Is it a problem to have the positive and negative cables run side by side with no air gap?

[The_Josh_Bear]

I don't have much to add besides agreeing with @u2slow that you should run the positive cable straight to the starter, and from the starter back up to your OE hook ups. Of course you can delete the positive on the driver's side and bolt that negative to frame or tie into the passenger side ground.
Also this seems like a lot of work to avoid spending $300 on some stock batts $400 on two group 31 batteries and hack the trays. I just googled around, and good Lord, group 31's are significantly cheaper than decent group 65's these days!! How stupid is that!?!?

 

[u2slow]

I just googled around, and good Lord, group 31's are significantly cheaper than decent group 65's these days!! How stupid is that!?!?

I'd love that (what my dodges use) but it's not the case around here. 65's are cheaper, and available at more places. Last I checked, Walmart nor Costco carries a group 31 cranking battery.

 

[divemaster5734]

you should run the positive cable straight to the starter, and from the starter back up to your OE hook ups.

That's where my ocd kicks in.
All fuse or other overcurrent protection is calibrated to protect the wire, this is true in every circuit on the planet.
If he has a 600 - 800 amp protection device on the batteries that won't do anything to protect the little 8 gauge jumping from the starter to the accessories or start relay.
8 AWG needs 50a protection, or 80 if you want to toss the 20% rule and go next higher.
If there's a short, say it rubs on the frame, or melts on the exhaust, that little 8 will melt the insulation off from the short to the starter, and become a glowing red hot fire source until it either burns in half, with the hot half hopefully dangling harmlessly in the air, or it will find other exposed metal to short out on, it's kind of doubtful it would ever blow the battery fuse before causing other havoc.
Inline 60a circuit breakers are cheap and easy to install, but that only protects from that point downline, so unless it's installed right at the starter it won't be fully protected.
Installed at the starter could cause long term functional issues.
This is why they have the OEM cable with a terminal tap built into the cable that's one piece from the left battery through to the right and ends at the starter, with the short accessory jumper built in.
Mine was frayed with half the strands on the outer wraps no longer attached, and just taping it doesn't make a wrench tight connection, which is why I made each jumper separate and terminated with a copper lug instead of lead, as copper is a better conductor.
I'm planning on installing a terminal buss for the accessories and power with a relay, then only leave the always live 12v distribution that's required, door locks, interior dome lights, power step, security, and ignition switch.
All that said, these trucks have been running with no main battery or accessory protection for decades, and I'm sure only a few hundred thousand have actually burned up due to electrical fire in that time.
I'm a total newb on all this diesel stuff, if it wasn't for all you guys here there's no way my two projects would have ever made it this far.
Unfortunately, I' have a sever defect, if I can do a thing, then I can sure as heck overdo it just as much.
Being retired doesn't help, got too much time to invent catastrophic events in my head....

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

That's where my ocd kicks in.
All fuse or other overcurrent protection is calibrated to protect the wire, this is true in every circuit on the planet.
If he has a 600 - 800 amp protection device on the batteries that won't do anything to protect the little 8 gauge jumping from the starter to the accessories or start relay.
8 AWG needs 50a protection, or 80 if you want to toss the 20% rule and go next higher.
If there's a short, say it rubs on the frame, or melts on the exhaust, that little 8 will melt the insulation off from the short to the starter, and become a glowing red hot fire source until it either burns in half, with the hot half hopefully dangling harmlessly in the air, or it will find other exposed metal to short out on, it's kind of doubtful it would ever blow the battery fuse before causing other havoc.
Inline 60a circuit breakers are cheap and easy to install, but that only protects from that point downline, so unless it's installed right at the starter it won't be fully protected.
Installed at the starter could cause long term functional issues.
This is why they have the OEM cable with a terminal tap built into the cable that's one piece from the left battery through to the right and ends at the starter, with the short accessory jumper built in.
Mine was frayed with half the strands on the outer wraps no longer attached, and just taping it doesn't make a wrench tight connection, which is why I made each jumper separate and terminated with a copper lug instead of lead, as copper is a better conductor.
I'm planning on installing a terminal buss for the accessories and power with a relay, then only leave the always live 12v distribution that's required, door locks, interior dome lights, power step, security, and ignition switch.
All that said, these trucks have been running with no main battery or accessory protection for decades, and I'm sure only a few hundred thousand have actually burned up due to electrical fire in that time.
I'm a total newb on all this diesel stuff, if it wasn't for all you guys here there's no way my two projects would have ever made it this far.
Unfortunately, I' have a sever defect, if I can do a thing, then I can sure as heck overdo it just as much.
Being retired doesn't help, got too much time to invent catastrophic events in my head....

Very good thoughts, and you answered them yourself. I appreciate the open thinking to help bring us along for the ride. I use those automatic resetting breakers for anything I might need to keep working on the side of the road after taping up the short just to get home: trailer brakes, e-fuel pump main power, and I have one for cab power from 15 years ago during my honeymoon when the stupid fuse link cracked on me! Took me 3 DAYS to track that down with my bride not super happy with me. Eventually I was able to convince her that it's the TRUCK having problems, I wasn't the problem.

I did have a 12 gauge wire foolishly un-fused once ground out on my 88 300-6. STUPID... thankfully the only thing I had to replace was my shorts after the smoke cleared and I was able to pull the ground wire off. That was pretty scary on a gasser, it could legitimately burn through a fuel line in that case. Only needed that lesson once!

 

[divemaster5734]

I did have a 12 gauge wire foolishly un-fused once ground out on my 88 300-6. STUPID... thankfully the only thing I had to replace was my shorts after the smoke cleared and I was able to pull the ground wire off. That was pretty scary on a gasser, it could legitimately burn through a fuel line in that case. Only needed that lesson once!

I use the resettable inline CB's whenever possible.

You must be registered for see images attach

Have had this one on my camp trailer for the power w i n c h for at least a decade.
I use it as a disconnect as well.
They censored that word.
My first car was a '65 Galaxy 500 2 door coup, 390ci w/ holly 700 quadrajet / c6. 15 yrs old, paid $100, and promptly smoked some of the wiring along with my brand new 8 track deck.
Still remember that moment of abject terror as smoke was pouring out from behind the dash, just before I reached under the dash, grabbed a handful of wire, and ripped it out. Luckily happened to grab the same wire I had just put in.

Figures I'd become an electrician..

 

[IDIBRONCO]

They censored that word.

Pretty funny. "Artificial intelligence" that spells the word wrong. The one that it wanted to censor is spelled with an e instead of an i.

 

[nelstomlinson]

For AC you absolutely want the two wires running side by side, as close as possible, to reduce impedance. It's a code requirement to have the hot legs and neutral in the same conduit.
For DC it doesn't really matter.

 

[divemaster5734]

For AC you absolutely want the two wires running side by side, as close as possible, to reduce impedance. It's a code requirement to have the hot legs and neutral in the same conduit.
For DC it doesn't really matter.

Indeed, it's for harmonics.
Otherwise it's phase imbalance.
You sound like a Sparky.

 

[nelstomlinson]

Electrical engineer.