2000 F150 lariet 4X4 towing pkg 120k miles. Just replaced my original battery with a 880cca. 2 questions, 1. there was corrosion on the negative battery post with the old battery, now it's back with the new battery, does the cable need to be replced? 2. With an 880cca does anything need to be done to the alternator?
Thanks.

 

I would check the voltage at the battery for being too high and causing an overcharging condition.
If the battery outgasses excessive, the gasses can attack the cable ends.
Clean the cables with hot water to remove any sulfates, scrub with the tool used to clean both the post and cable end.
There is a coating that can be applied to prevent 99% of this corrosion action but it is not normally available to the public. It's called NO-OXIDE-A,
a brownish salve like substance in small tins, tubes and larger cans. It is used to assemble large power plant battery strings of lead acid cells in emergency power applications.
Checking battery voltages depends on the state of charge of the battery.
If you check just after cranking and starting, the voltage will by raised to the 15 + volt range. As the charge is returned to the battery, the voltage should reduce finally to about 14.3 +/-. If is stays high, the voltage regulator on the alternator has a fault or the battery is continuing to take a change instead of reducing to the running float level.

 

My wife purchased a 77 Firebird Formula new, we still have it. This vehicle has always had a problem with post corrosion, that is beleive it or not, I bought the small felt rings and put them on 8-9 years ago. Guess what no more problem, so now I put them on all 5 vehicles I own, including my 97 F-150. They cost a whopping whole dollar. Best buck I ever spent.

 

Those little rings work, but I can't explain why.

Anyway...as far as cleaning, water and a good old fashioned wire brush work wonders...get it really clean, then rinse it off some more. Once it dries, they sell some battery protector in a spray can...just spray that on them. Problem gone. You can also use regular old vaseline on the whole terminal. It seals the air out and nothing can corrode without being exposed to oxygen.

 

Just clean the cable with a battery terminal cleaning tool, the new battery posts, then apply a good coating of silicone brake caliper grease/ dielectric compound for corrosion prevention. It works vvvvvveeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrryyyyy well, trust me! Use this on the starter connections and anywhere electrical connections can corrode.

 

dang blue u beat me too it best ol school trick there is, grease on the terminal, we allways just used wheel bearing grease and that worked just fine

 

1. Not necessarily. Is the cable damaged? Is the clamp noticeably corroded? If it's just the clamp, read these captions:



2. No.

Bearing grease isn't nearly as effective as silicone grease; silicone grease isn't as effective as battery terminal spray; the spray isn't as effective as the felt rings (which contain a buffer, like baking soda); and the rings aren't as effective as buying a high-quality battery whose case is sealed around the posts so it doesn't vent there. MotorCraft, Napa Gold, Sears DieHard Gold, and Interstate MTP are all top-quality Johnson Controls batteries. But JC also makes crappy batteries, like those for WalMart, AutoZone, and all AGM batteries (like Optima). So get the good ones.

A thick solution of water & baking soda will clean corrosion away quickly & safely, but if there are any leaks in the battery case, it can neutralize the acid inside. Napa sells a spray that protects metals from corrosion (by drying into a neutralizing film), and detects leaks (by changing from yellow to red), and cleans away corrosion (by foaming). It's not cheap, but it works.

And yes: things can corrode rapidly without oxygen or air or water.