i was wondering who bought the negative and positive cables from the dealer? and how much? and was it worth it or should i just buy from the local auto store?

 

As far as I can tell, a cable is a cable. . . .

 

I bought mine through MazdaTrix, and it was the stock replacement meaning no cable measuring or cutting for a perfect length fit. It made the swap out easy and neat. That's worth it in my opinion.

 

Where can you buy replacement parts if you want to make your own? Personally, I was thinking about using some VERY heavy gauge AMP wire. Maybe 1 or 2 GA. Does anyone know if this would work effectively? If not what type of cable do you need to buy to do it correctly? Also, where can you get connectors to crimp to the cables?

Jamie

 

The original cables are aluminum, not copper, so they can deteriorate badly. Auto stores have better all-copper cables, but for the best go to a welding store and get arc welding cables, which have thousands of strands. Welding cable is superior because it is very flexible, and the thousands of strands reduce the surface effect (current tends to flow at the surface of a conductor, not the core, so more surface means lower resistance). You can get superior connectors at a marine supply store (like West Marine).

Welding cable is an old trick I learned in Minnesota, where temps get down to -30, aluminum jumper cables are useless, and my welders cable worked like a champ.

B

 

The RX-7 can use stantard cables, available from any auto parts store, with only a little modification.

I have a 4 guage positive, and a grounding kit in place of the negative, both copper.

For the positive, just buy a cable the length you need to make it to the starter.
Then you need a one large, and one (two for a GSL-SE) smaller ring terminals and some 10 guage wire. Use them to connect the terminal to the fusible link block(s).

For the Ground, buy the shortest ground you gan find, to go from the Negative terminal to the strut tower. Then you need a another short cable or grounding strap to go from the strut tower to the engine block.

As al alternative, you can get your hands on a grounding kit to use instead of the negative cable... Somthing I personally recomend

 

What exactly is a grounding kit? Not sure I've ever heard that term.

 

I like that arc welding wire idea. I'll try that next time!

 

Basically, a bunch of wires and a grounding block.
One wire goes from the batery to the gounding block. You bolt the block to the car somewhere. Then more wires from the block to the engine block, firewall, etc.

Like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6763

 

That grounding block looks like something out of the matrix or predator.

My friend's '77 REPU has an arc welding wire grounding the front cover motor mount to the frame rail. Speaking of grounding, I just hooked up that little 10 guage ground wire in my REPU today that has been hanging off the firewall since I installed the engine back in Feb. The original grounding strap is missing, so the PO just hooked a couple ring terminals to a 10 AWG wire to replace it. My other REPU has two grounding straps because the original heavy ground wire on the motor mount is missing. I might use some arc welding wire on it and give one of the grounding straps to the other REPU.