I need help sizing the gauge of a wire.

[bkerr]

Does anyone know the gauge of the wire that attaches from the wiring harness to the positive battery terminal. It's the thick red wire that runs to the ignition wiring. It looks like a 10 gauge wire, but I was recently told that it is 6 gauge. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[c.d.iesel]

16 mm main cable from positive post to starter motor

group of smaller wires from positive post:

6 mm RED from positive post to soldered lug

2.5 mm RED from soldered lug to fuse block

6 mm RED from soldered lug to ignition switch #30

2.5 mm RED from soldered lug to horn relay

4 mm RED from soldered lug to B+ alternator

and for giggles,

short ground wire from alternator body to motor 4 mm

American Wire Gauge

(AWG) - Diameter(inches) - Diameter(mm) - Cross Sectional Area(mm2)

0000 ............0.46................. 11.68 ......................107.16

000.............. 0.4096 .............10.40 ........................84.97

00 ................0.3648 ...............9.27 ........................67.40

0.................. 0.3249 ...............8.25 .........................53.46

1 ..................0.2893 ................7.35 ........................42.39

2 ..................0.2576 ................6.54 .........................33.61

3 ..................0.2294 ................5.83 .........................26.65

4 ..................0.2043 .................5.19 ........................21.14

5 ..................0.1819 .................4.62 .........................16.76

6 ...................0.162 ...................4.11 .........................13.29

7 ....................0.1443 .................3.67 .........................10.55

8 ..................0.1285 ..................3.26 ..........................8.36

9 ..................0.1144 ..................2.91 ..........................6.63

10 .................0.1019 ..................2.59 .........................5.26

11 .................0.0907 ..................2.30 .........................4.17

12 ..................0.0808 .................2.05 .........................3.31

13 ...................0.072 ...................1.83 .........................2.63

14 ...................0.0641 ..................1.63 .........................2.08

15 ...................0.0571 ..................1.45 ........................1.65

[Napes]

You sure about those sizes, c.d. Your list states the cable from the + post to the starter motor is nearly 3/4" in diameter. Unless tii size is twice as big as std. '02s I think you've got it a little big. The o.d. of the cable on both my '75 and my wife's '76, with insulation, is 10.5 mm. A 16 mm dia. wire would be huge, as big as the o.d. of ½" galv. pipe.

Bob Napier

[bnam]

Perhaps C.d.'s units are off -- 16 sq.mm vs. 16mm dia?

[ifayeoh]

Thanks for posting this chart C.D.!!

So what would be the recommend size wire when running with battery in trunk and not using the E30 battery?

or what size is E30 battery cable?

thanks

16 mm main cable from positive post to starter motor

group of smaller wires from positive post:

6 mm RED from positive post to soldered lug

2.5 mm RED from soldered lug to fuse block

6 mm RED from soldered lug to ignition switch #30

2.5 mm RED from soldered lug to horn relay

4 mm RED from soldered lug to B+ alternator

and for giggles,

short ground wire from alternator body to motor 4 mm

American Wire Gauge

(AWG) - Diameter(inches) - Diameter(mm) - Cross Sectional Area(mm2)

0000 ............0.46................. 11.68 ......................107.16

000.............. 0.4096 .............10.40 ........................84.97

00 ................0.3648 ...............9.27 ........................67.40

0.................. 0.3249 ...............8.25 .........................53.46

1 ..................0.2893 ................7.35 ........................42.39

2 ..................0.2576 ................6.54 .........................33.61

3 ..................0.2294 ................5.83 .........................26.65

4 ..................0.2043 .................5.19 ........................21.14

5 ..................0.1819 .................4.62 .........................16.76

6 ...................0.162 ...................4.11 .........................13.29

7 ....................0.1443 .................3.67 .........................10.55

8 ..................0.1285 ..................3.26 ..........................8.36

9 ..................0.1144 ..................2.91 ..........................6.63

10 .................0.1019 ..................2.59 .........................5.26

11 .................0.0907 ..................2.30 .........................4.17

12 ..................0.0808 .................2.05 .........................3.31

13 ...................0.072 ...................1.83 .........................2.63

14 ...................0.0641 ..................1.63 .........................2.08

15 ...................0.0571 ..................1.45 ........................1.65

[c.d.iesel]

order ready to install from any dealer or pull at junque yard

[ifayeoh]

Picture does not state Gauge of wire,

Does any one know the size of the wire?

[SRC60]

Wire size conversion chart from e30 wiring manual:

MM2 AWG

.5 - 20

.75 - 18

1.0 - 16

1.5 - 14

2.0 - 14

2.5 - 12

4 - 10

6 - 8

8 - 8

16 - 4

20 - 4

25 - 2

E30 m42 wiring shows battery cable to be 16 MM2.

Hope this helps.

[bkerr]

CD- Thanks for the wiring diagram. Think I got it now. The E-30 setup will be for the next project car.

Thanks,

Brian