BATTERY CABLES

Mark,
When I replaced the battery cables on my 54 Firedome they required 0 gauge which Napa didn't have. I ended up having them made at a place that specialized in truck electrical systems.

Good Luck,
Steve

Mark

Or purchase a set of Red and Black colored jumper cables of the correct large
diameter wiring ( red & black shielding don't count ) and have the ends ( from
NAPA's Shelf ) on them.

Or stop at a place and ask for "welding cables" and have the ends ( from NAPA's
Shelf ) on them.

*
Cut to length each wire.

Then you can cut the Red & Black Shielding to expose The Wire - slip over a
section of Electrical Wiring Shrink Wrap - Stick the exposed wiring end into
the ends that you got from The NAPA Shelf - Solder/ Crimp the two together
- slide The Heat Wrap over your "fixing" and then shrink it.
*

The original battery wiring in 1952 may not have been colored to reflect Positive
or Negitive - but now others may see that you have a replacement and the Red
Colored Wire is Ground and The Black Colored Wire is not.

This could lead to a informational session on Why Positive being ground. What
other non MoPar makes used Positive Ground and why Six Volts need a larger diameter than 12 Volts.

Rodger & Gabby
COS

Roger,
Check out the Tech Advisor's tips in the March/April "DeSoto Adventures" re: One Wire Alternators which covers both of your questions.
6 volt systems have half of the electrical pressure of their 12 volt counterpart systems which means the charging system has to produce twice as much current (amps) to accomplish the same amount of "work". To supply that increased current, the system has to have a least half the resistance (ohms) in all of its conductors.
Positive ground systems are prevalent in most (if not all) early european vehicles. The difference arises from the differing theories regarding the direction of current flow.
The conventional theory for direct current systems is that current flows from positive to negative.
The electron theory is that since current is the flow of negatively charged electrons, the current flow is from negative to positive, hence the positive ground systems.
The interesting thing about all of this is that with all of the miracles of science we enjoy today, there hasn't ever been a way to prove which theory is correct.
All of this just points out how much many of you are missing by not being members of the National DeSoto Club so that you get to receive the club's bi-monthly publication at no additional cost!
Join today and begin to enjoy some great comoraderie!
Geoff Overley, Editor
DeSoto Adventures Magazine

I ordered cables from antiques auto batteries and asked for the largest gauge. She said that the #1 welding cable was the biggest they offer and had never heard of any problems, even when the batteries were in trunk. I have a '52 Firedome as a daily driver, 5000 k a year, and while the cables look small, it didn't seem to make any difference in cranking. The map light doesn't dim at all when the starter cranks.
Hey Mark, did you get that trunk light working? People are amazed that a mercury switch is in a '52. Another neat thing is the way the ignition key port lights up when the panel lights are turned on and goes out when the headlights go on. Love driving it and are doing 200 mile drives to antique stores all over So. Cal.

Had to go out and check my story. Sorry, when the headlight switch is turned to the parking position, the key light comes, not the panel switch.
When you push 70, you are grateful for the things that do still work, memory is on the ragged edge.
Bart

Yesterday, I installed my # 1 gauge, NAPA battery cables, All three of them.

I also put in a new battery.

Everything is working fine. The battery was going bad, and the cables were old.

The real test, will be on a hot day.................Remember, we had snow just a few weeks ago, and it was not real hot yesterday.

Mark

If that doesn't work just part it out.

There has a been few times, that I would have given the whole car away.............