tx
      Posts
      1,729
      Country Flag: United States
      My buddy has built numerous 1st gen camaro with zero issues. From small block chevys with basic electronics to 427 2.9 whipple, electric windows, large stereo, vintage air, 5th gen dash, electronic cut outs, tons of gauges, remote start, and power everything and we are all using the same wire that I posted above.

    11. #11
      Join Date
      Feb 2018
      Location
      Southern IN
      Posts
      144
      Country Flag: United States
      I went with 00 fine strand for everything that ran the full length of the car, but for the shorter runs, from the bulkhead terminals to the engine compartment, etc. I used DSE’s 2 gauge cables. It appears to be similar to the Quickcar cable. The worst part about the 00 stuff is the room it takes up! If I had to advise someone, I’d tell them to go with minimum 2 gauge cable and put more thought into buying the proper size ground straps and making sure the circuit is setup properly...seems like your more apt to have problems stemming from improper grounds then undersized battery cables (as long as you’re not being stupid on the battery cables).
      Shane
      #theanchorholds
      68 Camaro build thread:
      http://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php?t=56387

    12. #12
      Join Date
      Nov 2006
      Location
      Mountain Springs, Texas
      Posts
      4,488
      Country Flag: United States
      DSE cable is quickcar cable. They used to state it on their website.

      Don
      1969 Camaro - LSA 6L90E AME sub/IRS
      1957 Buick Estate Wagon
      1959 El Camino - Ironworks frame
      1956 Cameo - full C5 suspension/drivetrain
      1959 Apache Fleetside

    13. #13
      Join Date
      Feb 2019
      Location
      Kankakee IL
      Posts
      362
      Quote Originally Posted by davidk68 View Post
      Hey guys,
      I am planning on running a trunk mounted battery in my 68 Camaro resto-mod. Do I really need to run 1/0 cable from the battery or is 1 gauge okay. I plan on using a remote solenoid and the MAD kit. I know MAD uses 1/0 and others do too. There are a lot more 1-gauge options for relocation kits out there - like Painless and Summit.

      Also - is there a difference between welding cable and battery cable?

      Thanks,
      David
      1/0 in the grand scheme is really not much more than 1g when you factor in the time/labor to run the cable and the fact that you'll have heavy enough cable to handle anything you may do in the future. Nothing costs more than doing something twice.
      And , yes, there is a difference between welding and battery cable. The sheathing on battery cable is designed to resist contact with various fluids like oil and gas,etc, where welding cable is not. The sheathing on welding cable will "balloon" for starters and eventually disintegrate.
      Last, whatever size you decide to go with, spend a little extra and go with the marine version of that cable. Marine cable is designed for wet corrosive environments so as it's manufactured each strand of wire is tinned as its wound. It'll never corrode and cause increased resistance.

      And just on topic, I ran 2/0 marine to rear mount the electronics in my car.
      Tracey

    14. #14
      Join Date
      Feb 2011
      Location
      dallas, tx
      Posts
      1,729
      Country Flag: United States
      great point. When space was tight or I didn’t want to run a large gauge over a long distance I went with marine cable.


      Quote Originally Posted by Tsaints1115 View Post
      1/0 in the grand scheme is really not much more than 1g when you factor in the time/labor to run the cable and the fact that you'll have heavy enough cable to handle anything you may do in the future. Nothing costs more than doing something twice.
      And , yes, there is a difference between welding and battery cable. The sheathing on battery cable is designed to resist contact with various fluids like oil and gas,etc, where welding cable is not. The sheathing on welding cable will "balloon" for starters and eventually disintegrate.
      Last, whatever size you decide to go with, spend a little extra and go with the marine version of that cable. Marine cable is designed for wet corrosive environments so as it's manufactured each strand of wire is tinned as its wound. It'll never corrode and cause increased resistance.

      And just on topic, I ran 2/0 marine to rear mount the electronics in my car.

    15. #15
      Join Date
      Feb 2019
      Location
      Kankakee IL
      Posts
      362
      Quote Originally Posted by icemanrd19 View Post
      great point. When space was tight or I didn’t want to run a large gauge over a long distance I went with marine cable.
      Size for size, marine cable won't handle more amperage than it's non marine counterpart or so much so that it's really measurable. The value in marine is that there won't be corrosion issues.
      Tracey

    16. #16
      Join Date
      Jan 2010
      Location
      Louisville, KY
      Posts
      152
      Thanks for all of the replies and info guys. My car is a carburated 383 with about 10:1 or so CR. I do have dual 12" electric fans and Restomod AC but no power windows, seats or EFI or ECM. I have mechanical gauges except for tach, volt meter and fuel level.

