How can I stop melting terminals?

[cucvmule]

After further thought, rut roh, doghead has a serious thought that I would look at first myself, chaffing cables, wires. That will happen on all equipment no matter how new or old it is.

Bulkheads with any kind of power source going through SHALL HAVE a rubber, plastic grommet inserted in side of hole. Anywhere I see a conflict of rubbing or chaffing I will put some kind of protection to be the first line of offense.

 

[russojap]

Never ever never run batteries in any vehicle that are not secured down.
'Tiss a quick way to lose money on any liquid filled battery.
.......and show me a cheap method as to how how to secure battery for the General.

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Melting the post off a battery/batteries requires high amps
which is detrimental to vehicles and humans.

Thanks Frank , I have been wondering how to secure the batteries for years. I think I can make this set-up.

One thing I always hate is how the cables are all scrunched up after putting the battery box back in, seems like the terminals are under tension or pressure.

 

[rustystud]

After further thought, rut roh, doghead has a serious thought that I would look at first myself, chaffing cables, wires. That will happen on all equipment no matter how new or old it is.

Bulkheads with any kind of power source going through SHALL HAVE a rubber, plastic grommet inserted in side of hole. Anywhere I see a conflict of rubbing or chaffing I will put some kind of protection to be the first line of offense.

I was thinking that too. I've seen one of our million dollar buses go up in flames due to a rubbing battery cable. It just happened six years ago in downtown Seattle. It only took five minutes to engulf the entire sixty foot bus. Then when the fuel tank caught on fire it really took off ! Two hundred gallons of diesel fuel really makes a spectacular fire !
Watch those cables.

 

[doghead]

You do not need to re-engineer the battery terminal setup.

Just use and maintain it correctly and keep your batteries in position(retained).

Also just to state it, there are positive and negative terminals. They are not interchangeable.

 

[77 AMG]

The terminal clamps should be clearly marked, and, NOT rusty/ crunchy like these- which ARE marked, just kind of hard to see.

 

[fasttruck]

Posts 20 and 25 describe a frequent problem many are not aware of. One terminal post (the negative I believe) is slightly ;larger thgan the other. You can pound the small one onto the larger terminal but put the big one on the small posts and it will arc as you cannot tighten it properly.

 

[77 AMG]

Actually, you have that backwards. The "NEG" post is the smaller of the two. If you try using the generic "parts house" cheapy style clamps, THIS is much more likely to happen, as they are a "fits EITHER side" deal. Yeck. I despise those things. Cheap, brittle, crap lead, just junk.

 

[18operator]

You can also get a bit of red electrical tape and put it around your positive cables in strategic visible places.

 

[gimpyrobb]

You can also get a bit of red electrical tape and put it around your positive cables in strategic visible places.

Or better yet, heat shrink.

 

[texas30cal]

Here is what I did for a hold down, uses the same bolts that the original did

 

[rustystud]

Or better yet, heat shrink.

That's what I do. I buy black cable in bulk and then use colored heat shrink tube to mark the cables.

 

[silverstate55]

After further thought, rut roh, doghead has a serious thought that I would look at first myself, chaffing cables, wires. That will happen on all equipment no matter how new or old it is.

Bulkheads with any kind of power source going through SHALL HAVE a rubber, plastic grommet inserted in side of hole. Anywhere I see a conflict of rubbing or chaffing I will put some kind of protection to be the first line of offense.

That is why I save old hoses/tubing; after cleaning any residue off of them, I put them over any electrical cables and/or hoses where chafing/rubbing might occur, and use some heavy-duty straps (sometimes even hose clamps) to secure them. Handy & saves $$$.