Re: To Goo, or Not to Goo (was: terminal

[LEE A HART <XURQ03A@PRODIGY.COM>]

Mike Brown wrote:
>Has anyone ever experienced a failure at the connection between
>the cable and the lug/terminal?

Ahh... this is a good way to approach it. Theory is nice, but results count
more.

I originally used automotive cables with cast lead terminals. In 5 years,
about 4 out of 24 failed. They developed higher resistance between the
terminal and the wire, either from wire flexing near the terminal or corrosion.

They were replaced as they failed with automotive replacement cast lead
terminals; the type where you strip the wire and clamp it with a flat strip
and two bolts. These were junk, and quickly failed.

Since my 6v batteries had bolts as well as automotive posts, I tried large
copper ring terminals and a homemade hammer crimper. Many of them had
higher resistance, so I soldered them as well. It was very difficult to
solder them without stiffening the wire or melting the insulation, but they
were reliable; some I'm still using today, 20 years later.

I then bought my cables from Batteries Plus; they made them to order with
their hex crimper and heat shrink with glue. They worked very well; only
one has failed, and the oldest is about 5 years old. The failure was from
corrosion of the copper ring terminal, not wire-to-terminal.

However, they are all ring terminals, which have slightly more voltage drop
than automotive post terminals. My EVs are all low voltage / high current
types, so low voltage drop is important. About a year ago I bought my own
hex crimper, and automotive post type copper crimp terminals. I am slowly
replacing the ring terminals with automotive terminals.

Lee Hart                     If you would not be forgotten
4209 France Ave. N.          Soon as you are dead and rotten
Robbinsdale, MN 55422 USA    Either write things worth the reading
phone (612) 533-3226         Or do things worthy of the writing
e-mail XURQ03A@prodigy.com   (Ben Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac)
Re: To Goo, or Not to Goo (was: terminal