Hello I'm rebuilding a 1962 Cadillac with a 390 engine and need to replace the battery cables . I know a 3/0 or 4/0 would be way overkill but would they be able to work or should I look at 2/0 or below ?
Battery is outside of engine bay , behind the headlights. I know these thick gauge wires would be overkill be would they still work or would it mess with voltage ?
bigger cables just cost more money. Won't hurt anything electrically. The cables are not longer than 4 or 5 feet, are they? #2 should be fine, but you can spend more money if you want. Might help it start, if you have a marginal battery or starter, or heat soak issues.
No they aren't longer than 4 or 5 feet . They are pretty short ... But yes I would like the cables to be heavy duty and was wondering if it'd work
When doing electrical, big is almost always better (except for fuses... LOL). Now, whatever gains you make may be very small, but there's virtually no negative effect... except to maybe your wallet.
When it comes to battery cables, the bigger the better. There is no such thing as too big. The bigger the cable the more current it can carry. The only downside to using larger cables is the cost.
There is no advantage to using larger size wire on a stock car. Go to a reputable auto supply with the lengths that you need and get #2 battery cables. They will work well and will have the factory applied terminals which always work best! KK
Factory applied terminals are crimped and subject to corrosion. I prefer solder for a better connection with heat shrink tubing applied over the joint to seal it completely. The Briggs and Stratton on my lawn mower came with #2 battery cables.
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