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Stripped threads in a side post battery - how do you fix that???

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 31Vicky with a hemi, Oct 31, 2013.

  1. Battery is nearly new and my buddy isn't exactly a mechanical master.
    He missed that the battery cable bolt was screwed up and force fed it into the lead threads of the battery.

    Here's the pisser of the problem....
    The threads (formed from lead) were contained in what looks like a stamped steel or tin cup.

    Used to be you could peen the lead back, and run a bottom tap into them - not here.
     
  2. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    try a new (special) bolt. They sell them at walmart....
     
  3. Really
    Or is that going to be a wild squirrel chase ? :)
    Nice to have your input around here again.
    My parts guy has nothing
     
  4. R35J1S
    Joined: Jul 20, 2012
    Posts: 141

    R35J1S
    Member
    from Missouri

    Let it set for a few days so that it is not gassing from being charged. Then lay it on its side with the terminals facing up. Blow air all around the battery to remove any remaing explosive fumes. Then take a propane torch and melt new lead into the stripped holes. Make sure you melt the old lead and new lead together. Make sure you don't overheat and melt plastic. I used to repair batteries for a living and this can and has been done thousands of times without any issues. I know everyone will chime in and say don't do it because it will explode. Not true. A battery only produces explosive fumes while under charge. Blow those fumes away and everything will be fine.
     

  5. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    hey...I had that same problem, and I fixed it by buying a new bolt at walmart. Seriously. The threads on the old bolt were what had stripped.
     
  6. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    How about a nut zert ?
     
  7. 1971BB427
    Joined: Mar 6, 2010
    Posts: 8,717

    1971BB427
    Member
    from Oregon

    What about a slightly larger metric bolt?
     
  8. I've used bigger lag bolts before and just let them self-tap when faced with the same problem.


    Once I used a flexplate bolt off of a 455 Olds. It took a good bite in the stripped-out hole.
     
  9. This sounds like very expensive trip to the ER vs worst case of 100.00 battery.
     
  10. Anyway, this is what I'm looking at.
    Snagged a good cable bolt out of another cable and it fits like a hotdog in a hallway.

    This gets another 15 mins of fucking around then ill send him for another battery.

    The Stupidest shit will keep you off the road.
     

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  11. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    Wonder what's holding that cup insert thing in there.
     
  12. hendo0601
    Joined: Aug 24, 2013
    Posts: 288

    hendo0601
    Member
    from Tacoma, WA

    I have always had good luck just running a larger diameter bolt into them. The lead is soft and will conform to the new threads. We get lots of buggered up battery terminal ends/cable ends here at work and this is the cheapest easiest fix.
     
  13. i wonder if one of those expanding concrete anchors would work? the type that tighten and expand a sleeve, it will leave a stud sticking out to fasten something to it.
    or how about a nutsert?
     
  14. That Sounds nuts - but I don't doubt that someone who knows what they are doing can do this over and over - I also could see a first timer melting the case and catching it on fire - Oh NO, Wait I HAVE seen that happen. It was an Optima and it was burning initially in the little vent, until it got real ugly. :eek:
     
  15. Yup, been there, seen it done. Use a hot iron tho.
     
  16. chaos10meter
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 2,191

    chaos10meter
    Member
    from PA.

    We have a battery place around here called ( oddly enough) Battery World.
    When this happens at the shop we take them to him and they come back like new, don't know how he does it but it works, looks like they were never stripped
     
  17. ^^ I bet they used the method R35J1S talked of, I have done this back in the 70s and I have never seen a battery explode. If its not for you, tap it next size up job done. JW
     
  18. Any chance of using a thread chaser/restorer?
     
  19. Not if there's not one there to chase. JW
     
  20. Clik
    Joined: Jul 1, 2009
    Posts: 1,965

    Clik
    Member

    I think I'd try an over sized lag bolt (corse thread for wood) and if it had to be OEM looking I'd stick a piece of real lead solder in the hole, heat an old style soldering iron and melt it all together. No soldering iron? I'm sure heating an old piece of rod or an old bolt will work.
     
  21. 10mm is slightly bigger than the original 3/8 threads. Works in a pinch.
     
  22. JC Sparks
    Joined: Dec 8, 2008
    Posts: 733

    JC Sparks
    Member
    from Ohio

    A guy I use to know thought you needed to torqe the cables. He brought me over a couple of them with striped theads. If I remember it was oridanaly a 3/8"16 thread, I tapped it out to 7/16"-14, took a pc. of 7/16 all thread and turned one end and ran a 3/8"-16 die over it. It was simply a stud with 2 thread sizes. After that I took it back to him and put a nut and washer on it, tightened it up and took his 9/16" wrench with me. JC
     
  23. Engine man
    Joined: Jan 30, 2011
    Posts: 3,480

    Engine man
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    Wrap several layers of aluminum foil on the bolt to make it a little larger or cut a piece of 3/8 threaded rod, clean it well, heat it cherry red and stick it in the hole to melt the lead to it.
     
  24. 53 sparky
    Joined: Feb 22, 2013
    Posts: 131

    53 sparky
    Member

    ^^^ That ^^^

    I've done the larger (metric) bolt trick successfully. It's a 5 minute fix if you start the bolt carefully.
     
  25. Pinball Wizard
    Joined: Jul 25, 2008
    Posts: 93

    Pinball Wizard
    Member


    This is how large batteries for forklifts and other industrial equipment are repaired. Its done every day. I have done it many times myself, both with a torch and with a carbon rod using the battery's current to melt the lead.

    Chris
     
  26. k9racer
    Joined: Jan 20, 2003
    Posts: 3,091

    k9racer
    Member

    We have a local battery shop called The Battery Store. He does the melt method . the first time I saw that torch come out I ran outside.. After every one had their laugh I came back in and he explained to me how and why. This is a lot like welding a gas tank. If you know how great. If you do not know how dont try.
     
  27. indyjps
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 5,377

    indyjps
    Member

    Take a piece of solder and bend it in an L, insert one leg of the L into the hole and rethread the bolt in, you may have t hammer the solder flat to get the bolt started. The solder will take up the gap and allow the threads to bite. Same idea as a paperclip in a body bolt. Hopefully the solder will stay in place when the bolt is removed.
     
  28. 1971BB427
    Joined: Mar 6, 2010
    Posts: 8,717

    1971BB427
    Member
    from Oregon

    I've made thread chaser bolts to clean up threads in softer material. Use grade 8 allen bolts and cut the threads with a die grinder in two opposite sides to create a tap like configuration. They will run themselves right in and clean up the buggered threads.
     
  29. [​IMG]Looks like he has some threads to me
     
  30. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    Don't leave us hangin' man!
     

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