My positive cable terminals on my 2005 6.0 are rotted out on both batteries.

Does anyone have experience with R&Ring the big long positive assembly. Looks like a major PIA to me.

Thanks.

John

 

I let the dealer do it, simply because on certain items I want someone else to be responsible.

 

What do rotted out positive cable terminals look like when rotted out? Can you post a photo of what yours look like?

If it is JUST the terminals themselves, is it possible for you to cut off the rotted terminals, and replace just the terminals, leaving your stock harness in place?

Or do you see that corrosion has wicked up the cable jacketing a ways, which makes the cable a partial resistor, rather than an efficient conductor?

 

The positive cable actually isn't that hard to replace. I simply upgraded mine with 2/0 cabling and spliced it into the existing 2/0 wire that goes down to the starter. I used military style connectors as well. Truck cranks with authority and batteries seem to last longer now.

 

What does military style connectors look like?

 

I upgrade the main battery cables to marine wire that is at least 1 gauge larger diameter, use marine style battery post connectors and lugs of the appropriate sizes on the ends.
The marine battery posts then provide a nice connection lug for any add-on wiring.
Some of my cables are over 20 years old and have not had any problems.
Boat vs. Automotive Grade Wire - boats.com

 

While Google is the quickest friend for you regarding stuff like this, since you would rather wait until someone responds ( ) then imagine battery cables with ring eyes on the end of the cable where they attach to the clamp. Instead of being soldered to the terminal clamp, those ring eyes are attached to the clamp with a bolt.

Stewart

 

Picking nits but whenever vibrations is an factor (as it is here) you never want soldered connections. Best choice by far is crimping. The problem is that crimping tools and connectors that can handle the gauge starter cables require are both expensive and rare. So second best is clamping style as Steward suggests. Upsides are that the connectors are relatively cheap, easy to find, and you can assemble them with common tools. Downside is that you will need to check them for loosening often when new and occasionally when older.

NAPA sells generic heavy gauge cables with crimped connectors. It may not be in stock but I have found availability either 1 or 2 days. Personally this is what I use to replace the stock cables on a variety of vehicles.

 

I still want to see what "rotted out" terminals look like!

 

Stewart, what happened to the saying that " no pictures, it didn't happen?" I was being lazy and wasn't trying to be rude while out with the wife. I know that upgrading my cables is one of the next things to do while the 6.0 is still playing nice for me.

 

Enter "corroded battery cable" in Google and select Images.

 

Doing as you suggest, I see images with battery terminals completely covered in the icky green and white snow of corrosion... cleanable and reusable, but not rotted out. I used both "corroded" and "rotted out" in my search terms.

I've never experienced a battery terminal rot out to the point of becoming uncleanable and unusable. People report that it happens, especially with the lead free type terminals that Ford switched to in 2002, but I haven't seen it personally. I'm curious if the damage is limited to the terminal itself, or if the wires in the cable become physically destroyed, and if so, how far away from the crimp?

In another thread, I saw where the tin plating had dissolved away on a 2002 and up Ford battery terminal, leaving it as uncoated copper, which made it even more susceptible to corrosion. But the terminal was still physically intact.

Knowing how these terminals rot away is useful when faced with a plethora of choices as to what to replace the terminals with. Is lead a better choice, even at the risk of exposure to toxicity when disconnecting and reconnecting? What about Zinc? Tin plated copper? Is that a good choice when they rot away? Well, how do they rot away... what does that rot look like? Are they no longer able to clamp tightly due to the copper annealing? Do they break apart? The image search I pulled up mostly shows the corrosion, not the physical disintegration that demands that these terminals be replaced.

And it could be that type of metal on the terminal may not even matter, because other factors could be more relevant in preventing terminal corrosion, including using those chemically treated red and green felt washers, and using recombinant AGM batteries that don't outgas and don't jiggle or boil watery acid out of their vents.

 

Terminals can usually be cleaned and reused.
There will some loss of material due to the corrosion.
It's when that corrosion gets down inside the copper cables that gets difficult and makes replacing a better option.
A terminal may be in good condition, but the cable could be corroded anywhere in the full length.
It takes just a small split or failure of the insulation to allow water/oxygen in for the corrosion to start.
Living near ocean fog or traveling over salted roads makes it worse.
A tinned copper wire cable will be more resistant to corrosion, but still not immune.
I've had battery terminal bolts corrode thru and good quality replacement SS bolts have held up well.

 

I went ahead and bought a complete new Cable assembly,
Motorcraft WC95848, $88.78 delivered from Amazon.

I had my favorite Ford Diesel shop install it, $150.

They did it while I waited at a nearby watering hole,
took a couple hours.

Back to factory fresh.

John

 

Good man John!

Glad to hear you're back on the road again!