Technical Locate Battery in Trunk. What gauge?

What gauge should I use? Appx 18 feet in length. 2 gauge good or what is best? For application below.

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/trunk-mounted-batteries-what-size-cable-4-0.548891/

 

See above..! The search function works well here.

I use "0" or "00" weld cable in all of the mid-car and rear mount battery locations that I do. As someone said, better to go too large than too small.
BUT, be advised that weld cable insulation isn't made for the rigors of the road. I use that semi-hard, corrugated plastic that's split down the middle.
Then tape the ends closed tightly. I haven't had any problems with not sealing the split seam down the middle.
There is newer "flexible" automotive cable available, but it's more expensive than weld cable. It doesn't need to be protected, and it is more flexible than the cheaper automotive cable.
Crimping the ends is better than solder. If you feel that you need to solder, use JUST enough to make a tight electrical connection. Do not fill the whole terminal with solder.
Solder is not flexible. It can and does crack and loose some of it's connection over time.
All Aerospace wiring is crimped, if that's any hint.

Mike

 

The

you could always seal the ends of the split duct with shrink wrap and intermittently along the length

 

I ran welding cable for 15 years in a race car with no problems. 0 or 00 would be my choice, for both ground and positive. It will be heavy, but it will always turn the motor over! Be sure to get a super heavy duty rear mount on/off switch, the more amps the better. Per NHRA, the engine must die when switch is turn off, so plan on an alternator wire running to the rear also.

 

For that run, i'de go 2/0, but that's just me..... I'm a lil nutty on cables/wiring. But once done=fugget about it!

 

I did exactly as mike suggests and used the "0"welding cable. On my Deuce Roadster the battery is in the trunk, but it's a short run of only about 6'. The only thing I did differently is use shrink sleeve on the gap between the cable and lug, not tape. If you solder it, do not use plumbers flux, it will eventually corrode the wire.

 

What you are talking about doing, putting a battery in the trunk, is now totally obsolete. Get a 5 lb, 4" x 5" x 7" lithium battery, mount it up front, or under the car in the inside of the frame rail near the starter. You save 20+ lbs of cable, 50 pounds of battery, reduce complexity, and its cheaper in the long run. Because it lasts 10 years and less wiring cost.

THis little Anti Gravity battery spins my 13:1 Hemi over like the plugs are out of it:
https://www.amazon.com/Antigravity-Batteries-Lithium-Motorsports-Battery/dp/B06XKQNJXY

 

18 ft? that stuff isn't cheap, get a better measurement before you buy or order it. you should be closer to half that.

 

Joel has the right idea, but I'd just use a little group 26 lead acid battery (they don't cost much and weigh only about 40 lbs) mounted up front.

But yeah, 1 or 0 gauge would be about right. 00 is overkill, 2 is a bit iffy.

 

When I built my Deuce pickup I used the "O" welding cable, the battery was mounted in a metal trunk in the bed. HRP

 

I remember reading an article, Hot Rod Magazine maybe, about installing a Ford starter solenoid next to the trunk mounted battery and running the battery cable to the starter with a buss bar on the starter solenoid, and a smaller gauge wire with a fusable link between the alternator and battery. That way, the large gauge cable is only live when the starter is engaged.

 

I used 1/0 and covered it in that plastic spiral hydraulic wrap. As far as putting the battery in trunk I need all the rear ballast I can get.

 

I use 2/0 gauge welding cable always. Be sure and check around for pricing. I see it from $1.29 per ft to $6.59 per ft

 

I used OO cable years ago when I put the battery in the trunk of a '46 Ford Coupe.

 

Get the lithium battery, thats the high performance choice. Light, small and efficent, its cheap weight loss vs the cost of cable that long and the weight of that battery in the trunk. You also don't have an acid bomb back there.

 

I just went through this putting the battery in the trunk of my 55 Chevy. I bought non-split wire loom from del city and then sealed the ends with adhesive heat shrink.

 

Doesn't sound very traditional. Next thing you know will be using MSD ignitions!

 

I never liked that split loom stuff

 

I just did this in my 48 Tudor.

Ran 2/0 for the battery, grounds, relay and to the starter and 6ga for the main feed to a power lug up front. 8ga off the power lug to the alternator output, headlights/horn out front and to the fuse panel.

If you go digging around the MADD Enterprises there's some good information there.

Sent from my SM-G950U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

2/0 cable is plenty for a trunk mounted battery. International uses 2/0 cable to go from the battery box to the stater on the medium duties. This will crank a 570 CID diesel on a zero degree day with the battery box mounted sometimes ten feet from the starter. Oh, and that 570 will have an 18 to 1 compression ratio.


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I used +/-- 0 welding cables on my Willys. Ground wire bolts to the starter motor . I ran the cables through my boxed frame so well protected.

 

And not give everyone the chance to repeat their earlier answers?

 

If you weigh out the cost of battery, box & mount, cable, cable ends, cable straps, alternator wire, shut off switch, misc wire and and ends, the new smaller light weight battery may be a better plan. You will gain plenty of weight with the cable, close to or over 20 lbs.

 

I'm jumping on this band wagon...Things change. Something new can pop up that no one else knows about. New ways to do things. New information on products.
How many people knew that we can use small batteries in our builds? How many people know about flathead motors?
Using the search mode probably will give the answer and probably will not give the answer someone is looking for. Maybe someone looked something up and couldn't find what they were looking for.
If I want to ask a question, I'll ask a question. I don't care if it's been covered 100 times or not.

 

Agreed, a small light modern battery mounted on the firewall above the starter would probably be the best idea these days.

Here's my problem with that. From the time I began trading my model train magazines for car magazines (about 1969) all "real" hot rods had the battery in the right rear corner of the trunk. If you don't know why, well that's been covered before. Guess it's hard to over come the religion of one's youth.

So, who's right? Everyone by doing what they think is best.
-Dave

 

Best place I found to buy the wire in length was on Amazon. Harbor Freight sells a nice hydraulic crimper that will let you make a good connection.

 

And overdrive automatics! The solution the the trad issue is to hide it. You can run these in any orientation too, that’s my plan to help with the extra weight of my 392 vs the 325 my desoto had, I’m losing weight where I can and it’s not really going to cost any more than a trunk mounted one would.

 

Same here and that's what I am doing. A lightweight battery stashed near the starter would be the easiest. Not what I'm wanting. (I sure wish this option had been available years ago when I had to buy 2 6 volt batteries for my MGB though). LOL

 

Fake box in the trunk and fake cables running to some out of sight location near the wheel well. Real battery, mini style of course, hidden under the dash.

Think about it being the same as a hollowed out blower case with a carb hidden inside it. Please don't, just kidding!
-Dave