I have 1985 f250 6.9 diesel I'm planning to completely remove all the battery cables how hard is to do any special tools I need any tips or tricks thanks for the help

 

I just did this on my 86 f250 with a 6.9l. It's not hard. I did it one evening after dinner in about 30 minutes. The hardest thing to remove is the starter so you can take the positive battery cable off of the solenoid. That top bolt on the starter is a BIOTCH!

Actually, you can probably leave the starter installed and remove the cables from the solenoid to make it easier. If you do remove the starter replace the top bolt with one 8 inches long so it's easier to remove. All you'll need is normal wrenches and drivers for the job.

 

DON"T have to remove the starter. Remove from the battery end before removing from the starter. Recommended to remove the negative terminals first so you don't weld your wrench to the truck body if you accidentally ground it out...

 

x2

Safety first.

 

Thank you for the help everyone

 

I hope that you haven't pulled the positive cable run that goes to the starter yet. I can get back with some good advice and a couple of photos in about an hour.

What I want to know first is, are you installing a NEW set of brand new factory manufactured cables?

I bought my positive cable assembly at O'Reilly Auto Parts (aka Schucks/Kraegen, etc. depending upon where you live). I bought it about 3 years ago for around $85.00. It's a lot of copper, very good quality good insulation and split plastic conduit wrap, the clamp end's are molded to the cables with rubber covers over the clamps and to give you some tips I'll show you a photo of them and how I did it. The new cable was very stiff and the hardest part is routing it back to the starter and having it in exactly the right locaion so i won't get tool hot AND there is a bend you need to make in the cable that is nearly 90 deg near the front of the block where there is a rubber boot that goes over the cable and over that is a holding bracket that bolts to the front of the block - it's also where the black ground wire from the starter relay on the inner fender goes down and is attached with that bracket. If yours has that bracket and rubber boot then the cable needs to be pre-bent at the precise location and in the proper direction by marking your original cable before it is removed and then transferring those location dimensions to the new cable, making the bend, installing the rubber boot and bracket to the cable BEFORE you fish the end of it back to the starter. THEN it will all go together with less difficulty, just the right amount of tension so the cable doesn't flop around and get too close to the heat from the engine (manifold and block). Otherwise, the new cable is so stiff (which is GOOD) that it will be much more difficult to get those things lined up properly.

When I post some photos a little bit later you will see what I am talking about.

Another bit of good advice. TAKE PHOTOS of your existing positive cable assembly, ESPECIALLY from the passenger side positive battery terminal down to the font of the block where it makes the bend back to the starter. That's where the guide bracket is located. THEN another photo or two from under the truck showing the position of the cable going back to the starter. If that is correct, then you want your NEW cable to follow that same route.
If you don't know where it is supposed to be and the old cables are removed then you'll be lost in knowing where the new one needs to be routed. As I recall the difference can be up to about about 4 or 5 inches and you don't want it to be too close to sources of high engine heat, you don't want it to have too much slack, rub against some other part(s), etc.
I am meticulous about doing the best and most accurate work that I can, I'm also slow due to chronic pain issues so I spent at least a few hours, maybe 4, maybe 8, I don't remember exactly because it doesn't matter to me how long it takes. It only matters that I do the best that I can for quality work, (I doesn't always happen that way or turn out that way. I have to make compromises sometimes.)
I also took the time to clean some oil and grease from adjacent areas, everything cleaned, a few new screws, and I cleaned and painted that bracket.

I your truck doesn't have that bracket maybe it came like that from the factory or someone had a problem with it and decided to do a 'Delete the bracket to the garbage can mod-ification.' With a very stiff new cable that is a difficult part to wrestle with to get it all back in place and bolted on, if it's not set up before the cable is routed back to the starter. It's there for a good reason, if it's there. You'll see what I mean in the photos.

