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Putting together my DIY ground kit

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Old Jun 2, 2003 | 01:35 PM
  #1  
LX4CYL's Avatar
LX4CYL
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From: Houston, TX
Default Putting together my DIY ground kit

So far I've purchased:
10 ft. 4gauge Monster ground Cable
Zip ties
12 4gauge ring connectors (crimp-on)



I've got a few questions about putting this together:

Soldering

When I asked about soldering this stuff, the guy at the audio store told me that I'll need a cheap butane torch ($10) to melt the solder and run it into this hole:



Can I accomplish this with a regular soldering iron? Crimping will work, but to make a good connection, I'll need to solder AND crimp. (obviously, I'll be removing the hard yellow jacket). Is there a certain type of solder I should use? (this is probably one of the first times I've soldered)

Heat Shrink
I found heat shrink that is 1/2" in diameter, and shrinks to 1/4". The 4guage cable is 1/2" in diameter. Can I use this heat shrink?

Dielectric Grease
Is it alright if it comes in contact with the rubber heat shrink?


Thanks,
LX4CYL
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Old Jun 2, 2003 | 04:33 PM
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crxb16er
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Default Re: Putting together my DIY ground kit

soldering is easy buddy, do some test spots first, to get the hang of it, what ur doing is definitely gonna make great connections just remember the bigger the connection to the frame the less resistance is created, as for types of solder make sure u get one that is meant for electronics, it will say so on the outer package, as for soldering iron probably wont work unless it gets REALLY hot id say just use a propane torch or mapp gas, and dielectric grease wont hurt a thing. ur on ur own with that heat shrink, i dont know
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Old Jun 2, 2003 | 07:09 PM
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LX4CYL
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Default Re: Re: Putting together my DIY ground kit

Originally posted by crxb16er
soldering is easy buddy, do some test spots first, to get the hang of it, what ur doing is definitely gonna make great connections just remember the bigger the connection to the frame the less resistance is created, as for types of solder make sure u get one that is meant for electronics, it will say so on the outer package, as for soldering iron probably wont work unless it gets REALLY hot id say just use a propane torch or mapp gas, and dielectric grease wont hurt a thing. ur on ur own with that heat shrink, i dont know
yep you're right! I tried it out today, and it was really hard to use the iron to fill up the connection. I ended up creating so much melted solder that I had to sand it down with a dremel. I guess I should have taken the guy's suggestion. I already had some good solder from Radio Shack lying around. Tommorrow I'll get the butane torch and dielectric grease, and I'll see about the heat shrink However I really need to seal the gap between the clear wire cover and the ring connector, and all I can think of is heat shrink. Thanks for the info though!

BTW, where should I get all of the bolts needed to attach the ground wires to certain unused threaded holes on the engine block and head? I already know that one of the bolts that I need is the same one that holds the plastic bit that organizes the spark plug wires on the head. They fit here:
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Old Jun 3, 2003 | 06:55 AM
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ace hardware buddy the best hardware store around can help u out. plus the one i go to has a really hot cashier chick what could be better
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Old Jun 3, 2003 | 09:09 PM
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Yep, I did well today

I cut away the very center of the ring connector terminal so that it will close tighter when I crimp. Then I used my propane torch to lay down the solder. After that I used the heat shrink (I got some at Ace Hardware) to create a nice looking ground cable. The solder is perfect!

Anyways, I have a few question about grounding points:

https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/s...threadid=74009
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Old Jun 19, 2003 | 02:13 PM
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How much of that 10ft of wire did you use?
Any left over?
I was planning on doing the (+) and (-), so i wanna know how much wire to buy. How did you spend on the wire?
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Old Jun 19, 2003 | 02:32 PM
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Originally posted by NightRider79
How much of that 10ft of wire did you use?
Any left over?
I was planning on doing the (+) and (-), so i wanna know how much wire to buy. How did you spend on the wire?
well I'd say I used 6ft? I wasted a lot on the TB ground which added up to 8ft. I'd say 10 ft. for ground + however much you need for positive.

I got it for $2/ft., but you can get it much cheaper at sounddomain.com :thumbup:
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