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Replacing battery and terminals.
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IJG
New User
Aug 27, 2009, 11:33 PM
Post #1 of 12
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Replacing battery and terminals.
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I got a '92 Mercury Capri convertable with the dead, top mount terminal battery in it. The terminals on there are rusted to heck, so I figured I might as well replace them when I put the new battery in. Problem is... Is that, how would I use the new terminals with the new battery? Do I unmount the old batter and just hack the negative and positive wires off where they enter the old terminals and just hook the hacked off wires to the new terminals, then place those on the new battery?
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 28, 2009, 12:43 AM
Post #2 of 12
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Re: Replacing battery and terminals.
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The first thing you have to do is make sure there is plenty of excess length in the cables so they can be cut and still have plenty of cable left. If not, you'll have to replace the whole cable.
To replace the end, cut the old terminal off flush and then strip back about 1" of insulation and wire brush the wire thoroughly. Make sure there is no corrosion at all on the wire or replace the cable. The easiest way is to install the battery first and then put the new cable ends on the battery. It will be easier to insert the cable into the cable end that way.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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GlennAB1
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Aug 28, 2009, 7:03 AM
Post #5 of 12
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Re: Replacing battery and terminals.
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There should be no need to wire brush the stripped cable unless it already has signs of corrosion. If that is the case it will begin to corrode pretty rapidly, especially with the insulation removed, it's now exposed to a more corrosive environment. After stripping the insulation, if the cable isn't corroded, the only thing I'd do is spray an electro contact cleaner on it. I consider replacing battery terminal ends to be a somewhat temporary fix, the cable always corrodes fairly rapidly at the terminal connection.
Sig removed
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Sep 8, 2009, 1:14 AM)
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IJG
New User
Aug 28, 2009, 10:27 AM
Post #7 of 12
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Re: Replacing battery and terminals.
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Well, thanks. If I still can't get the terminals off with the assistance of my dad I'll pick up some new ones. I've heard that the ones where you have to solder in the cable are the best.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Aug 28, 2009, 10:36 AM
Post #8 of 12
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Re: Replacing battery and terminals.
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If you have the knowledge and equipment to do that, fine but they are very difficult to install properly and will probably be hard to find. Everyone uses the bolt on kind.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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IJG
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Aug 28, 2009, 1:03 PM
Post #9 of 12
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Re: Replacing battery and terminals.
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Well we managed to get the old terminals off with the cables in tact, so we just stuck'em on the new battery. Unfortunately I dropped one of the nuts when I was removing one of the j-bars... I'll have to find a match at the hardware store.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Aug 28, 2009, 1:04 PM
Post #10 of 12
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Re: Replacing battery and terminals.
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5/16 coarse thread
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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GlennAB1
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Aug 30, 2009, 5:03 PM
Post #12 of 12
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Re: Replacing battery and terminals.
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The first thing you have to do is make sure there is plenty of excess length in the cables so they can be cut and still have plenty of cable left. If not, you'll have to replace the whole cable.
To replace the end, cut the old terminal off flush and then strip back about 1" of insulation and wire brush the wire thoroughly. Make sure there is no corrosion at all on the wire or replace the cable. The easiest way is to install the battery first and then put the new cable ends on the battery. It will be easier to insert the cable into the cable end that way. "wire brush the wire thoroughly" In doing so, you may introduce a dissimilar metal to the cable that in a very short time causes the cable to be blown out with corrosion.
By this logic the battery cable ends that are installed by the factory should cause a whole host of corrosion problems.
All metals do not react the same. Copper with lead has much less corrosive tendencies than Copper with steel.
To be honest, I had to do some review because in my work I deal mostly with steel and aluminum and we simply try to avoid any/all dissimilar metals contact in order to reduce corrosion. Truth is, copper is one of the least reactive metals and cathodic in nature. Copper (being cathodic) combined with steel (being anodic) from a wire brush, if anything, any trace element of steel left on the copper will corrode...... yep, the steel would corrode, not the copper. Come to think of it, that's why I've had to wire brush the rusted spot where the battery cable grounds and not had to do anything (other than clean) the cables terminal end. Also, the corrosion is most likely when the metals are in an electrolitic environment. Copper cable with lead in a nearly air tight/liquid tight contact won't readily corrode, but over time the lead will because it is anodic in nature with copper. This is also why the steel hardware corrodes and not the led terminals. I apologize to Hammer.
Sig removed
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Sep 8, 2009, 1:14 AM)
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