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External power plug

montaillou

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I'm doing some work on the battery box and figured now's a good time to change the battery cables. I'm upgrading them to a thicker cable, y'know, because I can.

On the passenger side, corner of the cab is an external power plug. I'm wondering if I should cut this out of the system.

I've pulled the plug free and I don't see a good way it comes apart. I'm moving to a thicker gauge of wire and don't even know if the plug will support this.

Realistically, I don't see that this plug will get much (any?) use even if I keep it hooked up. Is there another option, maybe an aftermarket solution? I don't mind the idea of supplying external power for something, but how many 24v applications am I likely to run into these days anyways?

What have others done that have come to this?
 

gimpyrobb

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Its a jumper cable system originally. Is yours the 2 pin or nato single pin? The nato ones are easily upgraded, the 2 pin not so much. They are rated about 500amps stock I believe.
 

montaillou

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2 pin.

I'd be up for putting something else back in there, if it's more likely to get used.
 

Jericho

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Its the slave port, its used to provide 24 volt power for jumping and many other functions, I use mine all the time, I run the two pin set up, I get rid of the nato single pin one, Id you want to boost one truck from another its the way to do it I even run slave ports on all my civvie trucks using 12 volt as well
 

montaillou

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I just don't seem to have a use for it. My other vehicles are 12v and I'm surrounded by a city of 12v vehicles. I'm putting a separate 12v system in, maybe I'll hook it up to that and put a tag above it to mark it as a 12v jump.
 

dmetalmiki

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Why disconnect it?, The first time you remove or change it, You can bet the batteries will be found too flat to start your truck!. (Murphy's law).
With the correct plug, You can easily keep up the battery maintenance as in my case, All my trucks have the double pin U.S. sockets, (Except the M62 Wrecker which has both sockets), And my Single Pole CHARGER cable from the multiple range bench charger runs out to any vehicle, or vehicles in the shop which all carry in the toolboxes two pin U.S. to single NATO ADAPTORS.
I do in fact leave ALL the 24 volt vehicles in the shop on trickle maintenance upkeep charge connected thus, Cables to multiple socket extension reels make this an easy task.
 
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montaillou

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As for the batteries going, I have a external charger and keep the batteries out when the truck is idle for a long time. I think I'm more likely to run into 12v situations and it could be convenient to have a 12v jump in place to help people out

The main reason I thought about disconnecting it was because I'm upgrading the battery cables and if I'm gonna keep this plug I'd like to upgrade the wiring for it too. However, I don't even know if the plug will support a heavier gauge. I'm not sure I can get it apart without breaking it.

For right now, it's hardly a priority. I'm just gonna leave it disconnected, but everything still there.

My batteries and box are out, and I'm gonna install the box where it bolts on slides. It just seemed a good time to change out the cables at this time.
 

Keith_J

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The two-pin slave start receptacles DO come apart. The contacts push inward, then the insulator can be pushed out. The contacts support up to #2 wire. You could reduce larger gauge wire to fit, the resistance would be minimal as the limiting factor is always the pin to socket resistance.
 
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