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Did they also crimp on the lugs? They will do that for free.
yep, crimped on the lugs and added shrink wrap at the lug/wire connection. Walked away with a finished product. I'll post up a pic when I stop by the shop again next week.
This is a great thread. When I installed my 230 amp alternator, couple years back now, I did the piggy back heavy gauge charge cable to the passenger battery, as well as an additional negative from the alternator to the passenger battery. You guys are motivating me to pull things apart and clean the grounds and make double sure they are all good before winter.
The connection is the boss on the head. Which is fine as the current flows through the head bolts to the main block and then to the starter. The 10 bolts are easily capable of moving 10 times the current..
Nice layout, connection find, and use of SGR cable.
Most of us think in terms on the positive side but when I started to train people in my group I found they concentrated on the + connections but disregarded the - or ground side. And that's true with the wiring on these trucks not only by the owners but vendors as well.
With an iron head, steel bolt, and copper lug, that's too many dissimilar metals for a connection, one should opt for a tinned lug to be installed long term.
A tin played lug would add another metal into the sandwich, but it is normal automotive practice to only use tin plated lugs due to the galvanic potential. Good observation, the bare copper is an issue. He could coat the contact area with electrical solder effectively do a home generated hot dip tinning as some of the heavy duty lug plating is.
... the bare copper is an issue. He could coat the contact area with electrical solder.
that seems to me to be an effective long term save.
Thanks for your insight regarding a much needed B+ mod.
This should be added to anyone's list of "to do's" .
It sure looks like bare copper. As Benchwrench brought up copper to steel, iron, aluminum (any combination noted as red in the table) has a high electrical potential so galvanic corrosion/oxidation will occur under wet conditions. Think in terms of a boat especially in salt water. So with automotive you will have either tin or gold plated connections.
After BW noted it above and I thought about it, I've never gotten any NAPA made up cable from NAPA that wasn't tin plated so I'm not sure what to say. If that was in my garage right now I'd just solder coat the lug and be done with it. I believe the two ways electrical parts are plated are either electrically or hot dip when the tin (solder) is heated to a liquid and the parts are dipped. Or take it back to NAPA and ask why they didn't give you tin plated, corrosion resistant lugs.
