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Rusted64
Samba Member
Joined: December 24, 2010
Posts: 132
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 Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 9:39 am Post subject: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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Hi, The positive side battery terminal on my vanagon broke and all the local parts store had in stock were horrible.
I was able to get by with those but they occasionally ground out against the battery compartment.
What kind of luck have you guys had finding a decent replacement and what type did you use?
(originality isn't important )
thanks. |
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Silverghost500
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2018
Posts: 1086
Location: Atlanta, GA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 11:13 am Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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You may wind up having to order a similar terminal from NAPA Online or perhaps Summit Racing's web site. Most terminals on the shelves at a local FLAPS aren't that great.
_________________
1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia "Von Westy"
Honda K24A converversion-Road Testing Phase
3-Speed Automatic
Von Westy YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbhyZYxJEQrUuLnMbLleeIA |
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wbailey2112
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2015
Posts: 483
Location: Grove City, OH
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32592
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 6:11 am Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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Sadly, with our clearance problems and extra wires, there are few solutions available to us.
This quoted post below is one of the nicest solutions I've seen .......
| puchfinnland wrote: |
I did the electrical math on the cable sizing, honestly the 2 AWG was sized correctly, it can handle 200 Amps at 10 ft, the vanagon cable is around 9 ft,
In my opinion 2/0 is way overkill, I chose a 1/0AWG and it really is a noticeable difference,
for a few extra bucks I chose Anchor Marine tinned multistrand from west marine. it can be purchased by the foot, and if you go in the store, you can even swage on the ends for free.
my terminals I purchased from Delcity
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_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos
Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473
Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537
Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert |
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DanHoug
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2016
Posts: 4777
Location: Bemidji, MN
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 6:50 am Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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you grounding thru the carpet there, Sonny??
_________________
-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.
'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd
Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com |
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 6:52 am Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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That's a really nice setup, Dave. A fuse for the positive and many take offs for the aux leads. I see by the color that's your old car. What do you have in the new one?
Duncan |
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jimf909 
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7466
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 7:27 am Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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| Rusted64 wrote: |
Hi, The positive side battery terminal on my vanagon broke and all the local parts store had in stock were horrible.
. |
Are you saying that the positive cable terminal broke and you need to replace it? I like puchfinnland's approach to create a separate buss/fusebox to accommodate connections away from the battery.
For an immediate correction, here's an approach:
Ring terminal:
https://www.amazon.com/SELTERM-Gauge-Copper-Weldin...amp;sr=8-4
Crimper (or Sodo's hammer and combination wrench crimper - I can't find a picture of that solution now):
https://www.amazon.com/Hydraulic-Crimper-Battery-T...s9dHJ1ZQ==
Ring terminal added:
Battery post clamp:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LLWKXV6/ref=ewc_pr_img_5?smid=A2GNZBM8JSG24J&psc=1
My guess is you found something like this at the FLAPS which is serviceable:
_________________
- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6829
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 5:03 am Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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I want to see more pics of what looks like a hinged lid under the seat!
(Here they are:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9426081&highlight=#9426081 )
I do have a question on how easy is it to get the cables out of the way when removing the battery being that the cables with the terminals swaged on do not look like they will fit through the feed-through holes? Or am I not seeing it from this angle?
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This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.
There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them. |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32592
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6829
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 6:38 am Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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| djkeev wrote: |
And, what it the red bar on the right where the + feeds into the block?
Why not just connect the + wire to the block directly?
Dave |
It's great inspiration and thinking outside the box.
That is just a copper "BUS" bar covered with shrink wrap as protective cover. That short of a distance might have been useless to crimp terminals on a cable as the distance between the terminals would be too short to give the cable any flexibility. It would work, but it would be a waste of 2 terminals imo. This works just as well.
_________________
This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.
There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them. |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50338
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 9:22 am Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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On my daughter's Jeep Cherokee both battery cable ends were bad, so I bought a jumper for a 24v battery setup, cut it in two, and then used splitbolt connectors to attach the new cables to the old, applied some dielectric grease on the connections and a layer of self adhesive silicone tape, and some heat shrink and all looks good many years down the road. Not a lot of room to make a similar repair in the VW battery box, but you could buy a premade cable and make the connection under the vehicle.
If your van has seen a lot of road salts, then replacing the entire cable might be the way to go. |
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Red Ryder
Samba Member
Joined: June 26, 2021
Posts: 951
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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As most have surmised here, you are referring to repair of the “battery cable end” not the battery terminal itself. Carry on…
_________________
“Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland
“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition
Tornado Red |
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jlrftype7
Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2018
Posts: 3577
Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2022 12:28 pm Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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Amazon Mil-Spec kit- battery terminals, eyelets and heat shrink all in the kit
Plus boots… 
Fastronix Military Spec Battery Terminal kit
That battery cable is new in the picture, several gauge sizes larger than the old stock VW cable I removed. Outer diameter of the cable just fit inside the plastic cable routing clips from VW that I was able to reuse. Cable is Metric, not sure of the gauge size, but fit the eyelets from Fastronix in their kit nicely.
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto
Last edited by jlrftype7 on Wed Dec 14, 2022 6:36 am; edited 1 time in total |
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2022 5:16 pm Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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According to their site, none of the terminals can handle wire the size needed to go to the starter.
Duncan |
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jimf909
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7466
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2022 9:32 pm Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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| jimf909 wrote: |
| djkeev wrote: |
Why not just connect the + wire to the block directly?
Dave |
My guess is the pos cable goes to a kill switch mounted in the seat base and the kill switch connects to the block via the copper bar covered in heat shrink. Then the current runs through the fuse before the cable heads back to the starter. Or something like that... |
_________________
- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
|
Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32592
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32592
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 7:55 am Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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From Dave's link https://www.quickcable.com/product/3720p/ A solder or crimp connection for 2/0. So far this looks like the only one that has surfaced. Tried to get a price, but they didn't like my lack of a web site for a company. Maybe some of you will have better luck.
Duncan |
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jimf909
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7466
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2022 9:01 am Post subject: Re: Replacement Battery Terminal - which type? |
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| DuncanS wrote: |
From Dave's link https://www.quickcable.com/product/3720p/ A solder or crimp connection for 2/0. So far this looks like the only one that has surfaced. Tried to get a price, but they didn't like my lack of a web site for a company. Maybe some of you will have better luck.
Duncan |
There's no shortage of crimp, solder or compression battery post cable terminals in 4/0, 2/0, etc. available on the web.
Grainger is always a good bet and seems to offer a few dozen variants. McMaster-Carr is probably a good source too:
https://www.google.com/search?q=2%2F0+battery+post...YesH0_u-aM
4/0...
https://www.google.com/search?q=4%2F0+battery+post...p;ie=UTF-8
2/0...
https://www.google.com/search?q=2%2F0+battery+post...s-wiz-serp
That said, ignoring VW's choice, what's the cable size needed to provide the ampacity needed for the duty cycle of a starter motor 10' from the battery at a given temperature rating? As puchfinnland points out, 2/0 is more than enough and 2 will probably suffice.
https://www.anixter.com/en_us/resources/literature/wire-wisdom/wire-and-cable-ampacity-ratings.html
_________________
- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
|
Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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