Repair Battery Posts? UPDATE-Photos

No, first I tried just squeezing with vise grips to tighten the lead and it sort of worked, but not good enough without the lead on top too.

I am thinking the crimp clamp might be a tight enough squeeze to hold the bolt in so it doesn't have the heat the crimp's extension gets. Although that might just be a bad connection from the lumpy ring terminal that I wouldn't get with one of those flat brass ones.
More fiddling to do when I have time!

Did you try a hose clamp to crimp/hold the existing stud tight?

Cool beans! You know I spent a minute trying to picture what you were talking about but a picture is worth a 1000 words.

Here is the post on a 6v GC2 XHD with the bolt still in but the covering lead worn off so the bolt is loose.



Here is the bolt out, showing the star- shaped head so it won't twist when the nut is being worked



Here is the crimp clamp on with wire attached--repair complete! :)

The crimp gizmo worked great! It expanded to fit around the lead post ok, and the jaws were far apart angling out but the tightening bolt was long enough (or I could have used longer bolt)

The lead post is only half as high as the crimp clamp but it makes good contact with the lead (which I cleaned up first).

So the test was whether it would get too hot. This terminal (on a pair of 6s) is only for the pos parallel link (#4AWG) to the other pair of batteries and is not the terminal that takes the whole amps, which is the neg on this pair.

I ran the microwave for 5 minutes, Trimetric showing 110a, so should be about 55a on this terminal. Fingers on terminal while the 5 minutes ran on. The part around the lead post stayed cold, but the extension with the nut attachment to the wire ring lug started to warm up at its bolt. It got fairly hot but not so much I could not leave my fingers on it.

Can't say how it would be after 10 minutes! Anyway, I have declared it safe to use as is. Certainly better than that loose bolt.

I took a couple pictures, but can't post them till I get more of an internet access whenever. Not very exciting to look at anyway.

In my case, the threaded bolt is fine, but it has come loose where the bolt head is stuck into the lead post. To get good contact and be able to tighten the nut, the bolt has to be tight in that lead.

I tried squeezing the lead to tighten its hold but no joy. I can use vise grips to hold a ring lug against the side of the lead post for now, but I hope these crimp things will work instead of that.

IF you have some threaded portion of the bolt still sticking out of the battery.. A Battery store should have some "Extenders" these are used to repair battery bolts, starter electrical bolts and other bolts of this type. It's a screw on "Stud".

smkettner wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
The problem with "real" post clamps is that on the peculiar 6s' posts, they don't go on right and you can't do much with them expanding and squeezing, the jaws are too fat.

Did you try with post clamps made for "positive" & "negative"?
If you used positive clamps they may not tighten properly on the negative.
Otherwise I though all automotive were standard... maybe not.

It is hard to describe the whole sorry business, but yes those real clamps come in two sizes. You can get a liner to use a big one on a small post. Some clamps are lead-like and can be squeezed or expanded some without breaking, but others are hard metal that just breaks if you try that.

The 6s have posts without being all the way around where the second part comes out and they are also very short and not as fat as on a normal 12v. They are not built to take those regular clamps. But the 6s aren't the same either.

My Exides have a small space underneath the top post part with the bolt in it, where you could maybe jam in a U shaped piece with a hole in the other end. My Interstate 6s don't have that space underneath IIRC (will see when I get back).

The T-1275s have "6v" type posts instead of the usual regular posts like on a 27DC. So it is not a 12v vs 6v thing completely.

If the 6s came with the same sort of posts as a 27DC it would be no problem. If the threaded bolt came away, you could just use those regular clamps on the other part which is the same as on a car battery.

I have no idea why the 6s have that low big round flat piece beside the taller small post holing the bolt. You can't clamp to it. Actually on the old U-2200s you could just barely, but on these newer style GC2 XHDs it is lower so you can't at all. Oh well. Never say die! Something will work once I get to it.

You're a l-o-n-g way from here I'd be glad to do another graft. Celso just brought me another battery with a negative post that looks like a giant black crayon with a point. Pretty much stuck with using used lead fishing weights. That chunk of ironwood mold is only good for so many molds before it chars beyond useability. If you decide to pour mold, drill several 1/8" diameter holes a half inch deep so the new lead gets a firm grip into the old post.