How to cut battery cable and add terminal lug?

Putting in a perko switch and ACR. For the main positive power cable (that currently has a battery terminal post connector on it), I gotta cut it and put a 3/8" terminal lug on it so it can connect to the Perko switch. How does one go about adding this connection to this 2/0 AWG cable? Please don't tell me I gotta go buy a $100 crimper!

http://www.solar-electric.com/hacrtoforlal.html

I've done it with a propane torch and solder before.

I solder all my battery cable ends onto the cables. You will need a torch and plenty of solder. I prefer to do it outside the boat if possible, but don't always have that convenience, so you may need an extra pair of hands. After stripping back the insulation on the cable, I put the terminal in a bench vice to hold it steady. I heat the terminal with a torch until it gets hot enough to melt the solder into the terminal. Fill the terminal end up about half-way with solder keeping it molten, then plunge the cable down into the solder in the cable end and take the heat away. Hold the cable in place for about 30 seconds to allow the solder to cool and harden. When you plunge the cable down into the end watch for solder that might overflow. This is why I like to do it out of the boat if possible, but you can just lay down some towels or something in the work area to protect anything from drips as well. If you have to do the work in the boat an extra pair of hands will be needed to hold the terminal in some vice-grips/pliers instead of a bench vice. I prefer this method because it makes a better connection than crimping on larger cables IMO.

Easiest way would be to get Genuine Dealz to make you a new one the way you need it. They sell the nifty solder pellets too if you want to DIY it yourself. Order some extras because you'll probably slip up once or twice at the beginning. Other than that just like Justin said only a bit more idiot proof. I heat the wire a little then stuck it on top of the pellet that's in the lug, when the pellet melts the wire just slide down into the fitting. Once it's done and cooled it won't come back off without the torch. Then slide a piece of shrink wrap over it and heat it with a heat gun, the torch tends to burn the shrink wrap a little.

Blow torch, heat shrink tubing, vice attached to something, solder. Put the wire in the vice pointing towards the sky, out the terminal on, heat the tip of the terminal and down some closer to the wire. When it's hot enough solder will fill inside and make a solid connection. Then just shrink the tubing and viola.

Could you maybe buy a new cable with the end on it that you need?

I can't buy a new cable since I'm talking about the main power cable coming from the engine to the battery. That's my problem. So yes, I would have to work inside the boat...not thrilled about soldering in there but it sounds like I've gonna have to!

if you don't want to solder it, take you're boat to a tire/oil change place, ask them if you can just borrow their big crimper for about 2 secs. float the guy a 5 or something. but soldering it is always better, this is just an alternative

I don't know if this is true, but at least some people do not like soldering wires in boats, as it makes the connection very brittle. A hammer crimp is cheap and should hold, especially if you single or better yet double shrink tube the lug to the wire. Again, I have never soldered and never had a problem with the end breaking, I have only read where people were concerned about it. That said, I have hammer crimped a number of ends with no problems, but I have only had about 3 seasons of experience with these connections, so the jury is still out.

I hate my hammer crimper. I suck at soldering and make a mess(not n the boat). The heat shrink I got is super thick and the connections are rock solid.

This is kind of redneck...but I needed to crimp 0 gauge cables for my stereo so I used pliers to get the fold in the terminal ring started around the cable, then used my truck jack to apply the necessary pressure to make the crimp. Worked like a charm!

Awesome.

I solder mine and then crimp them in my vise. I have a pretty expesnive crimper though.

Suprised that none of you soldering experts have mentioned apply a liquid flux to the end of the wire prior to inserting it in to the ring terminals. Pretty basic stuff IMO.

I would also order the solder pellers from GenuinDealz...they too have flux buit into the pellet.

Originally Posted by corerider

I solder all my battery cable ends onto the cables. You will need a torch and plenty of solder. I prefer to do it outside the boat if possible, but don't always have that convenience, so you may need an extra pair of hands. After stripping back the insulation on the cable, I put the terminal in a bench vice to hold it steady. I heat the terminal with a torch until it gets hot enough to melt the solder into the terminal. Fill the terminal end up about half-way with solder keeping it molten, then plunge the cable down into the solder in the cable end and take the heat away. Hold the cable in place for about 30 seconds to allow the solder to cool and harden. When you plunge the cable down into the end watch for solder that might overflow. This is why I like to do it out of the boat if possible, but you can just lay down some towels or something in the work area to protect anything from drips as well. If you have to do the work in the boat an extra pair of hands will be needed to hold the terminal in some vice-grips/pliers instead of a bench vice. I prefer this method because it makes a better connection than crimping on larger cables IMO.

That is a great way to get a cold solder joint...which defeats the purpose of soldering. Both sides need to be hot when you solder.

Originally Posted by boardjnky4

That is a great way to get a cold solder joint...which defeats the purpose of soldering. Both sides need to be hot when you solder.

Never had any issues, but I understand what you are saying.

Here is a How to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zssIl...0&feature=plcp