TOPIC: Old Merc Harness---Battery Cable Replace

Ok we have all seen this when we pick up that 40 year old Merc for a song and get to restoring it. Besides the typical dried out and rotten internal wiring insulation issues, the Merc controls and most of the harness under cover seems fine but those darn battery cables that are not covered are in really rough shape.

I am working on a a 75 Merc 500 and the battery cables are both missing about 2 feet of insulation and with the rusted copper wires exposed and one is virtually hanging together by about a third of the strands.

Question. Can one cut back the harness outside wrap to get solid battery cables and somehow splice some new wire with battery terminal ends onto it?

Of course the Mercs finally went to the totally separate battery cables running directly into the cowl and connecting to the starter/soleniod.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Tim

cut the old cables back to good material, using butt splice connectors crimp on your new cables

the crimp on butt splice connectors come in different sizes to match your cables size ...so match the butt splicers and the new cables to the existing mercury size cables

Just a thought here Tim, I had to put new connectors on the battery cable ends (outboard) recently. If you have an auto electric or truck repair shop that makes their own battery cables nearby, they'll have the BIG crimping too you need, and probably the right size connectors and heat shrink tubing to do the job. You can buy the tool to do it, but this seemed like a less expensive option for me, anyway......?

Thanks for the ideas fellas. I will look into it right away.

Tim

walmart has battery cables for less than $10 and i think they go up to 52 inches.

Thanks Propnut but I already have a couple of 5' cables. I just need to figure out how to splice them into the old Merc wiring harness properly.

Good news is for now I already have a homemade harness with proper adapter I made with an ignition switch that is allowing me to start this old Merc 500. Better news is that I got it fired up although
running rough so I have to R&R the carbs which is a major PIA to get off.

So much stuff to remove to get the carbs off and hopefully not..the distributor.

Tim