VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 4 ga. wire on battery?

I was looking around and noticed the old battery cable had bare wire showing, it must be the orginal. I started searching for a replacement cable and all I see,even on ebay ,is 4 ga. wire. My wire is larger than that, maybe 20% larger. I didn't see any writing on the old cable, will 4 ga be large enough for the 6 volt battery (positive side)? I know the 6 volt wiring is larger on a few things,like the orginal twin horns. I don't want to drive down the road and smell the cable burning...smiles

No. We have had a zillion discussions on this in other forums on Chevy Chatter in the past. Basically, for a 6 volt system the positive battery cable should be at least a "0" gauge. Many guys use either a "00" or a "0000" positive battery cable.

If tour local auto parts store doesn't have at least 00 or heavier as the 'dog says, find a Tractor Supply store. They carry many lengths of the good stuff

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...38+chevrolet++battery+cable&_sacat=0


Ebay is loaded with 38 chevrolet battery cables

http://tsc.tractorsupply.com/search...&isort=score&view=grid&srt=0

Nothing that large there.

Hey Enus, go to your local parts store. If they don't have it in stock it's an overnight item. If I remember right someone posted a while back (Gene??) that the 6v Chevys came from the factory with 1 gauge battery cables. I got 1/0 from my FLAPS and they work great. Many profess that you need 00 or larger but IMHO that's overkill. If you want welding cable go for it, each to their own, but I don't think it's necessary. At any rate 4 gauge is way too small for a 6v system.

I've never heard of Flaps. Tractor supply has 1 ga. , I guess that will have to do. All the auto store say they've never heard of 00 battery cables. Chevyofthe40s has 1 ga.

http://www.chevsofthe40s.com/shop/s...amp;dept=Car&searchtype=FT&Go=Go


Enus...easy now..grin

Mission Accomplished. #1 gauge cable installed.I'll have to take the risk...smiles

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I have a "0000" positive cable on my 1951 Chevy. Installing that cable made a world of difference!

Next time your looking go to your Interstate Battery dealer and have one made. I have also had them made at NAPA.

NAPA was my first stop (closest place). They showed me several but never said they could custom make one. #2 gauge was the largest STOCKED cable. Chevysofthe40s shows #1 as the correct part for a 38 chevrolet. But it was $55 plus $10 shipping.Tractor Supply has #1 cables with factory ends moulded on for $20. I mean it's a piece of copper wire ,I can't see paying triple.

[quote=Tiny]Hey Enus, go to your local parts store. If they don't have it in stock it's an overnight item. If I remember right someone posted a while back (Gene??) that the 6v Chevys came from the factory with 1 gauge battery cables. I got 1/0 from my FLAPS and they work great. Many profess that you need 00 or larger but IMHO that's overkill. If you want welding cable go for it, each to their own, but I don't think it's necessary. At any rate 4 gauge is way too small for a 6v system. /quote

I agree !/0 copper positive cable is all you will ever need.
If you think you need a bigger gauge ..you have other problems.
Good Luck..ED

Yea Steve but... all of those items only refer to the LENGTH and not the guage of the cable.
ED 1938

I get mine at Tractor Supply, I hunted their rack and did find an"0" gauge several years ago. 1 Ga. seems to work well on the 28 it is shorter and does not use a solenoid, just a copper wedge style stomp switch for the starter.
Some time later I had some 0 gauge cables built at a Metroplex starter, alternator shop, where I also got my 28 starter rebuilt.

Those that your link to eBay are 4 and 6 ga. and are way too light for a six volt system. They may kind of half-a$$ work but You won't get the starter speed you need from them.

There is no such a thing as overkill when it comes to battery cables on an old six volt Chevrolet. Use as large ones as you can get made, I like the idea of 0000 ga.

I get my cable at the local welding supply store and I get the ends from Fastenal.

I just got back from ordering new cables for both of my cars. The local Napa didn't carry them, and recommended that I go to the truck pars and repair place down the road. Not sure if it's a chain, but it's called Traction Heavy Duty Parts.

www.traction.com

Up here, 00 gauge is labeled 2/0. They are making me two of them, 48" long and it came to $81.18. I'll pick them up tomorrow, and have them on the car for Sunday's tour!

I'm thinking the labeling is the same since mine were labeled 1/0 I assumed it was 0 cable since it couldn't be 1 AND 0 gauge at the same time.

Tiny you are correct Wire & cable, as in the wiring of you house and the same as if you go to a electric supply store.
I/0 means (single wire in wrapping 0 gauge)...2/0 would mean 2 wires in the wrapping both 0 gauge...And on and on. First number meaning how many single wires are in the wrapping..Second number meaning the gauge of the wire....ED

I wonder what the difference is bewteen stranded and solid wire as far as usage on a 6 volt car system. The metal scrap yards are full of short pieces of copper wire from service entrances on homes from electrical contractors that were sold for their copper value. Other than being hard to bend ,it looks like that would work.The last time I sold scrap metal the yard was knee deep it short pieces of large wires.

Ed... None of what you wrote makes sense to me. The 2/0 that I bought looks like about 30 wires bundled into one, not just two...b

Steve ..That's a good question....I Don't know the answer.
I would assume that stranded wire would have more conductivity then solid wire due to the fact that there would be more outer wire surface (if that's considered in the equation?). Also the stranded wire is much easier to work with due to is flexibility.....ED

I found a electrical supplier that has #0000 RED stranded for 7.25 a ft (minimum 5ft.). He's the one that said the scrap yard is the place to go, if I wanted a really short piece. There's tons of NEW wiring sold for almost copper cost.

Ed, your half-right...( which is good enough for you ) Outer wire surface is part of the equation...But it's the solid wire that wins the in the better conductor race...But we need the flexibility factor, and the difference in the conductivity isn't worth the mention in this here forum...

Phase two of this discussion.

Just for the heck of it I measured the old orginal cable OD and the #1 ga. new cable OD that I replaced it with, they are the same. The first #4 cable was alot smaller.

I noticed the orginal cable end that goes on the starter is made of COPPER. The new cable end is made of Aluminum. The old orginal cable has this stenciled on the copper lug. L-38-1

The cable chevysofthe40s has,which is $50 plus $10 shipping does have a copper lug. That copper lug must be really expensive.