I didn't have space to run through the same grommet.  I enlarged the hole a
little bit and replaced the grommet with some heater hose wrapping around
both cables.  Not as nice as the grommet but I feel it is protected.

Near the bottom of this page you can calculate voltage drops for various
size/characteristics
http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

I think my cable was labelled in a confusing manner.
The cable was labelled and sold as #2 and #4.....#2 was bigger than #4
however 4/0 is bigger than 2/0 so I think I described it backwards in a
previous post where I stated that I used 4/0 for the short
alternator-----starter run and 2/0 for the rest.

What I should have said is that I used #4 for Alt-----Starter and #2 for the
rest and I'm not sure what AWG it was.  But the stuff is "beefy", a
technical term we all understand, but have various interpretations of. :)

-Ry
http://www.google.com/profiles/rylincoln

On Sat, Jul 24, 2010 at 6:58 AM, craig cowan <phishman068@gmail.com> wrote:

> So i'm going to go get some cable and make the run.
> Would you guys all suggest 2/0? Or can something thinner be used (since
> it's
> running parallell).
> If you leave the old cable in place, how do you route up the new one into
> the battery box? Is there space sufficient to run it through the same
> grommet, or must you drill a new hole?
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Craig
> '85GL turned WESTY
> BOSTIG in the back
> '87 SUNROOF Syncro
>
>
> On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 9:35 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
> > if the symptom is slow hard cranking ...
> > and it was always fine 'before' ..
> > and the starter is a known to be very old ..
> > it's not hard to look inside them.
> > the come apart pretty cleverly actually.
> >
> > I can just 'see' the rear cover, over the brushes...
> > about a few spoonfuls of old brush material laying in there.
> >
> > and if you are going to upgrade battery cables ..like the main one ..
> > you can just add another in parallel, and keep the old one in place.
> >
> > the starter main terminal, the alternator main terminal, and battery
> > positive post are all in common of course.
> > on my 85...I was missing a whole volt of charging voltage at the battery
> ..
> > I ran a cable from alternator main terminal to battery positive ..and
> that
> > sure helped - fixed it totally.
> >
> > my thoughts are you old starter is 'too tired' .
> >
> > Scott
> > www.turbovans.com
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "craig cowan" <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Friday, July 23, 2010 5:49 PM
> > Subject: Re: Symptoms of a bad starter?
> >
> >
> >
> >  So if you run a new cable, you just run it strait from the battery to
> the
> >> starter?
> >> Do you remove the old one? Does the old one go exclusively from the
> >> battery
> >> strait to the charger?
> >>
> >> So, you would get a piece of wire, with the same battery post clamp on
> one
> >> end? (And the eye on the other).
> >>
> >> -Craig
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 12:07 PM, Ry <rylincoln@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>  I had similar problems on my 2.1.  My solution, which may or may not
> work
> >>> for you, was to run parallel cables at the following locations.
> >>> Battery <----------------------------> starter ~ 11 feet
> >>> Front Transmission <---------> Body   ~ 8 inches  (make sure not to
> >>> connect
> >>> just to the transmission mount bolts as this is electrically insulated
> >>> from
> >>> the rest of the engine/transmission assembly by the rubber mount)
> >>> Alternator <---------> Starter    ~2.5 feet
> >>>
> >>> All cables made from 2/0 purchased from welding supply and crimp
> >>> connected
> >>> to closed ring connectors found in the same supply store.
> >>>
> >>> My van starts with ZERO hesitation now and turns over super quick.
> Before
> >>> I couldn't get it to turn over and jumping it would barely work.
> >>>
> >>> MIGHT be your whole problem or just PART of the problem.  The other
> >>> things
> >>> mentioned about the brushes wearing out are also a likely culprit.
> >>>
> >>> -Ry
> >>> http://www.google.com/profiles/rylincoln
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 10:13 AM, craig cowan <phishman068@gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> > So, my starter is a randomly picked, untested 1.9 starter that was in
> a
> >>> > pile
> >>> > of them some years ago.
> >>> >
> >>> > Lately, the bus simply won't start. I get great power to all the
> >>> > accessories, the battery appears to be holding and charging just
> fine,
> >>> but
> >>> > the thing just won't turn over fast enough to be of any value. I've
> >>> cleaned
> >>> > all my grounds, I've tightened all my leads, and yet.... no dice.
> >>> > Jumping the battery off another car no longer has any effect.
> >>> >
> >>> > I'm starting to think my starter is a bad egg. Any thoughts?
> >>> > What type of symptoms would be expected from a failing starter....if
> >>> other
> >>> > than what I described?
> >>> >
> >>> > -Craig
> >>> >
> >>>
> >>>
> >
>