The Usual Cause of Slow Or No Cranking

[dougelam]

Because of it's location it's virtually impossible to test.

That's the answer we expected!

When cranking the engine the terminals will get hot because of the internal resistance.

That's the reason for the test

For the paltry $6 to $7 for a new 4 gauge copper cable with copper ends it's just not worth keeping that lousy aluminum cable on your C3.

Just another backyard mechanic parts replacer

What do you have against rebuilt starters?

Starter rebuilders need to eat too!!!

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

 

[LLC5]

Because of it's location it's virtually impossible to test. When cranking the engine the terminals will get hot because of the internal resistance. For the paltry $6 to $7 for a new 4 gauge copper cable with copper ends it's just not worth keeping that lousy aluminum cable on your C3. As far as I know the whole G.M. lineup used those crappy aluminum cables because they cost a few cents less.

That is totally and inconceivably incorrect.

Thank you for your input, you just answered any remaining questions/doubts that anyone could have had about your knowledge of the subject's.

 

[kpic]

That is totally and inconceivably incorrect.

Being totally and inconceivably incorrect is his forte and he is very good at flaunting it.

 

[SVO]

A properly crimped connection is superior to a soldered connection. But soldering will still do the job. Most people probably don't have access to a large enough crimper for doing battery cables either.

Car magazines, from time to time, will run a auto electrical article. One month, it's crimp the connections, don't solder, next month, it's solder the connections, don't crimp.

It may take some looking, but there are places around that will crimp connections for a nominal charge or rent you a crimper.

 

[Antz81]

Car magazines, from time to time, will run a auto electrical article. One month, it's crimp the connections, don't solder, next month, it's solder the connections, don't crimp.

It may take some looking, but there are places around that will crimp connections for a nominal charge or rent you a crimper.

For splicing two or more wires together soldering works fine, but as far as fitting lugs or some other connection to a cable a crimped connection is far better.
Remember I work with electricity everyday. The only connections I have ever seen fail are soldered connections. (This excludes one crimped connection which was not done properly.)

 

[cor66vette]

...

Problems with aluminum wire lies in the end connections, especially when connecting to copper wire.

...

QUOTE]

Penetrox should eliminate the threat of corrosion when dissimilar metals are joined. I've used it when copper-wire "pig-tailing" electrical connections at devices in homes that were constructed in the 60's which most of them, on Long Island, at least were wired with aluminum wiring. Eventually the frivolity of using aluminum wire was realized, and building codes were amended accordingly.

 

[toobroketoretire]

Slow Or No Cranking Caused By The Worthless Aluminum Block-To-Frame Ground Cable

Back in the 70's and 80's thousands of houses burned down because of their use of aluminum wiring. Aluminum wiring has two very bad traits; it expands and contracts a LOT and it corrodes. Once connections got loose and corroded the connection got real hot and then a fire could start. Same goes with the worthless G.M. block-to-frame ground cables as after about 20 years the crimped aluminum ends get corrosion inside and then the resistance goes sky high. They usually pass ample current when cold but after the vehicle warms up the added resistance inside the terminal makes cranking REAL hard. Because of those worthless aluminum cables literally thousands of starters get replaced every year for no reason because the fault was in the lousy aluminum block-to-frame ground cable. The best thing you can do is replace that aluminum cable no matter how good it looks because it'll have corrosion on the inside where it can't be seen.

About 6 years ago my big block BARELY cranked and when I grabbed the aluminum ground cable it was so HOT it was almost smoking. Because of a LOT of resistance inside the terminals. I immediately made a new cable using 4-gauge copper wire with copper ends (soldered on) and that solved the slow cranking problem once and for all.

 

[LLC5]

Back in the 70's and 80's thousands of houses burned down because of their use of aluminum wiring. Aluminum wiring has two very bad traits; it expands and contracts a LOT and it corrodes. Once connections got loose and corroded the connection got real hot and then a fire could start. Same goes with the worthless G.M. block-to-frame ground cables as after about 20 years the crimped aluminum ends get corrosion inside and then the resistance goes sky high. They usually pass ample current when cold but after the vehicle warms up the added resistance inside the terminal makes cranking REAL hard. Because of those worthless aluminum cables literally thousands of starters get replaced every year for no reason because the fault was in the lousy aluminum block-to-frame ground cable. The best thing you can do is replace that aluminum cable no matter how good it looks because it'll have corrosion on the inside where it can't be seen.

About 6 years ago my big block BARELY cranked and when I grabbed the aluminum ground cable it was so HOT it was almost smoking. Because of a LOT of resistance inside the terminals. I immediately made a new cable using 4-gauge copper wire with copper ends (soldered on) and that solved the slow cranking problem once and for all.

What exactly was the "ample current when cold" amperage and voltage?

What exactly was the "cranking REAL hard" amperage and voltage?

"The best thing you can do" is to NOT just replace a part. Any electrical circuit needs to be properly TESTED before determining if any part at all even needs to be replaced.

 

[Peer81]

Interesting topic!

I rebuild my vette and the ground cables from battery to chassis and engine to chassis looked brand new so I reused them without any problems so far.
But checking them it's that difficult or am I wrong. Take a battery to the shop so they can check the resistance. Now put the old ground cable to a battery terminal and check again. And do the same with a new cable. If the resistance goes up with the old cable then it's crap if not then no need to change it.

Greetings Peter