Battery cables / clamps on a '93 7.3L

[fields_mj]

Having problems getting the truck started. The RPMs were getting low on the starter. I suspect that the starter is bad and will be picking one up after work, but I know that the batteries are old, so I went a head and replaced them last night. Unfortunatly 3 of the battery clamps were shot. I had a pair of fleet connectors that dad had given me a few years ago. The worse clamps were the two positive clamps. Fortunatly one of the fleet connectors was set up to connect multiple cables, so that worked on the passenger side. By the time I cut, bent, and pried the factory connecter off the cable, and got the new one on it was getting pretty late. I was able to "salvage" the driver side one for now, but I need to change it out shortly as well, and I'm going to have to pick up another clamp for the driver side ground cable.

So here's my question. What should I do to the ends of the cables to clean and protect the stranded copper? Should I tin them with soldier? If so, can anyone reccomend a good way to do it? I'm not sure that my soldiering iron will get that massave bundle of stranded copper hot enough to such the soldier up into it. Is there some kind of sealant that I should apply? Would it do me any good to put a copper based antisieze on it for better connectivity? I'm making do right now because the weather is so crappy, but I want to get a "permenant" solution put in place as soon as I can and I'd like to get some input on what to do with the exposed copper brade in order to correctly protect it from corrosion as well as get good contact out of it.

Also, is there a good way to get the factory clamps off the cables? I used a hack saw, hammer/screw driver, and a pair of side cuts to cut, split, and pry the clamp of the middle of the + clamp on the passenger side last night. That pretty much sucked. The - clamp on that side is in good shape. Both the clamps on the driver side are in sad shape, so if there's a good/better way to get the clamps off I'd love to hear about it. It will save me a lot of hasstle in a few days when I start working on the driver side clamps.

Thanks,
Mark

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

honestly, i would just get a new motorcraft positive cable from rock auto. they are $116. you can get new neg cables as well. idk how much those were as i didn't feel i need them at the time i got my pos cable.

$34 for the left side neg cable.
the right side might be the same, not sure.

 

[fields_mj]

Good point. I would have gladlly paid $60 to avoid the hastle I went through last night and the corresponding argument with the wife over how long I was out there instead of inside helping her with the kids. Having said that, last night I needed the cable fixed immediatly so that I had a way to get to work and back home today.

 

[Knuckledragger]

X2 on the Rock auto cable.

If you are sold on changing the cable ends yourself, go right ahead. First, do not use copper based anti seize, it is mostly grease. If you want to tin the cable ends and presuming you have the cable off of the truck, go inside where it is warm to do your work. To clean the cable ends off, just mix a tablespoon of baking soda with a cup of water and dip the cable end in the mixture for a minute, or until it stops fizzing. That will do all the cleaning you need. You can heat up the cable over a stove flame, but make sure you have enough flux and a good sized bunch of flowers, because you are going to make a mess. Helps to work with a cookie sheet or large shallow pan. If you are installing brass or copper fittings, you can heat them up in a small sauce pan while you are heating the cable, then put them together over the cookie sheet. Whatever you do, keep the molten solder off of the floor. Lead fittings, just plop them on after getting a bunch of solder on the cable.

Good luck!

 

[icanfixall]

Probably the easy way to remove the bad battery clamps is a map gas torch and melt them off. Some members here have bought from an ebay seller that does a great job making our cables and they are cheap too but of high quality parts. Maybe someone here can recall the name of the seller.

 

[icanfixall]

Here ya go... Just went swimming in the ebay hole and found this...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcraft-...Parts_Accessories&hash=item27d03efa71&vxp=mtr


This seller has a longer cable for our trucks too...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Dual-B...Parts_Accessories&hash=item19d936e891&vxp=mtr

 

[fields_mj]

I thought about using a torch, but I was afraid that I would damage the insulation on the cable in the process.

For some reason I had it stuck in my head that the RockAuto cable was $60 wich is obviously wrong. Having said that, both of those flebay prices are really good. I had an old post a few years ago on the subject, and there was a builder that a few guys on here spoke highly of. I'm going to go back through my old posts and see if that builder is still around and what he has available. If memory serves, the builder would use military style clamps on request making it easier to add addtional connections which could be usefull for an inverter, winch, or a host of other options. If that doesn't pan out, I'll jump on one of the flebay offers.

 

[fields_mj]

Found the link I was looking for for the custom cables. Prices are a little too rich for my blood though, but I may buy a few terminals from them for repair purposes. Anyone know what size the factory cable is?

I also went a head and bought the one from U-haul. Hard to beat that price. In the back of my mind I always think I should get something better, but the truth is that there's nothing wrong with what I have other than the clamps are shot. They've lasted me and the previous owners of the truck for 20 years, so surely another new factory set will be sufficient for the remaining 5 or 6 years of life that the body and suspension have left in them. I'll keep the old set to use with a set of the fancy clamps from the custom place should I ever finally grow a wild hair long enough to NEED something different.

 

[PackRat239]

Oreilly auto has the factory style positive cable in stock for 65.00. Save yourself the hassle. I just replaced mine and they are excellent quality.

 

[PackRat239]

Do NOT use solder on any automotive cable. It will make the cable brittle at that spot, and it WILL break there. Always use crimp type connectors. Ask the millitary mechanics what I mean. Also, you almost never see soldered connections on a factory harness for a reason.

 

[fields_mj]

Locally their aftermarket brand is $79.99 and the Motorcraft for $192.99 :O I just ordered the Motorcraft from flebay for $65 and change delivered to my house. Will be a week or so before they have to be here. Hopefully by then my drive way is either dry or frozen instead of the inche of slushy mud that's there now....

 

[fields_mj]

Do NOT use solder on any automotive cable. It will make the cable brittle at that spot, and it WILL break there. Always use crimp type connectors. Ask the millitary mechanics what I mean. Also, you almost never see soldered connections on a factory harness for a reason.

Good point! I wasn't planning on tinning them like I would other applications. Just the very tip (last 1/16" or so) to keep all the strands in place while installing, but as far as I know it's impossible to keep the soldier from wicking back up into the braded line a long ways and that would certainly cause them to become hard, brittle, and break on me down the road. The factory design is making more and more sense by the minute

 

[PackRat239]

YIKES! Glad I dont live near you. I just replaced mine at a cost of $65.00 for a factory replacement.

 

[RLDSL]

Do NOT use solder on any automotive cable. It will make the cable brittle at that spot, and it WILL break there. Always use crimp type connectors. Ask the millitary mechanics what I mean. Also, you almost never see soldered connections on a factory harness for a reason.

x2
Ive never seen anything but problems from cables made up with solder over long term
If you want some seriously good cables, just invest about $40-48 in a good hammer type cable crimper and get some 3/0 cable and make them up yourself, saturate teh cable strands with conductive grease such as NoAlox to prevent oxidation ( the stuff is rated for 20 years service, find it with the service entrance boxes at Lowes etc ) then seal your joints with heat shrink tubing. You will have cables that are better than anything you can purchase anywhere. Do not use welding cable, it is not made to resist engine compartment fluids or sharp objects and will not last as long