Battery buss bar

[Bitsyncmaster]

Here is what I'm thinking about doing.

Remove the jump terminal and replace it with a buss bar. That way I can wire all the battery + 12 to one location so each connection has one terminal and one wire. I don't like the mess of the jumpers from the starter to the alternator, jump terminal and car power. I ordered a flat copper bar 1/2" thick so I can just drill and tap for a bolt for each wire lug. I still like the idea of using a wire lug rather than a screw holding the connection of a bare wire into the buss.

I will use 2 AWG from the battery to the buss and 2 AWG from the starter to the buss. Not sure what gauge I will use for the other connections yet.

Any suggestions or comments are welcome before I start.

[Farrar]

Reminds me of a boat... since our cars are fiberglass, I guess that makes sense. :)

Farrar

[Spittybug]

I basically did that Dave; I use the terminal post as a home plate. I ran one wire from the battery to the terminal post in the engine bay. From there I ran one down to the starter, one down to the alternator and one to the fuse area.

It's really rather convenient and I took the opportunity to buy new, 4 gauge battery wires and retired the old ones. The only negative that I can see to this is that I need to invent a way to get a cover over the post since the original rubber boot no longer works with 4 wires coming off it. You can just see it all to the right in this picture.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I will have to think about insulating it. Maybe just a top cover so if you drop a tool it won't short. But there is not much grounded around it anyway.

[Spittybug]

I will have to think about insulating it. Maybe just a top cover so if you drop a tool it won't short. But there is not much grounded around it anyway.

I was thinking about some kind of small plastic tub of some sort (margarine?) with a slice out of one side for all the wires to protrude from. The snap on lid could be mounted against the fiberglass with the post coming out through a hole in the middle. The tub could then just pop onto the lid. Prototype time.

[Bitsyncmaster]

The three brown wires equal 24765 circular mills. So that is just a little smaller than 6 AWG. I'm still undecided yet if I'm using 4 AWG or 6 AWG for those replacements.

Well the while your in there does it again. I'm making a new harness for the three wires feeding the alternator light, oil pressure and starter solenoid. I'm doing that so I can route the wires as I think is best.

I ordered a 175 watt soldering iron which should be better than a torch for soldering the 2 AWG wires to the terminals.

Well I could not wait for my soldering iron to arive so I soldered with my 200 watt soldering gun. That seemed to work good even with the 2 AWG wire and heavey duty lugs. The OEM battery wire is not finely stranded like my new wire. It's going to be a pain to remove and install the new wire for that one. It really takes a long time to strip, crimp, clean flux and heat shrink each lug. You defently want to be doing this on the bench and not on the car. I do not tin the wire. I crimp (got one of those hammer crimpers) and then solder it. The solder flows nicely into the lug and wires.

All the lugs are 5/16" bolts except for the alternator lug which is 1/4". I will post the wire lenghts when I finish so if anyone else does this they can buy wire by the foot.

Here are photos of the undercarriage wiring. Sure looks a lot cleaner than what was there before.

[sean]

Here are photos of the undercarriage wiring. Sure looks a lot cleaner than what was there before.

Heck yes that is clean! Nice job again Dave.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I'm almost ready to scrap the copper buss bar and make an aluminum one. Copper is just so hard to machine. Only thing copper is going to buy be is I will tin it so it won't oxide very quickly.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Forget using copper for the buss bar. Cant tap it for my 8 mm bolts.

By the way, The feed through bolt for the +12 volts in the ignition coil box is a 5/16" coarse thread. and the jump terminal looks like a 5/16" fine thread. Not metric.

I'll have to look through my junk boxes for some aluminum stock to machine the buss bar from.

[AdmiralSenn]

Forget using copper for the buss bar. Cant tap it for my 8 mm bolts.

By the way, The feed through bolt for the +12 volts in the ignition coil box is a 5/16" coarse thread. and the jump terminal looks like a 5/16" fine thread. Not metric.

I'll have to look through my junk boxes for some aluminum stock to machine the buss bar from.

I can confirm that on my car as well. Drove me CRAZY when I was trying to find the nuts for them - I didn't figure out that they were Imperial sizes until a lot of trial and error. I should have measured all of them first but I didn't think there were any Imperial bits in that area.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Here is the finished buss bar. It will just bolt onto the existing jumper bolt. Made from 6061 1/2" x 2" x 3" bar. Cutting that 3 " bar took 30 seconds on the band saw, took about 2 hours doing copper.

[justlooking]

Dave,

Curiously, are your exhaust manifold gaskets supposed to be stainless? Mine were, and they look similar to yours (rusty). Looks like we were both fooled by the vendor.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Dave,

Curiously, are your exhaust manifold gaskets supposed to be stainless? Mine were, and they look similar to yours (rusty). Looks like we were both fooled by the vendor.

I guess mine are stock. Never have removed them. Just use a magnet to test for stainless.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Had to put the rear end up on ramps to get at that battery wire. So I just used the old wire bolted to my buss bar. The old one is longer than the new one will be.

Anyway, I have to put some yellow tape on that bulkhead connector that goes to the yellow bulk head. My engine harness side has a white connector and I mixed it up with the other white connector. So far I have not seen any damage done.

