Is it possible to repair a cracked battery cable connector? My grandson has a G5200 with a cracked connector. I need a temporary repair until I can replace it. My first idea was to use acetylene to melt the lead back together. The other was to solder it back together. Any ideas?
Battery Cable Repair
- Thread starter 300zx
- Start date
It's just electricity. In a pinch you could remelt the lead with a torch. But it will likely not be as strong as it was.
Maybe for a "rigged" look, get a big hose clamp or a tie wrap and attach to the post. That ought to work for a short time until you can replace the cable with a correct cable.
Maybe for a "rigged" look, get a big hose clamp or a tie wrap and attach to the post. That ought to work for a short time until you can replace the cable with a correct cable.
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Trying to melt it, it will just turn into a worthless blob! 
A hose clamp around it will give it a good enough connection till you can get it replaced.
A hose clamp around it will give it a good enough connection till you can get it replaced.
I've fiddled around with trying to solder and / or 'braze' lead alloy battery connectors and had miserable-to-failed results. I think the terminal connector is so dirty with acid residue, grease, oil, soil, glycol residue, and who knows what else that it just wouldn't ever work.
Best deal in your case would be to buy a HEAVY---prevent future problems by staying away from small-diameter lightweight cable(s)---duty new cable and hook it up in place of the old. Be certain to clean the chassis connector bolt if ground-side.
There are on the market some brass-bronze-copper trucking industry (seen 'em used occasionally as replacements on big stationary engines as backups to air starters) battery terminal connectors made with a 'hole' the stripped-cleaned-fluxxed cable end is inserted into and then soldered into place. Comparatively expensive, hard to find, and overkill for most of our applications. Neighbor kid uses them for his aux battery powering his stereo rig---still just noise to me.
Stay away from the inland marine market quick-disconnect connectors using bolts to clamp the cable to the connector and wingnut(s) holding the connector to the battery terminal. Wiggle loose and develop corrosion.
Please post back your experiences so we may all learn.
Best deal in your case would be to buy a HEAVY---prevent future problems by staying away from small-diameter lightweight cable(s)---duty new cable and hook it up in place of the old. Be certain to clean the chassis connector bolt if ground-side.
There are on the market some brass-bronze-copper trucking industry (seen 'em used occasionally as replacements on big stationary engines as backups to air starters) battery terminal connectors made with a 'hole' the stripped-cleaned-fluxxed cable end is inserted into and then soldered into place. Comparatively expensive, hard to find, and overkill for most of our applications. Neighbor kid uses them for his aux battery powering his stereo rig---still just noise to me.
Stay away from the inland marine market quick-disconnect connectors using bolts to clamp the cable to the connector and wingnut(s) holding the connector to the battery terminal. Wiggle loose and develop corrosion.
Please post back your experiences so we may all learn.