Battery Terminal problems
- Thread starter madder
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Reuse the old clamp:
If you cut through the bolt where it fits through the clamp. Then open the slot in the clamp with the hacksaw until its about 3mm wide. Put a new 6mm bolt in the old clamp from one of the new terminals and tighten until the slot closes or the clamp is tight on the battery terminal.
It might save you having to rewire a new clamp.
Don't forget to disconnect the other terminal first. The negative one. Then hold the failed terminal with a pair of pliers while cutting the old bolt. It has been known for guys in the trade to turn the terminal upside down so that it will be tight on the tapered battery terminal and then replace the old bolt with new.
Then when you have it back on tight replace the negative terminal.
Good luck
If you cut through the bolt where it fits through the clamp. Then open the slot in the clamp with the hacksaw until its about 3mm wide. Put a new 6mm bolt in the old clamp from one of the new terminals and tighten until the slot closes or the clamp is tight on the battery terminal.
It might save you having to rewire a new clamp.
Don't forget to disconnect the other terminal first. The negative one. Then hold the failed terminal with a pair of pliers while cutting the old bolt. It has been known for guys in the trade to turn the terminal upside down so that it will be tight on the tapered battery terminal and then replace the old bolt with new.
Then when you have it back on tight replace the negative terminal.
Good luck
Ok guys. I'll be putting a picture of my terminal up in an hour or 2.
I think the best thing for me to do is probably to use the new clamp. The silver coloured one I pictured earlier. I don't think I can reuse this stuff cos it's so rusty and it seems to be tightened to it's fullest and still not tight enough to keep the clamp on the battery terminal. SO it looks like it'll have to be the new clamp used. Does it matter which wire goes into which side of the clamp?
Oh yeah, my negative terminal is tightly attached but the screws on it are also not moving. They too are rusted in and I don't want to take that off in case I can't get it back on again. Can I do this procedure while wearing rubber gloves? WIll that be safe enough?
I think the best thing for me to do is probably to use the new clamp. The silver coloured one I pictured earlier. I don't think I can reuse this stuff cos it's so rusty and it seems to be tightened to it's fullest and still not tight enough to keep the clamp on the battery terminal. SO it looks like it'll have to be the new clamp used. Does it matter which wire goes into which side of the clamp?
Oh yeah, my negative terminal is tightly attached but the screws on it are also not moving. They too are rusted in and I don't want to take that off in case I can't get it back on again. Can I do this procedure while wearing rubber gloves? WIll that be safe enough?
You can fix the cables on whichever side of the clamp thats convenient.
There's no worries about leaving the negative terminal connected - but you could disconnect it at the other end, where the cable bolts to the engine or bodywork
Just cover the positive terminal over with some tape if it makes you nervous!
John
There's no worries about leaving the negative terminal connected - but you could disconnect it at the other end, where the cable bolts to the engine or bodywork
Just cover the positive terminal over with some tape if it makes you nervous!
John
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Nay, just bash on - cut the cables as close to the clamp as you can, then bare around 25mm of insulation from each.
Cut away some of the cable covering (pic 4) if you need to.
Push them both into the clamp and tighten the screws. Job done!
John
Cut away some of the cable covering (pic 4) if you need to.
Push them both into the clamp and tighten the screws. Job done!
John
I'm at a standstill again! I have 2 baby hack saws in the house and I can't find either of them! I have poured olive oil on the nut and bolt and they have cleaned up lovely! Still won't budge though. I sprayed a small bit of degreaser in and I'll try again in a short while.
I'm gonna do all I can to avoid making cuts but if I have to, I'll cut as a last resort!
I'm gonna do all I can to avoid making cuts but if I have to, I'll cut as a last resort!
I hae decided to cut. I cut the first wire without any problems. Close to the top. Its a blue wire wrapped with black casing. The second wire however, is much thicker and is clamped extremely tightly inside the old clamp. I don't think there's quite enough slack to cut it back so I have to figure out a way of getting the wire out of the clamps lock? It looks like it can be wedged apart but it's very rigid. What to do?
In my opinion, you should never have needed to cut any of those cables. But now that you've cut one, you might as well cut the other. Cut it as close to where it's clamped as possible. Then you'll have to bare it back just enough to get it into your new clamp. 1" should do it.
I'm fairly confident that there won't be enough room if I cut the 2nd cable. ALl I can do now is release the 2nd cable and then I'm good to go. But I can't pry apart the clamp, It's wrapped around the cable long ways and from right and left.
update:
So, I finally got the clamp out and saved all of the 2nd cable length. I screwed the fatter cable into the new silver clamp, however, the thinner cable is FAR too thin to screw securely into the other side of the clamp.
What now?
should I just put the 2 into the same side of the clamp?
So, I finally got the clamp out and saved all of the 2nd cable length. I screwed the fatter cable into the new silver clamp, however, the thinner cable is FAR too thin to screw securely into the other side of the clamp.
What now?
should I just put the 2 into the same side of the clamp?
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