      Checked out the bestboatwire site but it didn't look like they offered 1/0 cable with installed top post terminals. I definitely want factory installed top post mounts. Good prices if I go 1 gauge.

      I would prefer to run the cable inside the car but I can live with running it underneath. That makes me lean a little more towards 1 gauge. I saw DSE's website and 2 gauge but I don't think I'll go that small.

      The difference really is the price I guess - 1/0 is more $$$, but in the big picture, it's probably pennies....

      Thanks for all the help guys - any more additional info is appreciated.

      David

    17. #17
      Join Date
      Jan 2018
      Location
      Saint Louis, Missouri
      Posts
      87
      Quote Originally Posted by davidk68 View Post
      Hey guys,
      I am planning on running a trunk mounted battery in my 68 Camaro resto-mod. Do I really need to run 1/0 cable from the battery or is 1 gauge okay. I plan on using a remote solenoid and the MAD kit. I know MAD uses 1/0 and others do too. There are a lot more 1-gauge options for relocation kits out there - like Painless and Summit.

      Also - is there a difference between welding cable and battery cable?

      Thanks,
      David
      We could throw out all kinds of info like "so and so" has used 4 gauge with no issues, another person used 2 gauge with no issues, or even bellied up and bought 8/0 wire ( https://www.shokindustries.com/produ...m2-power-cable ) but I think we need more input from you to give you a better answer.

      I've wired up batteries to stock starters on high cranking compression motors and one would not run the same wiring on a low compression motor with a gear reduction style starter. You could wire for the worst case scenario but money could be saved by telling us what you have.

      Like anything else, you are not the first one asking what you did and some internet searches will revel a lot more info than what us on this site can throw out and provide.

      Jim

    18. #18
      Join Date
      Oct 2014
      Location
      DFW, Texas
      Posts
      422
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by dhutton View Post
      Curious how much voltage drop you are measuring.

      Don
      I've slept since then, but it was around 1.5v overall. The largest contributor by far was the battery cable from B+ to my firewall pass-through.

      Overall the car runs and drives just fine, it's not a noticeable problem nor does it crank slow, but I'll address it at some point.
      1972 Plymouth 'Cuda - Not LS-swapped, 5.7L Hemi [MS3 Gold Box], T56 Magnum 6-speed - 'Cuda Build Page
      1976 Dodge D100 - Warlock
      2016 Subaru WRX - E30 Tune

    19. #19
      Join Date
      Feb 2019
      Location
      Kankakee IL
      Posts
      362
      Quote Originally Posted by davidk68 View Post
      Thanks for all of the replies and info guys. My car is a carburated 383 with about 10:1 or so CR. I do have dual 12" electric fans and Restomod AC but no power windows, seats or EFI or ECM. I have mechanical gauges except for tach, volt meter and fuel level.

      Checked out the bestboatwire site but it didn't look like they offered 1/0 cable with installed top post terminals. I definitely want factory installed top post mounts. Good prices if I go 1 gauge.

      I would prefer to run the cable inside the car but I can live with running it underneath. That makes me lean a little more towards 1 gauge. I saw DSE's website and 2 gauge but I don't think I'll go that small.

      The difference really is the price I guess - 1/0 is more $$$, but in the big picture, it's probably pennies....

      Thanks for all the help guys - any more additional info is appreciated.

      David
      Those fans are the biggest reason for a proper gauge wire over everything else. The other devices you mentioned except for a ECM only draw brief loads under use.

      Your most cost effective option would be to find a distributor who'll sell you bulk price length, 25' would be a safe length and give you enough for both the power and ground as it should be the same gauge.

      As far as having the terminals installed, do it yourself. It's cheaper, allows you to cut to the exact length you want, and the few tools you'll need to buy will will last forever and you'll have them for future use.

      Something I overlooked earlier is make sure you buy true fine strand copper NOT CCA (copper clad aluminum). CCA will NOT carry the load copper will. If you see a price on the same gauge wire and it seems too good to be true, it is , because if you look closely you'll see its CCA.
      Tracey

    20. #20
      Join Date
      Nov 2006
      Location
      Mountain Springs, Texas
      Posts
      4,488
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by GoodysGotaCuda View Post
      I've slept since then, but it was around 1.5v overall. The largest contributor by far was the battery cable from B+ to my firewall pass-through.

      Overall the car runs and drives just fine, it's not a noticeable problem nor does it crank slow, but I'll address it at some point.
      Did you account for the internal resistance of the battery?

      GM spec is 9.6 volts minimum at 70 degrees according to my research....

      Don
      1969 Camaro - LSA 6L90E AME sub/IRS
      1957 Buick Estate Wagon
      1959 El Camino - Ironworks frame
      1956 Cameo - full C5 suspension/drivetrain
      1959 Apache Fleetside

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