MK2 L/C power cable

[Opec V8]

I am reassembling my Alpina green mk 2 LC and i am fitting the power cable which goes from the boot to the engine bay and i need some advice - i have all the holes and rivets where the "P" clips run along the tunnel so i can see the route of the cable for this section. The bit im stuck on is whether the cable has a grommet when it goes from the boot and through the floor at the back of the rear seat. The hole in my floor which i think is for the cable is barely big enough for the cable, let alone a grommet as well?? Thanks in advance - Jim

 

[Lashman]

Hi Jim,
When I changed my battery cable I noticed the one fitted was much thinner (and useless!) than a modern decent multi strand cable, I just opened the hole up. I guess the proper way to do it would be to use something like this..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BATTERY-CABLE-BULKHEAD-CONNECTOR_W0QQitemZ390120167068QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item5ad4f9569c

 

[Opec V8]

So no grommet then just pushed through the hole, how things have changed - thanks for the reply im gonna take your advice and buy some modern cable

 

[Lashman]

Yep, there was a old grommet, you can make it out in the picture in the 68 parts book as well.

 

[tommy]

On my mk1 the grommet matches the shape of the hole in the floor. I doubt the mk2 cable would have been fitted without some form of grommet, to stop the cable chaffing and keep out the weather.
Tommy

 

[Opec V8]

ive just had a quick look on ebay and found some 135amp multistrand cable 9mm o/d. Do you think this will do?

 

[Lashman]

That should be fine depending on what amp your battery is delivering, size sounds about right, I've got just seen some under my workbench that's labelled 170A and that's about 10mm OD.

 

[Neilsjuke]

When you first start to crank the amps will rise to 300 + and then drop to 100 + amps when cranking distance from the battery causes volt drop with too small a cable .I would use 196/040 metric cable as a minimum rated at 170 amps (196 strands of 0.40 gauge) Od has little relevance to the performance of a cable as the insulation can be any thickness.
Neil