FTZ Crimp Tool Question

[ekim]

I have a new FTZ Crimp tool (the square crimp style). It's been adjusted to the specs in the manual (it's 15" between the handle ends with A/C dies set). I can't get it to 16" without removing the two washers put on at the factory. I'm chicken to take the adjusting bolt out for fear I won't get it back in...

The 4/0 dies come together with no lugs in the tool. When I crimp 4/0 cable with power lugs the dies don't touch. There's a small gap. The tool IS bottoming out where the handles meet the head.

I put 160 amps @ ~12 volts through the lugs and they did not get warm. I think between about 2' of cable and the two lugs it dropped 15mV. They never got warm to the touch.

Does this seem reasonable?

 

[BobH]

Are you using FTZ brand Powerlugs or some other brand? Different brand lugs might require an adjustment. The lug "table" on the handle is specifically for their FTZ lug designs. My crimper shows 4/0 = A/A for a Powerlug & A/B for their flaired lugs.

 

[ekim]

I'm using NSPA Lugs from GenuineDealz. They assured me the lugs are compatible with the FTZ lugs. I was use A/A for the crimp but A/C for adjusting.

I'm a little confused about the tool bottoming out at the head where the handles attach with lugs in vs the dies touch well before that with no lugs.

 

[BobH]

I haven't crimped anything larger than 1/0 with mine. I used FTZ Powerlugs & I didn' have to deviate from the listed tables for the die settings & each lug required 2 crimps next to each other. The crimper got to max pressure and then kind of eased as the dies touched with a slight overlap at the same time the handles bottomed out. Sounds like you need to burn up a couple of test lugs to get the right crimp settings. My only suggestion would be if you have some smaller wire a lugs that aren't as expensive as 4/0's then use those and compare your results with the FTX tables and make similar adjustments as you go to larger lug sizes.