Tips to install a new battery?

[VT365]

What is the best way to prep new battery posts and cables prior to installing a new battery?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I usually clean 'em up first with a wire brush, then I use "plumbers cloth" to sand the post and terminal until they're "bright". Install, then I cover everything with a thin layer of grease. That keeps air away from the metal, retarding corrosion.

 

[PineRidge]

What Farmwithjunk said.

 

[john_bud]

What farm said, except I use a spray on battery post protectant. Better than grease (they say).

jb

 

[ToadHill]

I clean them, polish them, tighten them, then cover them with a paste made out of baking soda and water.

 

[Tororider]

I agree with JB

 

[skipmarcy]

In a tractor application grease might get you by but over 35 years of working on automobiles I have fixed more connection problems by removing the grease on battery posts/terminals than anything. It's probably the underhood temps melting the grease down between the post & terminal, then it always seems to form a hard crusty coating that makes for poor electrical contact. Besides the corrosion from disimilar metals the thing that causes the corrosion is usually the hydrogen sulfide gas leaking past the post to case seals - some batteries have better sealing than others. I always use one of those impregnated felt washers on the post - it seems to neutralize the gas as it escapes around the post. I also coat all with the spray-on sealer, getting the underside soaked good as well as on top. These sprays don't melt and get between the post & terminal to cause later problems.

 

[MrJimi]

And most of all if it's a side terminal battery, do NOT over-tighten the bolts..
Jim

 

[dbdartman]

And don't forget the fundamental rule:

REMOVE the negative, or ground, cable FIRST!

INSTALL the negative, or ground, cable LAST!

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I clean them, polish them, tighten them, then cover them with a paste made out of baking soda and water.

Do not do this! The baking soda neutralizes battery acid. If any of this solution gets into the cells, kiss your battery good-bye. I saw a rookie ruin a $3500, 36 volt forklift battery by doing just this.

 

[JSharp]

I'm with skipmarcy. I got tired of getting grease all over everything so I started using the felt washers and spray coating. What an improvement. I've had 7 year old batteries with zero corrosion using that setup.

 

[Bird]

I always use one of those impregnated felt washers on the post

I thought those things were supposed to be good, but I recently cleaned up the battery posts and connections on my son-in-law's pickup because they were badly coated with that old white corrosion and it's a fairly new battery with the impregnated felt washer. Anyway, like John Bud, I use the spray on red stuff.

And don't forget the fundamental rule:

REMOVE the negative, or ground, cable FIRST!

INSTALL the negative, or ground, cable LAST!

Yeah, but it takes all the fun and excitement out of the job if you don't get to see any sparks.

 

[MrJimi]

I thought those things were supposed to be good, but I recently cleaned up the battery posts and connections on my son-in-law's pickup because they were badly coated with that old white corrosion and it's a fairly new battery with the impregnated felt washer. Anyway, like John Bud, I use the spray on red stuff.



Yeah, but it takes all the fun and excitement out of the job if you don't get to see any sparks.

Think abou this..
We have a special day dedicated to sparks
They call it
Fourth of July
Please be careful
Jim

 

[TC29-dude]

And don't forget the fundamental rule:

REMOVE the negative, or ground, cable FIRST!

INSTALL the negative, or ground, cable LAST!

OK, I need a clarification...I was taught to remove the hot wire first then the ground.

When replacing I always connect the ground first then the hot.

Have I been doing it wrong for 30 years? I grew up in a junk yard and that's the way my step dad always did it when working on cars/trucks. Is there a difference between tractors and cars/trucks?

 

[MikeD74T]

Two circumstances where these rules apply.

• 1st. When jump starting connect positives first, then one ground at the battery, & last ground to a spot NOT on the battery. Anything drawing current can cause a spark on either lead that could ignite hydrogen in the cells.
• 2nd. When changing a battery disconnect the ground first & connect last. Because EVERYTHING under the hood is ground it's easy to cross a wrench from positive to ground. With ground disconnected NOTHING under the hood is grounded. If you cross a wrench from ground to ground nothing bad happens. This situation is much worse for side post batteries because of the cramped space than with top post batteries.

One disclaimer: whenever working with battery cables always try to turn off as much load as possible. It's possible for either cable to get real hot real fast if a large load is just waiting for continuity. MikeD74T

 

[Bird]

When replacing I always connect the ground first then the hot.

Have I been doing it wrong for 30 years?

I think a lot of us were taught that way many years ago, and that works just fine as long as you do not accidentaly touch the wrong place with a wrench, but as MikeD74T explained, disconnecting the ground first and connecting it last is just the surest, safest way to do it.

And of course, I suspect that most of us old timers were also taught to hook up jumper cables, positive to positve post and negative to negative post, and in later years learned that it's much safer to make that last connection on a good ground NOT on the battery, as Mke said. In fact, when I was in charge of the police auto pound, one of my employees had a battery explode because she tried to hook it up the old way. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.

 

[RalphVa]

I use one of those circular wire brushes made for battery posts. Then put those felt washer down. Then positive cable. Then negative cable.

You put the positive cable in place first, because if you put the negative on first and then happen to hit a ground spot with the other end of your wrench while putting the positive on, you'll short the battery out or get some sparks, which could ignite some hydrogen lurking above the battery, particularly if you do it a couple of times.

Reverse. Take the negative off first. Then, if in removing the positive, you won't run the risk of generating a short with your wrench.

I NEVER use grease. That stuff gets all over every thing. Don't spray with anything. Do occasionally wash the battery with water, but usually blow dust and stuff off it with an air nozzle.

 

[Runner]

I've always used Vaseline on my battery posts and have had really good luck with it. I also use it on all the other exposed metal parts around the top of the battery, like the parts of the hold-down clamps and associated bolts that aren't coated or painted.

It does make kind of a nasty mess, especially on things like lawn tractors because it tends to collect debris, however, I'd rather have to clean that stuff off every once in awhile and re-coat, than to have to deal with corroded battery parts. Particularly after having to fabricate a new battery tray and hold down clamp for a lawn tractor I'm restoring.

One other tip I'd add is to be sure and check the electrolyte level. Even though it's a new battery, it still may not be at the correct level.

Runner

 

[john_bud]

OK, I need a clarification...I was taught to remove the hot wire first then the ground.

When replacing I always connect the ground first then the hot.

Have I been doing it wrong for 30 years? I grew up in a junk yard and that's the way my step dad always did it when working on cars/trucks. Is there a difference between tractors and cars/trucks?

Yes, you have been doing it "wrong" for 30 years. Wrong is in quotes because, it's only wrong if you flip the wrench onto bare metal when doing it. SPARK! Todays, computers are not so tolerant of that, in fact they can get real grumpy and release the magic smoke. That's the last thing you see before your wallet faints.

(I've welded my share of wrenches under hood! Always good for a burst of adrenaline).

 

[TC29-dude]

Thanks for the replies and sorry for taking the post off track.

I always thought those sparks were intended to liven things up a bit.