Mk3 Starter Cables

I've just completed this installation on my current project, I used the maximum size cable I was able to accommodate. It's massive and possibly over specified but I don't anticipate any problems with current supply to my starter motor. 4 brush and ball races should also help.

The original cables were 10 gauge - massively under specced for the circa 300 amps that the original Prestolite can draw from stall.

You can easily add another 50 amps onto this if you go up the path of upgrading with the four brushes/four field coils.

Aftermarket kits all consist of 8 gauge cables or even 6 gauge cables - these are akin to welding cables.

These have many, many more strands of copper, so are much more capable of taking the power drawn by the starter.

Yet they are still relatively supple and fine to route.

Even our friends at Andover, who pride themselves on originality, do not sell the original size cables, as they recognise that they were not up to the job.

I use this : https://kojaycat.co.uk/epages/950000457.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/950000457/Categories/Cable_12v_Automotive/Battery_Cable/16mm_110_Amp

It is 16mm2 section which equates to 6AWG.

If you put "AWG wire gauge" into a search engine it will show up information on wire gauges with cross-section and current ratings of copper wires. The wire in the link above is 'only' rated at 110A, but this is continuous, it will take much more for the few seconds that the starter is cranking.