I have the original battery and today I started the car, moved it to my lift and started seeing if the 275s would mount (yes) and not hit (no) on the front wheel position. Went to start it again to use the power steering...No Go Jo....

I do a load test every once and a while so I know that the battery is good, but what up with no power.

Found that the factory negative clamp on the battery terminal was as tight as it could be, (no corrosion ) but had no connection.....I use grease on all terminals and the surfaces were clean but not making contact. Odd but of note that the terminal could not be tightened further.

So no start was caused by the battery terminal lead from the car. I got it to work by turning it over so the tapered socket of the terminal grabbed the battery and got a working connection till tomorrow when I get a new USA style clamp and lead assembly. The factory terminal is clean and not chewed up, just not tight enough......

BTW iam going to the track with the 275's ON THE BACK to see if I can learn more and get a 60' time that is better than 1.9 seconds at test and tune night. Yippie.

Woody and watch the battery terminal (s)

 

woody i had to shave the neg terminal when i installed the shuriken. filed it and all is good!

 

Woody,

I was never a fan of grease on any battery terminals for the same reason as your issue. However I do highly recommend a light coating of Truck Lite Corrosion Preventitive Compound that appears like grease.

I would try to reuse what you have before going with lead, as the lead terminals seem to get dirty faster. Also be sure to purchase a good quality battery brush and clean the post and terminal, even if they look clean. Apply compound before and after assembly.

James

 

I cleaned the terminal and it is not hogged out, the factory marks are still visible internally??? The terminal when fully closed is loose. I guess that in time the battery terminal cold flowed so as to be smaller.

Grease is just to keep the water/ acid vapors from condensing and causing corrosion inbetween the terminal and post. The bolt is even clean looking, not weakened or smallish. Ill mike the terminals and see if the negative terminal is different from the positive terminals size.

The cable connector that Iam going to get is for the battery post, not a lug type as I dont like them. Woody

 

Most of the time, the positive is a slightly larger diameter...

I am sure you will work it out.

 

riddle me this batman! i cleaned 13dogs neg terminal with a baking soda bath and it came out squeaky clean. installed and less than a week later corrosion all over it! did the same to mine and a month later it looks like new. ideas?

 

Sometimes a battery that has leakage around the terminal (liquid or vapor) will corrode in a matter of days, especially if not using anticorrosive material.

sorry not a poet

 

Like he said, I use the felt red and green termnial washers and GREASE, most any kind to repel wicking, please never leave the terminals clean, even lead oxidizes. W DY

 

The positive terminal is about .750" diameter at the fat end and the negative terminal is about .690" diameter at the fat end. They are SAE standard sizes and are used on our batteries.
I would not use grease, only dielectric grease which is made for this kind of job. The terminal will work with grease but only where it has squeezed out the grease will it let the power pass and you want the most area possible to get full power across the interface. I also use those felt washers that inhibit corrosion on batteries.
Tightening the screw too much will crush the lead and the post will get smaller, some times you can see the bulge below the clamp. After successive clamping the cable terminal will not go all the way down and you get a loose terminal, the screw is tight and you think it's clamped but you can lift of the terminal and the car may not start due to the poor connection.