Hello Brian,
Find a battery shop that can remold the post. I do this all the time if a
post after many years is reduce in diameter by a battery clamp or if you are
using a wire terminal lug link it will start to mushroom the battery post
and the stud may pull out if it's the low profile post.
To remold a battery post, you take a steel taper mold and place it over the
old battery terminal. I like to use a little larger type in the 300 amp
range which has a lead base at the bottom that sticks out about 1/4 inch
more in diameter. I also keep the top stud in this post.
It is best to discharge the battery to below 75% SOC and let it set with its
cap lose for about 24 hours before this work is done on it.
Clean up the old post and make sure there is a level area for the post mold
to set on. This work is normally done on a steel welding table, where you
can place a large magnetic base that can hold any type of tool which is use
to press the post mold down so it does not float and provided a tight seal.
Damp paper towels are roll up and replace the battery caps on the battery.
Layers of damp paper towels than cover the entire top of the battery
allowing the post to come through and packing the wet towels under the
offset lead base. Then the paper towels are than cover with a flame proof
material, that you can get from a hard ward store in the plumbing section,
which is use as protection when copper pipes are solder together.
You can get pure battery lead from lead battery clamps from a auto parts
store and hammer it out into a stick. I use a regular gas/oxy touch, but
sometimes those new mini touches will work that you can get from a hard ward
store which is refillable with a standard touch gas bottle.
You need a long pencil flame so as to melt the base and than you continue to
melt and a little bit of lead for about 1/4 deep at the bottom of the post
mold. If you need to install the stainless stud back in, use a bolt coupler
and threaded rod to place it into the molted lead and let set. Remove the
coupler and melt the top surface and continue to place in lead until it
forms a curve bottom on top.
It is best to use a brass plate heavy duty battery clamp that comes up to
the top of the post and torque it at 75 in.lbs. I then place a stainless
washer, lock washer and nut on the top, which also put down pressure on the
battery clamp and prevent it from shrinking as much.
Another tempory method I have use is to screw in a battery post into what is
remaining of the old post. You can get these screw on post from a auto
parts store. They come with a stud or with a tap hole to screw over a
battery stud.
If you use this method, you must provide a flat surface for the base of this
post to set on. If you still have the stud embedded, then clean both
surfaces with one of those stainless tooth looking brushes and screw the
post on with about 75 in. lbs.
If the stud is loose of missing, I was able to smooth the top of the
remaining post and drill a 1/4 hole about all the way through. I place
round spacer stop over the drill, so I do not drill through the offset link.
Then using a 5/16 course thread tapped in the plug type. They come in a set
of three which you start out with a taper, than go to a plug, and then
finish up with a bottom tap.
You then screw in the post that has stud built into it. Sometimes these
come in 3/8 inch size, so you will need to drill a 5/16 inch hole and use a
3/8 inch tap set.
I carry a on board tool kit to make this repair, or have additional links
long enough to jumper out a bad battery.
Roland
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Staffanson" <
[email protected]>
To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <
[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 12:38 PM
Subject: [EVDL] Oops and what to do now -- almost the EV grin, but not
quite!
> So I am finally putting in the 6V Deka GC15 in my car, and cabling it all
> up, and being a little careless, as I "know" exactly what I am doing. My
> wife comes to ask me a question, and then "oh no, your car is on fire."
> from
> my wife. I run to the car, and see that one cable shorted on the
> negative,
> hit the positive, and melted the terminals on both the positive and
> negative
> side. The terminal is Offset post w/ vertical stainless steel 5/16" stud
> and hex nut. Here is a picture of what it looks like:
> http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/default.aspx?pageid=550
>
> So my question is two fold. Can I fix the terminals? Or do I just need
> to
> replace the battery? I remember some conversation in times past about
> terminals not be good enough for ev use. Are these good enough? Or did I
> waste my money on these batteries.
>
> Thanks,
> Brian
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