[Jag Daddy]

I've been upgrading my electrical system on the stang, I've installed a 3G alternator and purchased some 4 gauge wire and some 0 gauge to work with the new T spec power block. I thought I was getting copper wire but what arrived was very flexible and fine stranded copper coated aluminum wire. Have any of you guys used this stuff? I remember when they used aluminum house wire and that was not good.

I also purchased a Stinger multi connection battery terminal set and will run the 0 gauge down to the power block that has MANL fuses in it. The 0 gauge will be about 1 foot long, That is the fine Aluminum stranded wire however.

Also have any of you used a ferrel to crimp on the end of the wire and then clamp down on that instead of just clamping straight onto the wire?

Thanks
Mark

 

[Blue64Tbird]

My grandpa worked for the phone company, and he always told me that if you mix copper and aluminum wiring it can produce sort of a corrosion. (Similar to the "purple plague" if gold and aluminum mixes in computer circuits.) This happened in my grandpas house when new copper wires got ran for his kitchen after the dishwasher caught fire. After about 5 years since the new kitchen wiring, the light at the dinner table stopped working. I climbed into the attic and wire brushed the corrosion off where the original aluminum wire met the copper and it works again.

I have used ferrels quite a bit on the high school robotics team. We had never used them before, but once we started using them we never make a connection without a ferrel. We mostly used them on 12 gauge wire, but they worked very well for the main battery connectors (and we had 12 batteries for the robot to swap out during competition) which were 6 gauge IIRC. We had some wires pull out in the past, but no issues at all since using ferrels.

 

[35WINDOW]

If it is Stinger/Rockford Fosgate/etc Wire (or, audio wire), it is OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) Wire-it looks like Aluminum and is AWG but actually is tinned Copper wire (it exceeds Coast Guard requirements)-it is superior to Welding Cable because the strands of wire are very fine (which carries more current)-I have it in my Car, and the 1/0 cable is 4704 individual strand wire- it works extremely well, and the audio industry offers way more battery cable and terminal ends for it, as it is available all the way up to 18 AWG-
The only downside is that some of it is PVC Coated, which means you have to shield it from extreme heat (touching exhaust and such)-
I like that it is so bendable, and, as a bonus a lot of it comes in translucent colors so you can see the twisted stands inside-
Can you show us a picture of your connection?

 

[cerial]

Heater hose with a single cut down the length makes a great shroud. This keeps out uv and heat rather well.
A few hose clamp holders makes removing and inspecting the wiring easily.


I use copper lug ring terminals on all my ends then heat shrink them leaving 4 to 6 " extra on the ends. Your going to eventually get moisture on the ends after 5 or so years with any non interior wiring and you simply cut the wire back and crush a new lug on. The rest of the wiring should be good for 10 to 15 years unless you have tight bends where the strands can be broke by vibration over time.

 

[Jag Daddy]

Thanks Cerial:
That's a great point about the moisture buildup. I was wondering if before you crimp on a lug or a ferrel maybe using some dielelctric grease in the fitting or dipping the end of the cable would make it more water resistant as well as prevent corrosion. I know they sell the stuff for keeping water out of taillight connections etc.

35Window here are some photos

The cable is oxygen free copper, 0 gauge, that will go into the fuse block. My new alternator has a 4 gauge power line out and that will connect to the last fuse on the end since that is a 150 amp and needs to connect directly to the battery. fuel pump, Holley Sniper EFI and headlights will use the rest of the ports. The other large wire hole on the stinger will be from the battery to the starter solenoid. If any of you guys see an issue with doing it this way please feel free to say something.

Also wondering if any of you have tried using ferrite beads or torrids to aid on noise suppression?

Thanks as always
Mark

 

[35WINDOW]

Yup, that's the good stuff, and, yes, I've used Dielectric Grease on those type of terminals-as I mentioned earlier, watch your cable routing for extreme heat (in places where I had no choice I either used the heat shielding wrap or used Welding Cable)-
The only thing I've done for RFI was be careful with wire routing (crossing only @ 90 degrees), and using the foil wrap designed for RFI-

 

[Jag Daddy]

Thanks 35Window
I've gotta get some heat shrink to put on the ends. I just don't have any red at the moment that is the proper diameter. Do you have a brand on that RFI foil wrap?
Thanks again
Mark

 

[35WINDOW]

I can't seem to be able to copy the web page, but go to McMaster Carr-it's under emi-rfi shielding sleeving-