Maintenance / Repair Week

[Golden Helmet]

I've got some free time off work, so for the next day or two I'll be going through my to-do list. I thought I'd make this thread so I can keep any rookie questions I have all in one place.

My agenda:

- Get the batteries recharged
- Put on new negative cables
- Replace the fuel heater o-rings
- New fuel filter
- Fix my headlight relay harness
- Reconnect the trans cooler in the radiator
- Turn down my fuel screw (it smokes like a train and I'm sure my EGT's are horrible)

I'm forgetting a few things I'm sure, but that's enough to get going.

Now, my first idiot question.the fasteners on my positive cable connector refused to budge, and when I was trying the terminal lifted off the battery a bit. Pics will be below. What can I do to fix that, just some love taps from a hammer?

Also in a pic below, i had a ton of acid on my terminal. Anyone know a good solution to stop that from happening?

As always, i appreciate your guys help. I'm just pulling the batteries atm and then I have errands to run, so I'll be back at it in a few hours.

 

[Golden Helmet]

I forgot to post pics. Woops.

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On that second one, I tried a screwdriver and some lovetaps to try and get the terminal back in. That didn't work so well, you can see the mark. Oh well. Suggestions for how to deal with that?

 

[nelstomlinson]

If you batteries still work, I would leave them as is. Next time you run into this, use some kind of puller to push down on the terminal and lift the cable end off of it.

 

[Golden Helmet]

If you batteries still work, I would leave them as is. Next time you run into this, use some kind of puller to push down on the terminal and lift the cable end off of it.

I'll look for a tool like that when I pick up my batteries. For some reason the nut and bolt just refused to budge, trying to turn the nut ended up prying that terminal out of the battery. Hopefully I don't need a new one, these batts are only 2 years old. I should be able to replace just one if I have to, the other one is new enough that I don't have to worry about mix-and-matching I think.

Also, the IH dealer told me my O-rings would be in today. Drove 40 miles to pick them up, and NOPE, the guys at the Vegas warehouse didn't ship them. They're supposed to be in tomorrow, so repair day is postponed one more day.

 

[Oledirtypearl86]

Can you take a hacksaw and cut the bolt off and install a new bolt in your battery cables and I just clean my cables off with a wire brush and use battery terminal spray on them if needed

 

[Golden Helmet]

Can you take a hacksaw and cut the bolt off and install a new bolt in your battery cables and I just clean my cables off with a wire brush and use battery terminal spray on them if needed

I'll try that if I can't get it freed up tomorrow. I just picked up my batteries, and the guys told me that BOTH batteries tested bad and wouldn't hold a charge. If I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all

At least they should be under warranty, I got them only like 2 years ago. Motorcraft 850CCA's with an 86 month warranty. Taking bets now, my money says the dealership won't have any replacements in stock. EDIT: Actually they're almost 4 years old, damn time flies! Either way, they still should be under warranty.

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

...Now, my first idiot question.the fasteners on my positive cable connector refused to budge, and when I was trying the terminal lifted off the battery a bit. Pics will be below. What can I do to fix that, just some love taps from a hammer?

Also in a pic below, i had a ton of acid on my terminal. Anyone know a good solution to stop that from happening?

As always, i appreciate your guys help. I'm just pulling the batteries atm and then I have errands to run, so I'll be back at it in a few hours.

Hey brother, no idiot questions here! Maybe ignorant questions but that's just a matter of not knowing-- hence the questions.

Anywho for the acid, clean it with a few teaspoons of baking soda in a 1/2 pint or so of water, distilled is best. This will neutralize the acid and keep it from eating your battery trays, etc.
Then clean the clamps and terminals. Buy new STAINLESS bolts/nuts and this or similar: NOCO NCP2 A202S 12.25 Oz Oil... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DKRGLM?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
I had lots of corrosion for a few years and this stuff has completely stopped ALL of it. Any terminal spray will work really, just giving my personal experience.

FWIW if one battery was bad, you should warranty them both anyway. Mixing batteries of different health will only be a revolving door of crap. So both testing bad is nothing lost anyways. Yay for good warranties!

 

[Golden Helmet]

Thank you for the tips, I didn't know the fasteners themselves could cause all that. I'll pick up some stainless fasteners tomorrow!

The warranty is going to be interesting, I got the batteries from the dealership. I tried to warranty my tach sensor a few weeks ago and they conveniently couldn't find my information in their system, so we'll see what happens this time.

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

To be clear the fasteners dont cause the corrosion, but making them stainless keeps them from rusting and/or corroding and becoming useless.
The link is for a spray that covers the whole kit-and-caboodle and keeps that corrosion from happening.

 

[Golden Helmet]

Ahh, thank you for the clarification, I mis-read you and was thinking the spray + stainless fasteners had to go together otherwise it wouldn't work. I'm still gonna do both, rusty fasteners on battery cables drive me insane.

 

[pafixitman]

I use dielectric grease on my terminals. Can get it at any auto parts store or even Home Depot, Lowes.

Heck I sometimes use it on light bulbs when installing them in some fixtures.

 

[Golden Helmet]

Alrighty, the new negative cables are in. I'm trying to replace the fasteners now, driver side went ok, passenger side is giving me hell. I've already cut it with a hacksaw, but it's refusing to leave the lead connector. So far the hammer hasn't worked, vice grips haven't worked, and I'm running out of ideas. Here's a pic, anyone have some advice for me?

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[The_Josh_Bear]

If you vice grip it and just twist rather than pull can you loosen it that way?

 

[IDIBRONCO]

If you vice grip it and just twist rather than pull can you loosen it that way?

That's what I was going to suggest. You're too fast!

 

[Golden Helmet]

That's what i've been trying, it won't twist at all in the connector. I'm using another set of pliers to hold the connector while i twist (using rubber hose to protect the connector from the tool) but i haven't gotten anywhere with that yet