New battery cables needed when changing motors??

[chrisg]

I was told by the marina that they need to get longer battery cables to connect up to the new 60HP Bigfoot Merc. I had a ?87 115 I-6 merc on the boat, so I don?t see why the cables need to be longer. All the other controls ( Throttle , shift, wire harness and steering) plugged right in.
Does this sound right? I told them originally to just get a short (2 foot) battery cable set, bolt the ends to extend the current cables, and tape them. He said I need to re-wire from the battery. ( which has a switch, there are 2 batteries on this boat.)

Why would the cables not be long enough? The only thing I could think of is that on the older merc, the terminals were at the front of the motor, were on this Bigfoot, they are at the rear.

This was suppose to have been a plug in replacement!

 

[Mac uk]

Re: New battery cables needed when changing motors??

Ive got to replace the battery cables on my merc 20hp. The boat safety rules in the UK wouldn't allow taped up battery cables. Ive got to have them splised and wrapped by a proper company. going to use an auto electrical company. Youve got to remember the starter uses quite a few amps.

 

[j_martin]

Re: New battery cables needed when changing motors??

If you can afford a motor, you can afford the cables. Don't play around with badly rigged battery cables. If you have ever seen a small boat burn down to the water line, then sink, you'll understand my viewpoint.

hope it helps
John

 

[JoeCrow]

Re: New battery cables needed when changing motors??

Like he said,
Cables are cheap
Boats are expensive
I would spring for a few more dollars and replace the cables rather than splice them together. You're just creating another place to corrode, short, or come apart

 

[chrisg]

Re: New battery cables needed when changing motors??

yup, getting new longer cables, just wanted to understand how by changing motors will prevent the cables from reaching. Thought that the marina may have been trying to pull a fast one on me.

Apparently the cables just reached before, and the new motor has the connections on the other side of the motor, so the existing wire did not have enough slack to make it ( a foot to short) He is going to have a set made ( needs to be 10 feet long to reach where the battery switch is. ) Looks like I will not be getting my boat back this weekend ( thats OK, its calling for rain)