Help Please, No Power is Reaching Electrical Panel at Helm!

localboy · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 12:11 pm Post subject:

Pat, I just made some similar cables and did not want to invest in a $200 crimping tool with multiple dyes. I bought this one on Amazon and it worked fine. I only needed to make 4 connections. I am more than willing to let you use it, but Bellingham to Lake Stevens...time=money and for $17.

http://www.amazon.com/TEMCo-Hammer-Crimper-Tool-Warranty/dp/B00E1UUVT0/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1460563820&sr=8-8&keywords=crimper+8+gauge

Our breaker is also located in the starboard battery compartment, screwed to the upper front splash well. So discourage corrosion I use either dielectric grease or spray; you can get it at any auto parts store, or even on Amazon. Laughing

thataway · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 1:01 pm Post subject:

Thanks, "Local Boy"--I had forgotten about that crimper. It is definitely cheaper (The Harbor Freight hydraulic is about $60). What blew me away was the price of the first one I showed in the illustration. ($80). I paid about $16 for mine many years ago.

The TEMCo can be used in a vise--as well as sledge hammer for the larger sizes--and this will often get a better swage.

chromer · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 1:03 pm Post subject:

Corrosion can travel inside wire jacket !

On the wires leading to the breaker... before crimping on new ring terminals, you want to strip back the wire jacket until no more corrosion.

thataway · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 7:15 pm Post subject:

localboy · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 7:57 pm Post subject:

http://www.harborfreight.com/42-piece-marine-heat-shrink-tubing-67598.html

This stuff is inexpensive and works great.

Another issue I have experienced is do not use butterfly/wing nuts on your battery terminals. I now use conventional nuts with spring washers and torque them down good and tight with a box wrench or similar.

Sunbeam · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:47 am Post subject:

It's true that the larger crimper can be a challenge to get into certain places. I have to plan for that. However, since most larger wires/cables tend to have ring terminals on the ends, I can oftentimes just get the whole cable out and do it on the bench. Or I find a way to get the tool in place. Or, like recently when I cut my engine cables (they were 9' long and I was able to cut off around half of that and go to larger wire at my lazarette bus), I made one around 4" longer than I otherwise might have so that I could get it above the lid of the lazarette to crimp it (since I didn't want to completely de-rig the engine). And sometimes I have to plan ahead for a sequence of crimps so I don't get "painted into a corner."

It does make beautiful crimps though - I like it a lot.

stevej · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 1:55 pm Post subject:

Surprised no one has brought up that the original breaker appears to be a Blue Sea knock off.
Pat, when you replace spend the extra dollars for a Blue Sea breaker. From what I have seen overall quality is far superior to the brand X versions

On the soldering vs crimping debate, stick with crimping unless you have a fair amount of soldering experience. The correct tools are needed for either method. Personally I do both using bare connectors (no plastic barrel sleeve). The lack of a sleeve lets you verify that the crimp is not done on the seam side of the barrel and I use a Klein 1005 crimp tool for up to 10ga wire. Crimp, solder and heat shrink. For weather exposed connections spray with crossionX or goop with dielectric grease, use 3 times the length of the connection of correct sized heat shrink and keep the exposed terminal gooped with dielectric grease.
Seen more issues with bad wire stripping than bad crimping so it’s important to have a good “set” of wire strippers, don’t turn a 16ga wire into a 22ga by knife stripping. A heat gun for heat shrinking is a must.

stevej

Sunbeam · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 2:17 pm Post subject:

Pat Anderson · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 4:04 pm Post subject:

Power to the helm has been restored! Yesterday I bought a 50 amp Blue Sea breaker, some 8 AGW terminal connectors with 1/4 inch holes, some dielectric grease, some corrosion block spray and some heat shrink tubing at LFS. I have a Klein tool (VDV010-019, actually for coax and F connectors but works well as an all-around cable cutter/stripper) that I had bought when I was doing my solar install. I have had a heat gun for years.

The Klein tool made a clean cut of the corroded end of the cable and stripped it perfectly. I slipped the heat shrink up over the cable, crimped the terminal connector on with water pump pliers (channel locks, or whatever you call them), slipped the heat shrink tubing down, and sealed it up with the heat gun. I put dielectric grease on the breaker posts and nuts and on both terminal connectors, reconnected it all up, and finally sprayed everything with the corrosion block spray!

This is a much better job than i probably would have done without the sage advice of my fellow Brats!

I should be good to go for another 11 years (which is how long the C-Dory job lasted, 2005 to 2016)!

localboy · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 4:15 pm Post subject:

journey on · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 7:12 pm Post subject:

Pat,

You're the only other person who has used the term "water pump pliers" in years. Congratulations.

Boris

thataway · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 7:30 pm Post subject:

Pat, glad that you got power and all working! Hopefully the "Waterpump" pliers will do an adequate "crimp" job.....