What has/have any of you done as far as replacing the battery cable.

Have you went universial cable connections or have you went the route of

getting a ford replacement cable setup???


thanks marc

 

Best cable you can get is welding cable. Go to a welding supply store and get the exact length you need because it's sold from bulk by the foot. Then get high quality cable ends at a REAL auto parts store (the kind that services automotive shops and dealers), solder (they can be high pressure or impact crimped also) and SEAL those ends and you've got the best cables you can get. When I need a cable, that's the only way I'll go. Too much work?, at least get a quality cable which shouldn't have to cost what a Ford cable would. The only problem with the welding cable is it only comes in Black, no red.

 

Is the cable between your battery and alternator? If so, be aware of the thermal fuse and possibly the A sense line connection for the alternator.

If exposure is the main concern, hard to beat marine wire where each lead is tinned, very flexible but fairly expensive. Getting small runs is fairly economical at West Marine/Boat US stores. Longer runs likely better to order online or get non-marine cable.

I replaced my cables and protected them with closed end crimp style connectors and sealing the joint with adhesive heat shrink. Over the cable, I used techflex.

 

That was sorta my other concern about going the universial cable idea was,, the fusible link problem!!!!! Where do they go??? where do you get those things???

As far as the alternator goes there wasnt an obvious wire for the alt to charge the battery. Most other cars you can see the wire going to the batt. My truck wire just goes to the starter and the solenoid and battery.

As for me i went and got a ford replacement part. Also replaced the battery to optima red top. The old cable the outside of thecable had come off the wire,,, and had been taped over. At least 6 inches to 1 foot. With new battery there is no off gases to corrode anything. Also 1000 ca like 800 cca.

 

I know a guy that tried to change the battery on his Chevy truck one day and some how messed it up. All he needed to do was replace the connection. They are not pretty, but they work, and if you are careful you can make it look pretty. The replacement cable he bought cost him $320 (not sure if that included labor).

There are a couple questions you have to ask yourself:
1. Is the arrange you have not charging or causing you some other kind of problem?
2. Are you going to sell it or trade it in and need it to look a certain way?
3. How much money do you want to spend on something that is working?

Me, I try to go the cheapest way I can. I don't get wood from wasting money on my vehicles.

 

The fuseable link on my brothers E-150 van burned and he couldn't figure why his battery would go dead after he'd charged it and driven about100 mi. We got a wiring diagram and even then had a ****ens of a time finding it. Used a Multi-meter on continuity setting and finally found the area.. The thing was hidden in a wiring loom inside of split loom and completely taped (electrical tape) from the factory. It went from the alternator down around the bottom front of the engine, up the drivers side past the P.S. pump, and I believe combined with another loom and then on forward to the back side of the core support to a junction there. There were places you couldn't even see the loom to identify that you had the right one when wiring came back into view. I don't remember all of the details perfectly but it was amazing we ever found it and without the wiring schematic I don't think we ever would have. I have to assume Ford didn't EVER intend for that FL to burn, to bury it the way they did, BUT IT DID, and have no idea why.

BTW, you should be able to buy fuseable links at any auto parts store, just need to know the amperage it's rated for.