Battery Cable Crimp Question

nvreloader wrote:
Would it be an accptable practice to fill a Closed end lug with dielectric grease, insert wire, then crimp with a proper crimper and then seal over the crimp with shrink fittings, to reduce the corrison that shows up??

Tia,
Don

dielectric grease is an insulator so even though it protects vs corrosion it is better to leave it out of the crimp joint. Seal with heat shrink and you are good for lifetime.

Thanks for the info,
The reason for the question was I just had some New power lines installed via the local power company and they used the same type of lugs and then filled them with dielectric grease and then crimped them using a massive hydroic crimper, on alum cables that were bigger than my thumb etc.

Tia,
Don

Probably not dielectric grease but something like AA8000 aluminum compound called out to inhibit corrosion on aluminum wire. Terminals may look similar but should be specifically rated for aluminum.

http://www.mikeholt.com/mojonewsarchive/NEC-HTML/HTML/AluminumWireTermination~20030411.htm

Joining aluminum pdf

smkettner wrote:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/16-Ton-Hydraulic-Wire-Battery-Cable-Lug-Terminal-Crimper-Crimping-Tool-11-Dies-/360798635074?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5401464442

No, mines a 12ton but the die set is the same.

smkettner wrote:
Is this a single crimp or crimp and rotate?

I forget the size without going out and looking, but it's a double crimp (side by side), change die size, rotate and crimp again.

SCVJeff wrote:

smkettner wrote:
Is this a single crimp or crimp and rotate?

I forget the size without going out and looking, but it's a double crimp (side by side), change die size, rotate and crimp again.

So you start out crimping slightly big, then follow it up with the next size smaller?

Snowman9000 wrote:

SCVJeff wrote:

smkettner wrote:
Is this a single crimp or crimp and rotate?

I forget the size without going out and looking, but it's a double crimp (side by side), change die size, rotate and crimp again.

So you start out crimping slightly big, then follow it up with the next size smaller?

Yeah.. See Pix

Here is the outer diameter of the 4/0 lugs I use from Arizona Wind and Sun. They have lots of other sizes too since this thread morphed up in size.


This is the 1st die I use. It's a SAE95. This compresses the wire onto the lug, but nowhere near close to where it needs to be.


And this is the #70 die that's the final crimp. I rotate the lug over one segment just to make sure no metal has flowed out of the die seam on the last crimp.


I like the jaw on this tool better (MIC-120) than what I'm seeing on eBay right now because it looks easier to change the dies. These are magnetic with guide pins and they easily snap in.



A word of advice for anyone planning to take this on with welding cable.. Get flared ends on the lugs, or you will be spending a LOT of time combing out the wire to fit it into the lug. Some (not all) are a really tight fit.

Thanks Jeff.

SCVJeff, BoonHauler


If you guys have the time, it would be really interesting to see the measurement across the flats for all the Mic-120 dies and the Quick Crimp 250 dies.



Interestingly enough, the Quick Crimp 250 seems to have MM2 number setting too. I wonder if the die sizes match up to the quick Crimp?






CVJeff:

Assuming the MM2 70 die has the same measurement as the Quck Cable Orange 70 die it looks like you ended up using the suggested die for a tube style lug. I suspect that's what you have there since there's a flare at the end. I'm pretty sure the thicker cast ones have a bevel.

The "aluminum anti-oxidant compounds" I checked online were COSMOLINE. The cheapest down and dirty aluminum/copper/steel joint sealer known to man. Maybe someone can point me to something different.