Replace those battery wires!

[Pillow]

After having some intermittent starting issues... And thinking the starter was on the way out. I started digging into the battery wires.

... Sure enough they were all a little cruddy from years of service and I swear the little POS wire from the alternator to the battery was about fried in half.

I used 4 gauge battery wire (color coded red and black) to replace every wire under the hood I could get to. A key to the new setup was the use of copper crimps for the battery hold down locations, 4 guage by 3/8". The crimps I purchased at Autozone, but I think electrical supply houses would have them as well. Avoid the el cheapo connectors that are not copper.

Even the wire to the underhood fuse panel is now 4 guage Oh and the short ground to the chasis on the passenger side.

Now the old '96 fires up in a flash like never before! Even the glow plug cycle is shorter!

Well worth about $40 in parts and a couple hours of your time.

... I admit that I ran short on connectors and still need to replace the wire from the battery + to the starter.

Don't wait until winter hits for trouble to show up.

 

[Matt Bachand]

Also a great time to use the bolt and nuts mod on the Side post batteies... Those bad boys wilL NEVER EVER Loosen up, and never corrode

 

[Gunner0812]

They are a PITA!!!

 

[DEERE3594]

No pics?!

 

[Z79outlaw]

I had problems with my truck dieing like PMD symtoms for awhile but I traced it back to corroed ends and the side post kept loosening, the one time they loosened so bad that it created so much heat the lead side terminals actually melted and there was nothing there anymore but just a tiny chunk of lead in the middle. The past 2 years i've had to cut about 2-3 inches of cable and redue the ends.

 

[Matt Bachand]

Also a great time to use the bolt and nuts mod on the Side post batteies... Those bad boys wilL NEVER EVER Loosen up, and never corrode

For those who don't know, remove your weak factory screw in side post terminals and bring one with you to the hardware store to verify thread size.

I went with SS bolts. I used 1.5 inch, but would go with 2 inch if had to do again. (might need the 1.5 inch on the one ps where its jammed against the intake. (see pic). I believe threads are 3/8 14, but not positive.

Buy 2 nuts per bolt

roll bolts all the way up to the head, attach all wires to that post, and HAND TIGHT the bolt into the battery, then give it just that little extra OOMPH, (1/4 turn if that).

Then tighten the nut against the battery.

What this does is pulls the threads against the threads in the battery, resulting in super tight hold. Then tighten the second nut as a lock nut (might not even be necessary, but can't hurt)... You wont believe how tight this is.

In my case my terminals/batteries were stripped, and kept falling out.

Not anymore. I just checked them 8 months later when i took the pics, (today), and still ROCK TIGHT!!!

Another 'side' note, when attaching jumpers/charging cables to them, they ALWYAS connect first hook, none of that Squeezing the clamp and walking it around to 'groove' through all the rust / corosion.

The pink stuff is battery terminal protector spray, Can't hurt.

 

[94K30]

The battery thread is 3/8 NC (national coarse) what your standard hardware store calls 3/8.....

 

[Turbine Doc]

I use "all thread" on mine, with di-electric grease coating all exposed parts, brass is preferabe if you can find it, I also use brass washers and nuts on the stud

 

[Matt Bachand]

I use "all thread" on mine, with di-electric grease coating all exposed parts, brass is preferabe if you can find it, I also use brass washers and nuts on the stud

I Di-vElectric'd everything also as I went. My local hardware store had little selection. I made due and am happy with the SS Ciarrage bolts

 

[94 6.5 3500HD]

Where do you get the cable?