As far as the buss bar goes, it's looking good. But I wand to have it bolt flat on the pontoon. Still thinking of a way to remove the jump terminal bolt and get a nut plate inside the pontoon.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Here are the lengths from center of ring terminal to center of ring terminal.

Car buss to my buss = 8.65"
Alternator to my buss = 19.75"
Starter to my buss = 35.25"
Battery to my buss = 60.75"

I thought the battery would be harder to replace than I thought but I cut the battery end off, pulled through down near the trailing arm. Then I just pulled it from the engine compartment. I now have the battery wire marked for that last terminal.

I also included a photo of the POs terminal that was on the old battery wire. Note the terminal was made for 1/0 wire. I could even twist it and get it to move. I'm surprised I never had a starting problem.

Also to note the battery ring terminals need to have 3/8" bolt hole size.

I'm also going to glue an insulating little block between my buss bar and the metal edge of the bulkhead box. Just to keep the bar from touching when you torque down the terminals.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Here is the buss bar completed. Well still want to remove the original jumper bolt and install a nut plate so I can bolt it tight against the pontoon.

[sean]

Here is the buss bar completed.

Nice, do you plan on making a cover for it?

[Bitsyncmaster]

Nice, do you plan on making a cover for it?

Maybe if I think of a way to cover it someday I will. Only problem would be dropping a tool between it and the metal bulk head plate. Probably would want it covered with a stainless bulk head cover.

Edit:

I just thought of a way to cover the edge. Fiberglass around the outside edge.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I thought of a cover but I'm not going to build it.

Just mill some slots in the sides of the buss bar and then the cover would just slide on or off. Could have a small screw at the top to lock it down.

I am going to just apply a few layers of glass on the edges of mine.

If someone were to produce and sell these, they could get an injection molded cover made. The product should also include the short jumper going to the bulkhead box. That jumper alone should give you a noticeable less drop on the volt gauge when your fans kick on (if you have that OEM wiring). That long wire going over the engine block probably drops some voltage.

[sean]

Would a thick latex/rubber coating work? Something like this maybe:
Plasti Dip (http://www.plastidip.com/)

[Bitsyncmaster]

Would a thick latex/rubber coating work? Something like this maybe:
Plasti Dip (http://www.plastidip.com/)

That would probably work. Dip it and then cut off what prevents it from sliding on and off.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Hopefully done now, Glassed and painted the buss edges and installed a nut plate. If I could get inside the pontoon I would just make the buss bar a 1" x 3" bar and screw it to the pontoon from the inside.

[Spittybug]

Didn't you need to get inside the pontoon to mount your nut plate? Or was it just small enough to go in through the square hole?

[Bitsyncmaster]

Didn't you need to get inside the pontoon to mount your nut plate? Or was it just small enough to go in through the square hole?

The existing hole was 0.6" x 0.5". So I made my nut plate from bar stock cut to that size and 2" long. Then I put some twine (cable lacing cord) into the top screw hole and made a knot to hold it. Ran that twine into the top hole in the pontoon. Dropped the bar into the hole, lightly pulled the string. Then I could get the other screw installed. Then just pulled the string out of the top hole.

[1batt4u]

Anything new on this??

[Bitsyncmaster]

Anything new on this??

Nothing new. I have not had any problems with it.

[1batt4u]

I meant, if you will be offering the cables??

[Bitsyncmaster]

I meant, if you will be offering the cables??

I will not be able to offer the cables. I take to much time bulding things and can barly keep up with what I offer now.

I'm sure someone could setup with a crimper, stripper, cutter and a very large soldering iron. If they were to do a bunch at one time they could make a go of it.

[Spittybug]

Here's what I ended up doing. Took less than an hour. One does have to be careful with wrenches and such when near it, but it does make life so much simpler. I've considered dipping it in plastic or covering the exposed aluminum with rubberized paint, but I like the look of it as is.

[1batt4u]

Here's what I ended up doing. Took less than an hour. One does have to be careful with wrenches and such when near it, but it does make life so much simpler. I've considered dipping it in plastic or covering the exposed aluminum with rubberized paint, but I like the look of it as is.

Where'd you get the cables??

[lazabby]

Here's a picture of the buss bar I installed.

[1batt4u]

Cables...... cables, where'd you buy the cables from? Thats what I am lookig for!!

Thank you!!!

[Bitsyncmaster]

Cables...... cables, where'd you buy the cables from? Thats what I am lookig for!!

Thank you!!!
http://www.delcity.net/store/25!ft-Coils-!-Battery-Cable/p_179649.a_1

I got the terminals there also.

[lazabby]

Cables...... cables, where'd you buy the cables from? Thats what I am lookig for!!

Thank you!!!

Mine are standard red battery cables. They come in varying lengths at auto parts stores. Napa is a good source for them.

[Spittybug]

Mine are standard red battery cables. They come in varying lengths at auto parts stores. Napa is a good source for them.
+1

[Bitsyncmaster]

This is where I bought my wire and terminals. Very high quality stuff and they now have a 15% discount on the wire.

http://www.delcity.net/content/email/sale/save-15_on_battery_cable.htm