Battery Terminal help

[Razorbackfan]

It would be easier to buy replacement cables with clamps already installed. But, if you don't mind investing in some tools, you can do a setup like Gump's or mine, below. However, it will still take some new cable to replace the inches of corroded cable that needs to be removed. I was too cheap/lazy to buy new cables. But I had to remove over 12 inches of my big ground cable and splice in a new piece.

View attachment 116092

Thanks. This looks similar to Gumps so I will study up on both of your ideas and see which might fit my needs. I am seeing more of those terminals where you use the terminal lugs to attach the wire to the battery and it seems easy enough, but there is always that nagging feeling in the back of my mind if I screw it up its gonna cost me even more money. I know everyone probably feels like that at some point but I always get a little nervous when it comes to electrical mess.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I will check out your you tube channel for sure. Yeah, its just my electrical knowledge is limited with vehicles so I am always leary about messing something up when dealing with wiring harnesses and wires, etc. I will check out the welding cable.

Welding cable you have to put your own ends on, and short of going to a welding supplier or ordering a length online, you only get black wire, so you have to be careful not to get them crossed. My solution early on was to use red heat shrink on the terminals for the positive wire and black heat shrink on the negative.

My Youtube channel is a bit behind. I haven’t been able to keep up with doing work, shooting video, editing video, and uploading it. It’s just me playing a one man band here. I want to do a few electrical videos and get them up to help people like you but I haven’t really got to do much of that kind of stuff yet. Hopefully this winter I can get things a little more organized and get caught up. Been a lot of dry weather this summer and I don’t have a garage so I’ve been kinda busy, lol.

It’s good that you know you’re out of your depth a bit and it’s time to ask questions. I see too much hack electrical work from people that just wing it when they don’t know what’s the best way to handle it. That’s always potentially dangerous.

 

[Razorbackfan]

As long as the terminal is down as far as it will go against the washer and the washer is tight against the top of the battery, it will be fine. If the terminal seems too small to fit all the way down, it can be opened up bigger. Just loosen the clamping screw a lot and use a screwdriver between the 2 sides to pry the clamp open so it fits further down on the tapered battery post.

I have tried to reseat it but it just does not want to stay all the way down, its like it rides up the post. I will try again tomorrow to get it pushed down and retightened. This is why I wonder if replacing it with the ones that use those terminal lugs to attach to the terminals would be better, like the ones Gump has in his photo.

 

[Razorbackfan]

Welding cable you have to put your own ends on, and short of going to a welding supplier or ordering a length online, you only get black wire, so you have to be careful not to get them crossed. My solution early on was to use red heat shrink on the terminals for the positive wire and black heat shrink on the negative.

My Youtube channel is a bit behind. I haven’t been able to keep up with doing work, shooting video, editing video, and uploading it. It’s just me playing a one man band here. I want to do a few electrical videos and get them up to help people like you but I haven’t really got to do much of that kind of stuff yet. Hopefully this winter I can get things a little more organized and get caught up. Been a lot of dry weather this summer and I don’t have a garage so I’ve been kinda busy, lol.

It’s good that you know you’re out of your depth a bit and it’s time to ask questions. I see too much hack electrical work from people that just wing it when they don’t know what’s the best way to handle it. That’s always potentially dangerous.

Good to know on the welding cable, thanks. Yeah I don't have a garage either so its working outside for me too and its been hot as mess here in VA. I replaced my starter because I thought it was that, but it was pretty bad anyway so it needed it, but the problems with starting still exist so I figure its the connection on my battery. I usually have my father in law help but he has had some health issues that don't allow him to climb under and around vehicles as much so yeah I am out of my depth but always admit it and ask for help. I don't want to blow up anything or start a fire.

 

[Keshet]

Yes, I have those terminals where you put the wires under the flat strap with the 2 bolts. The cables are not corroded, its actually the nut on the positive terminal that corrodes all the time. I do have the felt washers, but the positive terminal is not able to sit all the way down with it on. The wires are just a bit short due to my having to cut them last time to put on these crappy terminals so I don't have much to play with and don't want them pulling out of the terminal.

I have a question I'm trying to work on my 3.0 and I have the two red wires coming off of my power distribution but from what I'm reading they're supposed to have fusible links that attached to the terminals so those red wires aren't even supposed to attach to the terminals?

This is what I'm trying to figure out!

Am I supposed to have two fusible links going to those two big red wires coming off of my power distribution box going to my positive I thought they were supposed to go to my positive terminal I thought I took them off of my positive terminal but everywhere I read I'm told fusible links go between them so the actual red wires are not actually put into the terminal but the fusible links are?

I'm also told a fusible link is supposed to go from my black wire with the red stripe down it going to my alternator and I'm supposed to have a fusible link going from my always hot red wire going to the starter none of these are supposed to be in the terminal but all of them are supposed to have fusible links going to the terminal.. this makes no sense to me.. because I swear I had all these into one terminal and they were all just plugged in and I mean they had fusible links on them but to me it didn't even make sense then because fusible links are only good if they're between the wire and the battery post..

Man I hate not knowing!

Am I reading this right?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I have a question I'm trying to work on my 3.0 and I have the two red wires coming off of my power distribution but from what I'm reading they're supposed to have fusible links that attached to the terminals so those red wires aren't even supposed to attach to the terminals?

This is what I'm trying to figure out!

Am I supposed to have two fusible links going to those two big red wires coming off of my power distribution box going to my positive I thought they were supposed to go to my positive terminal I thought I took them off of my positive terminal but everywhere I read I'm told fusible links go between them so the actual red wires are not actually put into the terminal but the fusible links are?

I'm also told a fusible link is supposed to go from my black wire with the red stripe down it going to my alternator and I'm supposed to have a fusible link going from my always hot red wire going to the starter none of these are supposed to be in the terminal but all of them are supposed to have fusible links going to the terminal.. this makes no sense to me.. because I swear I had all these into one terminal and they were all just plugged in and I mean they had fusible links on them but to me it didn't even make sense then because fusible links are only good if they're between the wire and the battery post..

Man I hate not knowing!
View attachment 128159
Am I reading this right?

There are no fusible links on the 4 gauge wires. I’ve had these harnesses apart. On an 01, there will be a 4-gauge from the positive to the main distribution block in the engine bay, it goes under a little flap that covers the main fuse on the side of the main fuse/relay block. That took the place of a fusible link. The other big positive connections are a 4 gauge direct to the starter and the main alternator wire. No fuses on those. All three go to the positive. The negative should have a 4 gauge to the starter and an 8 gauge to the core support. I replace that 8 gauge with a 4 gauge on mine.

Also, a side note, I don’t see the repair harness on the ABS. Not sure if your truck was part of the recall, but I’d ask my local dealer about it. It’s a free thing since it was a recall to prevent potential fires.