Soldering Battery Cable Ends

Kid Vette

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The positive battery cable terminal is shot. The whole cable is probably due to be replaced but since I neglected to do that when I had the tranny out I just want to replace the terminal. I came across this video.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXDkNMDDrBs[/ame]

This looks like a great way to do it. However they are not available for side terminals so I think I'll switch to top posts. Seems like it would be much easier for installation than the side terminals anyway. Anybody see any downsides to switching to top posts?

I have some acid flux; would that be OK for this?
 
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I dont like ''welded'' battery coonnections.

If theres a short, the wire gets hot and will slide out.
This happened to me on one of my big trucks,

Better crimp those instead of weld them, it will hold much better
 
~18 years and my '72 was a side poster....not an issue, but this last time around I switched to a top post marine battery on account of price....some 30 bux cheaper, same size battery.....and so just pulled the bolts from the side post, slid the connectors over the studs, and put on the bolts....werks fine for a car that sets more than drives these daze....damnit....


:bomb:
 
I dont like ''welded'' battery coonnections.

If theres a short, the wire gets hot and will slide out.
This happened to me on one of my big trucks,

Better crimp those instead of weld them, it will hold much better

EXACTLY! I helped a German guy with a nice mustang last year, exactly that happened to him on the highway.. the cable got hot because of headers (he soldered both ends, the one to the starter failed)

I crimp and then solder the joint. The crimp terminals I use have a small hole under the eyelet where you can easily stick some sodlering wire in after heating the terminal. Sure some of the cable insulation will melt near the terminal but nothing some shrink wrap won't fix. Only downside is that the large crimping pliers are expensive. Mine has beaks with rotating jaws so you can use it for a bunch of sizes

Side to top post adapters are nice. Just throw away the little bolts that come with them and use some allen ehads as the typical side terminal bolts are very short and easily strip out the adapters.

251f675e388a4c.jpg
 
I dont like ''welded'' battery coonnections.

If theres a short, the wire gets hot and will slide out.
This happened to me on one of my big trucks,

Better crimp those instead of weld them, it will hold much better

EXACTLY! I helped a German guy with a nice mustang last year, exactly that happened to him on the highway.. the cable got hot because of headers (he soldered both ends, the one to the starter failed)

I crimp and then solder the joint. The crimp terminals I use have a small hole under the eyelet where you can easily stick some sodlering wire in after heating the terminal. Sure some of the cable insulation will melt near the terminal but nothing some shrink wrap won't fix. Only downside is that the large crimping pliers are expensive. Mine has beaks with rotating jaws so you can use it for a bunch of sizes

Side to top post adapters are nice. Just throw away the little bolts that come with them and use some allen ehads as the typical side terminal bolts are very short and easily strip out the adapters.

251f675e388a4c.jpg

UHH....maybe I suggest that lead/tin electronic solder melts at some 600F, and the plumbing stuff is near 800?F

and at them temps, if you melting any soldered connection, you are destroying any phenolic/plastic/bakalite mounting near the starter, weather it melts or just fries out.....much less any insulation around ANY wiring I know of.....I suppose there is some super temp insulation used in aircraft....but I dunno about using it on a car....COST$$$$$


:bounce:
 
the stuff they sell here melts at around 400-440 per spec sheet and some as low as 200 depending on the tin and lead contents. I don't know what the guy used but seeing the cable that came out it was obviously the solder that failed, ebing that there still was soldere on the terminal and the cable and it was smooth.
 
WHOA,WHOA,WHOA!

Do a little research here. A solder joint is NOT a mechanical connection. Never intended to be. A solder joint seals the mechanical connection from corrosion and NOTHING more.

Do a Google for a WESTERN UNION SPLICE as an example of mechanical soundness and then seal the joint.

This little secret is the core of most electrical failures.

I've been in this business a LONG time. Trust me, look to mechanical integrity first....
 
