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Battery cable ends - what’s best crimped, soldered, compressed etc

excavator

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2006
Messages
1,445
Location
Pacific North West
I got called to change out a set of batteries in a Fiat Allis wheel loader on Friday. In a bit of a hurry and not paying close attention I replaced both and went to fire it up. Nothing, not a peep. So after spending far to much time looking the system over I found that one negative battery cable end had been replaced with a positive cable end, they even put red shrink tubing on it. When I hooked it up I just looked at the N stamped on the cable end. Morals of the story, when you replace cable ends please install the correct ones, don't get in a hurry and no matter how many times you replace batteries, pay attention to your work. Never to old to still make mistakes. ;)
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,127
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
The thin heat shrink tubing with out the hot melt glue inside seems to actually let moisture wick inside and not let it back out.
 

hosspuller

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
1,869
Location
North Carolina
The thin heat shrink tubing with out the hot melt glue inside seems to actually let moisture wick inside and not let it back out.
IMHO ... the cause is capillary action. The surface tension of the water drives it into the small spaces... but unless heated, there is nothing to drive the water out.
 

Flat Thunder Channel

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
378
Location
Ohio
I've been guilty of replacing cables with the incorrect color coding. Sometimes you have to work with what you have available. I have to trace my cables back to the source to be sure. Sometimes I still trick myself if I am not careful.

I didn't think about it until it was mentioned in this thread. I was going to replace one of my truck batteries and follow suit next year replacing the older of the two. I opted to replace both at the same time. It makes sense that an older battery could create a parasitic drain on the newer unit. Good idea / point to whoever mentioned it!

The batteries I replaced were not bad by any means. I decided to keep those for backups and equipment. I traded in some other older units that were spent. $79.99 each battery so $160 plus tax for both batteries. They are Rural King branded batteries made by Exide. At these prices I will swap them out every three years just for piece of mind and solid starting power.

Don't forget to check your batteries before cold weather really sits in. I also replaced the battery in my wife's car. It was 5 years old. I like Rural King batteries, but don't necessarily agree that a tiny car battery, half the size of my truck battery, should be $125.

This is the first time in awhile all the batteries in the rack have a full charge!
 

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NH575E

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2015
Messages
1,183
Location
North, FL
Occupation
Retired Machinist
When I had my cables made they came out with red heat shrink on all 4 ends. I asked if they were out of black and they said no so I got them to cut the red shrink off the negative cable and replace it with black.
 

Birdseye

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2020
Messages
247
Location
Topeka Kansas
This supplier looks pretty good , has anyone bought from them “GenuineDealz”.

They have all the heavy duty so-called ‘marine’ battery cable components or they can make up your custom cable according to your specs: color, end, awg etc. Because as stated, proper crimping is necessary to ensure long lasting, low-resistance connections, getting the cable built by an outfit with the right crimper is a good way to go.

https://www.genuinedealz.com/products/custom-battery-cable-marine-grade-by-the-foot

079A949C-ADF0-4AE9-A106-1C138906E3AD.jpeg
 

emmett518

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2021
Messages
810
Location
USA
I prefer to do what this guy does in the video.

NO!!!!!

ANY FLUX WILL NOT WORK!!!

Only use rosin core flux / solder on electronics and wire. Acid core flux will cause problems.

I'm probably going to make the new battery cable I'm making to a truck repair shop to have them crimp the ends. I'll then add solder to finish it.

Any links to good shrink wrap tubing please?
 

emmett518

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2021
Messages
810
Location
USA
I took the old batteries out of my 310, and replaced them as they were 5 years old. Come to find out, the hoe has been running on one battery. The chimpanzee mechanic who last put the batteries in, left the plastic battery post cap on one of the batteries when he cranked on the connector, so the battery was never hooked up or charged.

I was going to try to get more time out of them, but figured one fail to start on a freezing Jan day when 3 feet of snow sat in the driveway would make me rue my cheapskate attitude. Replaced them both.
 

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
3,286
Location
North of the 60
Occupation
Cargo Tanks, ULSD, RUG, Methanol, LPG
Emmett518,

That’s funny, but not funny. The plastic cap was still on the post. Wow.
Hey, NAPA sells the hammer style lug crimper. Part # 726604.

or, Amazon has a large selection.
 

JL Sargent

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2018
Messages
842
Location
Alabama
NO!!!!!

ANY FLUX WILL NOT WORK!!!

Only use rosin core flux / solder on electronics and wire. Acid core flux will cause problems.

I'm probably going to make the new battery cable I'm making to a truck repair shop to have them crimp the ends. I'll then add solder to finish it.

Any links to good shrink wrap tubing please?
I only have rosin core solder at the present, but you never use acid core on electronics. A 2/0 heavy strand cable will probably only last 20 or so years with acid core.
 

Delmer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,863
Location
WI
...you never use acid core on electronics. A 2/0 heavy strand cable will probably only last 20 or so years with acid core.

If the cable is already forty years old, then it's not going to flow real well without acid flux, and if it only lasts another twenty years, then so what? I agree, rinse the acid off, and don't put a heat shrink on top of the flux. If everything was clean and new, crimped and heat shrunk, you wouldn't need to solder anything.

When you get greenish black strands that you want to reuse, soak them in a jar of sulfuric acid from a charged but junk battery, they'll be shiny clean by the next day. Might even work with rosin flux?
 

emmett518

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2021
Messages
810
Location
USA
If the cable is already forty years old, then it's not going to flow real well without acid flux, and if it only lasts another twenty years, then so what? I agree, rinse the acid off, and don't put a heat shrink on top of the flux. If everything was clean and new, crimped and heat shrunk, you wouldn't need to solder anything.

When you get greenish black strands that you want to reuse, soak them in a jar of sulfuric acid from a charged but junk battery, they'll be shiny clean by the next day. Might even work with rosin flux?

I would Cut it back to clean copper or use emery cloth to clean it up.
 

Vetech63

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2016
Messages
6,362
Location
Oklahoma
I watched a young guy once that tried to install terminal ends over the protective caps on a battery. I thought he was screwing with me at first then I realized he was serious. I asked him why he was doing that.......he said if you remove those caps then you don’t know which cable hooks up to which end. I gave him that “dumbass” stare and walked off.
 
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