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splicing unequal size wires...

T

tws

New member
greetings,


i'm unclear about how to proceed. i have two pieces of 6 awg wire with lugs to attach/splice to my new minn kota trolling motor. i am extending the wire leads so i can put my heavy battery well forward in a 12' aluminum skiff. i do not know the best way to splice two unequal size wired together... the splice must be strong and corrosive resistant. i purchased two lengths of 6 awg wire with lugs and solder pellets and marine grade heat shrink. however i do not know the best way to solder/join the two unequal wires... the minn kota is approx 13 awg to the heavier 6 awg wire... see pictures attached

marinewire1-1.jpgmarinewire1-2.jpg


can anyone show me how to best accomplish this splice?


thanks for an excellent forum.
 
There are probably some folks that monitor this forum that know more than I do about this, but there are two alternatives.

Search the internet for marine wiring butt connectors designed for unequal size wires. I have several for connecting 8 - 10 awg to 14-16 awg. I'm fairly sure they are made to handle 6 to 12 or 13 awg.

If you cannot find those, then use butt connectors for the 6 awg, strip the 13 awg long enough so that you can double it over two or three times to insert snugly into the 6 awg butt connector.

In either case, solder the connections to the butt connector, then shrink wrap and cover that with liquid electrical tape.

If you are really good with a soldering gun (which I admittedly am not) you can forget the butt connectors altogether, and solder the two wires together using a stiff piece of single strand copper wire to reinforce the connection - that is, overlay the bare 13 awg multi-strand to the bare 6 awg multi-strand, solder those together, then solder the 12 awg single strand (from a piece of household wiring) to reinforce the connection. Shrink wrap and coat with electrical tape.

One other thing to do is to cut the wires so that the connections are not right next to each other - that is, the red 6 awg wire is about 2 inches longer than the black one, and the black 13 awg wire is about 2 inches longer than the red one.
 
I'd be inclined to stay away from the soldering iron....I used to believe but after seeing some of my early work I can tell you that vibration will take its toll given enough time....but given the significantly different wire size, I'd consider eliminating the smaller "pigtails" and just use the #6....another option would be to use a sealed two pole connector.

If soldering turns out to be the preferred path, I'd suggest mechanically connecting the two wires and then use the solder sparingly....of course double walled heat shrink on top if it....but make sure any strands are knocked down so they don't violate the tubing...
 
thanks makomark,

i'm inclined to agree with you. a sealed two pole connector sounds good but i can't seem to find any online - marine grade.

do you have a link or better description so i can locate this item?

thanks!
 
i've been looking all over and found this minn kota product that might do the job... it's first plus is the wire size which is exactly what i require minn kota 10 awg to 6 awg.

here is the link

http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Outdo...p/B001PTHKSA/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

it will be necessary to add marine grade adhesive heat shrink and flux the wires before soldering them into the plug... the reviews are a bit unsatisfied with the water proof abilities of this plug but it's all i've found so far.

thanks everyone for your valuable feedback.
 
Looks like a good solution. If I were doing this project, I would likely use liquid electrical tape to seal each hole where the wires enter the connector. Furthermore, if I knew there would be few occasions where I needed to disconnect the plug, I would seal the mating faces of the plug with clear silicon.
 
6 gauge is extreme...must be a fairly light trolling motor to use 13 gauge..12 gauge will carry 20 amps...14 will carry 15 amps..13 gauge is in between...
 
online many say the lead wire on a 30lb thrust minn kota is 10 awg... however my manual parts lists says item 46 is leadwire 14 ga w/spade term

i got the 6 awg as it was recommended on several threads and minn kota...

i don't mind have the anderson plug connection as i can remove the motor and leave the extension cable in the skiff.

hope it all works out... i have all the materials necessary to connect everything.

thanks again for much help on a very murky subject - at least for me.
 
Glad you found something...I'd also suggest silicone dielectric grease on the connector halves....it's great for keeping the water out....and if you wanna go all out, get some nyogel for the conductive pins....
 
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