I have to get outside now and do a front license plate installation "mod" on my junky Honda, drill some bigger holes in my new license plate - Long story short, I had to grind the old license plate off as per orders from the cops. While I'm at it I should take some bailing wire out there and tie wire the front clip and rubber bumper cover together so it doesn't blow off on the highway. It's mostly held on by the wind and one wire bread tie from a loaf of bread *I'm serious*. It was that way when I got it. Whole front clip the previous owner installed is a mess only held on a few places. If I drove backwards on the highway it would probably blow off.
I'll be back when the lic. plate is done and a take a photo from under the hood of my truck.

It's really not very difficult to do the positive cable assembly. Negative cables are simple. TAKE SOME PICTURES of what you have now so you will be prepared.

 

I haven't started the tear down of the cables yet finishing the front end stuff I will follow your advice and I'd love some photos for sure I'll be back online tomorrow

 

Do you have a NEW factory made positive cable assembly? Is THAT what you are planning to do? OR fix the old cables (like have new ends installed) It makes a difference due to the new cables being a lot stiffer
Some auto parts stores may have the compression tools to swage (sp?) new fittings on your existing cables for you. The positive clamp on the passenger side is a 3 way clamp so I doubt if they will have one of those fittings or be able to swedge (How do you spell that word??) one on but there are options for that connection. . I have found the 3 way battery cable clamps online before after some deep searches and I probably have the web page saved. One of the Autozone stores in my area has the tools and does that. Don't bother with do-it-yourself bolt on battery cable clamps. Those will never hold up for very long and will always corrode, lose continuity and make a mess.

By the way, does anyone reading this know the correct original length for the Driver's Side battery ground cable? I can't get under my truck right now to measure it. My right foot is all bandaged up and I wouldn't be able to get down there and back up without a lot of pain and some help (which I don't have now) and I need to get one made for me as soon as possible.
I measured it years ago. Does 36 inches sound right?

 

When I replaced mine I checked the dealer and they were NLA. (4 yrs ago) NAPA had a set but didn`t want to pay their price.
(Cheap) LOL
I cut the 3 way clamp off on the Pass. side, then replace the cable from the drivers side to the Pass side battery with one I got from
PNP out of a BMW, (12ft long and $5) again Iam cheap.
Crimped on (Swedged, yeah that`s a word as far as this Post. ;>))...) used a couple of these copper ends,

https://www.grainger.com/product/23Y...!s!88855682277!



Then used one of these Battery clamps with the stud.

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/03518172



I kept the section from the Battery down to the Starter, just covered it with a piece of red heat shrink tubing.
And covered the new piece across the front between the batteries with red Heat Shrink.

Haven`t had a bit of trouble with it the past 4 years. I keep the batteries clean and the battery connections so
corrosion does not get a start.
I think there is some Heat Shrink that has some type glue that makes a tight seal when heated to keep any thing
working up the cable. I didn`t use it as I did not know about it at the time.

Charlie

 

I'm constantly amazed how fast mechanical work can be done over the internet.

 

Ok, well maybe it was more like 45 minutes to an hour, but it's not difficult or time consuming work. I removed the starter to have it tested and I had an extra long bolt up top. That was the hardrst part. It's not like I was rebuilding an IP or something (I'm sure that isn't easy).

Check some local electrical supply companies before you buy cables at the auto parts store or on-line. I bought these cables for $93 from a local electrical supply company. They are 000 gauge positive and 00 gauge negative welding cables. It's much more flexible than normal battery cable. Plus there's no chance of getting CCA cable (copper clad aluminum).



What a PITFA getting this pic uploaded... anyways. I bought these from Spectro Wire & Cable in OKC. Much better deal than getting the Chinesium ones at the auto parts store or the high dollar ones online. I'm sure there's a local shop near you that could make them.

 

Thank you for uploading the photo and thank you for all the help everyone as for what I'm going to do I plan on installing brand new cables gonna start taking cables out next week sometime

 

Diesel holic hows the truck going?

 

be nice to get them nast old cable ends off and put new onnectors on, they usually split aroun the t on the pass side and corrode inside some.

 

Trucks going good just got the brand new cables in the mail yesterday now I'll get around to putting them in this weekend