Do a little research here. A solder joint is NOT a mechanical connection. Never intended to be. A solder joint seals the mechanical connection from corrosion and NOTHING more.
Steve, I hate to be disagreeable here but I'm going to have to. I am not saying you are wrong, but what I am saying is that just because a solder joint is not intended to be a mechanical connection doesn't mean it isn't. Provided the joint is not subjected to a heat load close to the melting point of the solder, on stranded wire a soldered joint will be the strongest point of the wire. Now that's provided that the joint is soldered correctly of course. I know this because I have ripped my share of wire apart and I've never broken a properly soldered joint.
 
OH come on guys, the tip of my Weller soldering station is rated at 800f.....

I have been using Wellers for some decades, and I suppose the solder on any PC board is not a mechanical connection?? BS......

also I been sweating copper pipes witch is obviously done with not 60/40 lectronic solder, but with 90/10 tin/antimony? at much higher temps, using a propane torch....my plumber was in a hurry, so he used acetylene...:smash::surrender:

I have soldered many a battery cable size and put the large copper ends on with nothing but lectronic solder and a propane torch, not for the temps, but the size of the thing is much to much for a little circuit board iron....

:eek:
 
I crimp then solder these days to help with both mechanical and electrical connections. I find the solder also helps keep out dirt from infiltrating between the individual strands over time.
 
:quote:
I crimp then solder these days to help with both mechanical and electrical connections. I find the solder also helps keep out dirt from infiltrating between the individual strands over time.
:quote:

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:
 
I dont like ''welded'' battery coonnections.

If theres a short, the wire gets hot and will slide out.
This happened to me on one of my big trucks,

Better crimp those instead of weld them, it will hold much better

I guess I'm with Gene on this one. If the cable gets that hot I'll want the cable to pull out! :eek: At that point the all insulation will be melting off the cable and the cabin will be filling with toxic smoke. Having the cable pull out of the terminal might actually be a lifesaver.
 
I dont like ''welded'' battery coonnections.

If theres a short, the wire gets hot and will slide out.
This happened to me on one of my big trucks,

Better crimp those instead of weld them, it will hold much better

I guess I'm with Gene on this one. If the cable gets that hot I'll want the cable to pull out! :eek: At that point the all insulation will be melting off the cable and the cabin will be filling with toxic smoke. Having the cable pull out of the terminal might actually be a lifesaver.

and you will burn your hands before you can ever pull it out. The wire itself will come apart with a dead short.

don't rely on solder to hold the cable together. I use copper ends, then I fasten to the battery or an adapter.

and about the heat part

Your battery terminals melt at 1200 degrees, solder at 800; another problem with solder is it's very brittle so it will break eventually if there's any weight on the joint....
 
and here, let me illustrate

this battery cable got caught on a stick and ripped out of the holders.... and of course, landed on the exhaust manifold.

I have a 220 amp alternator on the truck

PB260004.jpg

PB260006.jpg
 
Crimp, then solder. Best way as far as I am concerned. A lot of oil field electrical work is done using what is essentially welding cable. Oil field specs require those connections to be both crimped and soldered.

DC
 
Crimp, then solder. Best way as far as I am concerned. A lot of oil field electrical work is done using what is essentially welding cable. Oil field specs require those connections to be both crimped and soldered.

DC

:yahoo:
That's the best way I've found.
I use welding cable, carries more current, has insulation more than enough for vehicle use and is very flexible.
I made a crimping block for several different sizes and just use a dull chisel and hammer to crimp.
I first dip the stripped cable in solder resin before I crimp it. Then swag it in the block. It's tight enough where it cannot be pulled out. And then with it in a vice, terminal down heat the terminal with an oxy/acet torch and sweat the solder into the barrel.
Then clean any excess resin, wipe a small coating of silicone around the area between the insulation/terminal joint and lastly heat shrink it.
That was explained to me as a method power companies used to protect ends in harsh outdoor conditions and has worked well for many years for me even in salt water boating conditions.

Here is a pic of the block and crimp sweat soldered without the heat shrink. I use the regular plumbing solder that has a higher melting point and virtually no lead in it. (EPA changed it years ago for plumbing use)

Swag2.jpg

Swag1.jpg
 
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