Replacing 12V71 Battery Cables

[scottinsydney]

A Floscan sensor for starboard engine is mounted above the 0000 battery cables.

A few years ago, this sensor leaked diesel. During the recent haul out and tidying up / cleaning of this area of the engine room it appears that pooled diesel has damaged the outer plastic sheath of the cables. Either the entire cables from the switch to the batteries will need to be replaced or a section of them.

Anyway, I am wondering what is the procedure to get access to the rear of the battery switch to remove the lugs?

View attachment 92248

 

[rsmith]

If it’s just the outer jacket why not just put a sleeve of heat shrink or hose over it? I have hose on mine for chafe guards.

 

[scottinsydney]

Thank you. Somehow my original postost duplicated itself and appears twice.

 

[madhatter1]

I have swapped out those switches. Tight but doable. Just make sure both battery banks are disconnected. That said I agree with rsmith. Repair/cover the cable.

 

[scottinsydney]

So in the end I checked the cables carefully. The outer plastic shell had been damaged by the diesel but luckily none had permeated through the shell to the copper. The tests I did shower clean copper.

I was able to purchase 4:1 reduction 52mm double wall heat shrink in metre lengths , say 36", long rolls.

The easiest way was to undo the cables at the batteries and remove all the P Clamps going aft towards the battery switches. Then slide the heat shrink down the cable. It became apprent that the heat shrink needed to be cut into 8" lengths and to then overlap each other. Using a standard heat gun was easy and job soon done. The 4:1 heatshrink worked well on the 20mm diameter 0000 cable.

This was a good solution and was easier to resolve that I thought. Time taken was 10 hours over 5 days.

I am going to find a cable track that will elevate the cables off the floor so that any diesel leaks from the fue filters or fittings above cannot do such damage again.