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OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) Cable ???

MS03 2500

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I'm going to replace the power and ground Cables (Both Batteries, Alternator and 2 auxiliary fuse boxes).

Anyone have experience with it. From what I read it resist corrosion and the power flows thru it better.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen-free_copper


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms-wqCFaghs

Any opinions ???
 
Yes it is better and if you don't mind spending the extra $$$ then go for it.

But IMHO it's over kill and not really needed..

I use a good quality high strand welding cable and use silver solder to solder copper connections, then put adhesive lined shrink tubing over the connector and cable to keep out the elements that could cause corrosion.  I've never had a problem or bad connection..
 
Thanks Randy some of the lengths I'm going to run it was a concern. I'm just using it for the power cables once it hits the fuse boxes I'll go back to normal cable.

 
If your really concerned about corrosion then a marine cable is tinned and allot more resistant to corrosion than OFC..

This is what I use for my boat..

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/ancor--battery-cable-1-0-gauge-by-the-foot--P0185504

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/ancor--adhesive-lined-battery-cable-heat-shrink-tubing--P009_275_003_004
 
I'll have to look into this, but 7 bucks a foot. ???

I'm into it at about 5 bucks a foot.

 
Randy said:
If your really concerned about corrosion then a marine cable is tinned and allot more resistant to corrosion than OFC..

This is true, but it takes away from the power handling of the cable, not so much in line but at connections. Without question, OFC is the way to go. Unless you spend tons of time in/on/around the coastline (which I know you don't), tinned marine cable is overkill. Tinned cable was originally used to prevent corrosion caused by the sulfur that used to be used in wire/cable insulation. This practice is mostly extinct, so tinned cable isn't really necessary. In an automotive application the benefit of tinned cable would be when being used in situations where you are going to be making multiple soldered connections (connecting LED leads, speaker wire connections etc) as it readily bonds to solder (mostly tin). In a power/grounding situation like you are planning, where mechanical (crimp/fastener) connections will be used, using OFC is a better option as you will be getting copper to copper connection and not have a metal with higher resistance (tin) sandwiched between your connectors and cable.
In addition, don't be fooled by some brands CCA (copper clad aluminum) cable which is aluminum cable with a thin coating of copper around it. These cables are a waste of your time and $$ as they can be up to 90% aluminum, compared to the 97%+ copper content of OFC
Make sure you are getting what you are paying for. If it's 1/0 and under $3.50/ft it's most likely CCA, not OFC, which is tough to get under $3.75/ft unless buying massive quantities.
A 1/0 run , depending on length of OFC will handle appx 300A
A similar run of 1/0 CCA will only handle 210-250A depending on copper content.

MS03 2500 said:
I'll have to look into this, but 7 bucks a foot. ???

I'm into it at about 5 bucks a foot.
You can get quality OFC cable from powerwerx. ( http://www.powerwerx.com/wire-cable/welding-cable.html )
the sell highly flexible 30gauge strand size cable at more than reasonable prices
you can get 50ft. rolls of 1/0 for under $200 (<$4.00/ft)
They also sell their surplus and roll ends on ebay, just search for the seller "acdcelectricparts" sometime you can get 2 ga, 1/0, or 2/0 odd lengths and roll ends around the $2.00/ ft range
I have gotten some smoking deals from them. They are one of my followed sellers on ebay.
I know you have not seen the electrical system in my Av since I finished it in August, but all my cable in this Av, my last Av, my Silverado, and My subaru has come from Powerwerx/acdcelectric.
Here is one of their clearance items up right now.  15ft. of 1/0 OFC w/ red jacket and 15ft.of OFC w/ Black jacket for $65.00.  That's only $2.17/ft.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/30-1-0-WELDING-CABLE-EXCELENE-15-RED-AND-15-BLACK-MADE-IN-USA-/351453415919?hash=item51d44189ef:m:mYwOpnIuaPswI2x1KIvrsHQ
 
Like I said it's overkill and good quality welding cable will do the job.. Been using it on every duel battery and battery relocation I've ever done with no problems..
 
Huummm acdcelectricparts is up the road.

So welding cable is tough enough to handle the weather,

This is the cable I bought for the big 3 upgrade, not sure how good it is.



0109162158_zps8kxs91uk.jpg



 
It will work fine. Just protect it from heat, abrasion or other harm just as you would any electrical wire or cable..



http://www.summitracing.com/parts/kti-02791/overview/
 
Other things to consider but probably not that important in this application is that generally OCF wire will be more pure/less resistant and carry more current through the same size wire. This means you will find the width of the wire itself will be much smaller than some other types for the same wire gauge. Wire gauge SHOULD be based on its current carrying capability and not on size alone. Some cheap wire is sometimes rated by its size instead of the more conventional (and standardized) current carrying capability.

