@$#&%*! battery terminal on 5035

Ram4x4 · Mar 9, 2016

So after three years the battery on my 5035 has died. No problem, I'll go replace it...or so I thought. I can't get the freakin negative terminal off the battery because the nut is some weird size. 8mm is too small, 9mm is too big. 5/16 is too small and 11/32 is too big! The nut is also recessed a bit and there is no way to get an adjustable wrench in there to loosen it.

Anyone else run into this? Is there some "special" size socket for this thing? 10mm fits the positive side no problem, it's just the negative terminal that's an issue.

(and the wife wonders when I grumble when I have to work on cars and machinery anymore).

Frustrated!

AchingBack · Mar 9, 2016

I've had a similar problem with battery nuts. My tool for the job is a pair of long nose vice grips, but you may not have access. Have you tried a multi-point box end?

flyerdan · Mar 9, 2016

Since the battery is no good, can you get under the clamp with a hacksaw and cut the post off? That would give you more room to attack the bolt, which probably started out as a standard size but ablated due to corrosion.

Alternately, you could disconnect the cable at the frame and take it out with the battery, if there aren't a lot of securing ties and such hindering that.

DavesTractor · Mar 9, 2016

flyerdan said:
Since the battery is no good, can you get under the clamp with a hacksaw and cut the post off? That would give you more room to attack the bolt, which probably started out as a standard size but ablated due to corrosion.

Alternately, you could disconnect the cable at the frame and take it out with the battery, if there aren't a lot of securing ties and such hindering that.

Word of the day on TBN, ablated.

You don't have a chance to use that word everyday.

And I suspect you are correct, that thing is probably 9.2mm at this point.

Ram4x4 · Mar 9, 2016

No, there is no ablation that I can tell. If corrosion had done so I think the nut would have a weird shape, such as one flat being longer than the others, or an obviously "cruddy appearance" (I've seen nuts where rust has corroded them down like what you mentions). It's clean and pretty symmetrical.

9mm 6-point socket is too big, 8mm is too small. I also tried a 5/16 and an 11/32, 5/16 too small, 11/32 too big.

I will see if I can just cut off the post...ugh, what a PIA.

MarkF48 · Mar 9, 2016

Can you use the closest next larger size of the 6 pt sockets and use a small piece of sheet metal or similar to shim the size? Bend it to fit the on two of the socket flats.

Ram4x4 · Mar 10, 2016

I don't have any sheet metal around that thin. I'm just going to saw the post off and be done with it. Once I get it off I'll modify the clamp so I can put another bolt through it with a "normal" sized nut that'll be easier to get to next time! Modifying the positive side too. Although I can get the 10mm on it, it's a little recessed and a little fiddly.

mecan · Mar 10, 2016

8.5, believe the 3 dollar cheap harbor freight set has it

MarkF48 · Mar 10, 2016

Ram4x4 said:
I don't have any sheet metal around that thin.

Not even some heavy duty aluminum foil from the kitchen cupboard?

Fold the foil into some layers and tap the socket onto the nut if it's a bit tight with the foil filler. All you're needing to do is fill up some loose space in the socket.

RalphVa · Mar 10, 2016

At least it isn't a tin foil like thing that Toyota puts on its batteries. That seems to be the main downfall of Toyotas.

On them, you cut the end off the cable and replace the end or replace the whole cable.

Ralph