If you look at charts for wire they list the Gauge sizes as being able to carry a certain amount of current for a certain voltage and will be listed as meeting those standards. LOTS of the cheap wire I see on ebay/amazon/alibaba are no where near rated properly. So use a brand you can trust.

Also number of conductors can also be something to look at. The number of conductors/wires wound within the cable its self can tell you how flexible the cable will be. The higher the number of conductors the more flexible the wire should be.

Good high quality wire will be smaller and more flexible than cheap wire that is rated properly. With welding wire you need to be aware of the conductor count and insure it is pretty high otherwise it won't be very flexible and could break if it moves around at all.

I normally solder all of my wires and shrink wrap them. I have not used the 'sealing' heat tape before but I probably should pick some up. I have been told it is thicker and less flexible so it should not be used where the wire needs to be flexed.

With large wires such as anything bigger than 8gauge it is hard to solder so you really need a crimp made for the bigger wire.

If you know the size wire you want and the exact lengths and connector types you need you can order premade cables from:
http://www.custombatterycables.com/

I have not dealt with them yet but I will likely be ordering some different sized battery cables for my truck. I want to upgrade my alternator which will require larger wire from the alternator to the batteries and my second battery will feed a large audio system so it needs a large cable to feed as well.

 
Thanks Rodney I've seen some on those sites that are made overseas(I'll leave it at that).

Yeah they will not be any soldering, run the correct length and crimp them.



Randy said:
It will work fine. Just protect it from heat, abrasion or other harm just as you would any electrical wire or cable..



http://www.summitracing.com/parts/kti-02791/overview/

Randy the main problem child is the run to the back of the AV that will be under the truck, but I bought a sump pump discharge hose to protect it.
 
I have a cable run to the back off the AUX battery with the tubing cover I showed you. It runs along the frame at the top and using wire clamps at each of the factory clamps that are supporting the O2 sensor wire harness. I'll try to take a picture tomorrow..

I put a power tap part way down that I tapped off to power the amps under the back seat. It will eventually go all the way to the rear for a rear jumper cable hook up and 12 volt power at the rear, I just haven't finished yet. And I solder all my connections, crimping is fine just make sure to use adhesive lined shrink tubing to seal out the elements..



http://www.westmarine.com/buy/ancor--stainless-steel-cushion-clamps-10-per-pk--P009_275_003_012
 
If running outside of the truck it certainly doesn't hurt to use a thicker more resistant housing. You could use a PVC pipe if you wanted to but would have to insure you don't get water inside if possible. While not a big deal it can corrode connection points. Factory just uses simple wire loom for all of its wires... Its cheap, flexible and easy to use. I always tape the ends to make sure it covers the ends well.

GM Upfitter guide suggests crimping then soldering all connections. I think they say to use shrink wrap too.

GM uses a wire welder to form a full mechanical connection thats as strong as the wire is without increasing the resistance.

Crimps allow a full metal to metal bind and is the least resistant connection. However because moving around can work them free they are the hardest to make last. Soldering can cause higher resistance at the point of soldering, which for most signal and power wires this is not an issue. When you crimp the connection then solder it then you are getting the mechanical connection that brings the least amount of resistance with the security that Soldering brings. Only issues with soldering are that the connection can corrode easy, the resistance is higher at that point (so you know where the point of failure will be if the wire is under sized...), and the wire is less flexible at that location and it can be more brittle.

I normally use heat shrink but if I am in a position that heat shrink won't work I use good quality electrical tape to tape the connection. Scotch +33 is the only tape I use. It will bond to its self and stay on pretty much forever...

I have one "through wall stud" in my truck. This very heavy gauge threaded rod is bonded within a plastic insulator. I had to cut a 3/4" hole in the firewall but this piece bolts right into the hole with a plastic nut so it is insulated from the body. I plan to eventually run a 2/0 gauge cable to this on the engine side.  I also used silicon caulk to insure no leakage into the inner compartment and to help prevent the piece from moving around or coming loose. The end of the threaded rod takes a torq tool to prevent it from turning while you tighten whatever bolts you need to. It has a protective plastic boot to put over it when installed to prevent issues with shorting out. On the inside I go from this stud with multiple wires, each fused on its own to provide power where needed. I will likely run 2 gauge wiring to each side of the truck and keep a smaller 8 or 10 gauge to run my PC from. As long as you remember to fuse the connections when you split off smaller wire you protect that wire from shorting and causing issues.

Good luck!

Rodney
 
MS03 2500... Here is the cable run and where it's supported. I used the same bolts the O2 harness support is using.. But I think I remember you saying you don't have rear/post O2's.. If so I bet the holes for the bolts are there and just need the self tapping factory type bolts.

The cables that are on the power tap goes to my amps. As soon as I finish running the cable to the rear I will clean and coat it with liquid electrical tap to seal out the elements.. This has been on here for 5 years with no issues.

 

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Thanks Randy you are correct no rear 02 sensors here.
 
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