Battery

[Elke54]

hello
Been in the Mmoc for 20+ yrs but for the first time don't have my grandad to help me with all things Morris related..
I've just bought a new battery but the terminals don't have screw holes so I can't re attach the terminals ( which are the lead ones with screws in the top. Please advise and in basic speak please .. I am not remotely technical
Many thanks for reading
Ellie

[ianmack]

New batteries don't come with holes as the top screw terminals aren't used on modern cars. You need to drill a little hole to get the screw started. The hole should be smaller than the screw so the thread can grip the soft lead.

Or you can fit modern connectors.

[simmitc]

There are a few options:

If the caps that you have will fit the battery posts properly, that is, go fully on, but are not loose, then you could carefully drill a hole in the battery post to accept the screw. Take great care to not drill too deep a hole - use a drill with a guide on it; and use the correct size bit.

You could change the clamps for the type that do up with a bolt. Such clamps can be purchased from most motor spares shops, or Vehicle Wiring Products, or Auto Electric Supplies.

You could take the battery back to where you bought it and ask them to swap for a style with the posts already drilled.

If you approach your local branch, then I'm sure that someone will assist you.

[Elke54]

Thank you both.. I did buy new connectors but if I cut the terminals off the current leads ( excuse ignorant terminology) as there doesn't appear to be another way to get them off, then the earth/negative lead won't reach. I bought the new battery from Halfords so they didn't have any ones with screw holes..
So it seems my option is to drill a little to get the current screws in.. Scary :-/
Thank you
Ellie

[mike.perry]

Are the terminals at the back of the battery, ie farthest away from you as you look at it from in front of the car? If so then the earth strap should be nearest to the petrol pump and should only be a short reach to the fixing point on the battery case. You will be better buying new leads with clamp fixings

[LouiseM]

Yes, buying new leads with the clamps already fixed would be your best option. No drilling, no faffing and easy to fit: http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/adv ... le&x=2&y=4

[Trickydicky]

You can buy all the bits you need to make some new battery cables from Halfords, they are pre crimped so all you need to do is cut them to size and add new terminals.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... &langId=-1

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... &langId=-1

[bmcecosse]

DO NOT start drilling holes, you will only ruin the battery - take the battery back to Halfords and tell them to get the correct one for you. I assume you mean with ROUND posts. You can't mess about with battery connections - several hundred amps/fire/acid/explosion risk if you end up with a short circuit - and make sure you connect the battery right way round - exactly as the old battery was connected. Has the car been converted to -ve earth, or is it still (the original) +ve earth? And make sure the metal clamp bar is nowhere near the terminals....... and the battery is secure.

[Elke54]

I have ordered the new leads.. I think it's positive earth because the positive lead is attached to the frame the battery sorts in whereas the negative lead (on the left if looking at the battery with the front grill against your knees) is attached to an oval thing actually on the car
See I'm a bit rubbish

[POMMReg]

New batteries don't come with holes as the top screw terminals aren't used on modern cars. You need to drill a little hole to get the screw started. The hole should be smaller than the screw so the thread can grip the soft lead.

Or you can fit modern connectors.

Drilling holes into batteries - recipe for disaster!

Swop leads for "clamp" type.

[ianmack]

New batteries don't come with holes as the top screw terminals aren't used on modern cars. You need to drill a little hole to get the screw started. The hole should be smaller than the screw so the thread can grip the soft lead.

Or you can fit modern connectors.

Drilling holes into batteries - recipe for disaster!

Swop leads for "clamp" type.

Yes, an old gassing battery and an electric drill with sparky brushes wouldn't go well together but as the hole is small and the material is not hard a hand drill should do the job without problems. The screw top lead caps were in use for fifty years or so and I have drilled plenty of screw holes. I can't recall ever seeing new batteries with screw holes in the top, weren't they always drilled to suit? I agree that the clamp types are much better.

This thread poses an interesting question on the advice we should be giving to posters who are complete novices and may get into difficulties with what seem like routine jobs to us old hands. You can just see the tabloid headlines if someone gets hurt. On the other hand so few people now fix their own vehicles that the knowledge and ability will be lost if we don't pass it on. What do others think?

[bmcecosse]

Drilling holes in 'clamp; terminals to try to bodge on round connectors is just madness.... Don't ever attempt this sort of crazy stunt. Batteries are dangerous - easily capable of blinding you and seriously burning any skin exposed to flying acid... Treat them with great respect.

[simmitc]

Ellie, from what you have described (quite clearly) it does sound like a positive earth. The round thing on the car is the solenoid. That is just a heavy duty switch that can turn on and off the current from the battery to the starter motor. You'll soon get to know the car well, never be afraid to ask a question. The only stupid question is that one that you don't ask - how else will you learn? We can work with pretty well any description.

As to other comments, holes were drilled in battery terminals for many years without disaster. Yes, clamps are better but bring their own risks - a badly used spanner can short to earth. Anything on a car can be dangerous - particularly the driver! We should encourage DIY to a high standard, or the skills will disappear.

Ellie, when fitting the new leads ALWAYS disconnect the earth lead first and the other lead second; reconnect the non-earth lead first and the earth lead second. It does not matter whether it is +ve or -ve earth, this procedure will minimise any risk of the spanner slipping and shorting to earth - if the earth lead touches the earth, no problem. If the earth lead is disconnected and the other lead touches to earth, then there is no circuit and so still no problem. Good luck.

[ianmack]

Drilling holes in 'clamp; terminals to try to bodge on round connectors is just madness.... Don't ever attempt this sort of crazy stunt. Batteries are dangerous - easily capable of blinding you and seriously burning any skin exposed to flying acid... Treat them with great respect.

No one has suggested drilling holes in clamp terminals or trying to bodge incompatible connectors and batteries. If a top screw lead terminal is to be fitted to the correct round battery terminal it will require a hole for the screw, which someone will need to drill. It may be done by the manufacturer, supplier or the owner of the car but the top screw will require a hole. Or do you have a better way of fitting them?

[bmcecosse]

The buyer clearly said they had bought a battery with the 'wrong' terminals - ie clamp terminals, and then the clamour to drill holes started!

[simmitc]

Sorry Roy, but NO. The OP said that the terminals did not have holes in the top. Subsequent advice was clear that if the terminals fitted, then holes could be drilled to accept the screws. Nothing has been said about "wrong" terminals. The caps with screws typically fit the same posts as the pinch bolt clamp ones, it's just that the posts need drilling - carefully, as previously mentioned. As Halfords supplied a battery for a Minor, it is to be expected that the posts are round, not that they will be the lugs with holes in, or any other style. Hopefully we have all provided sufficient advice to be helpful.

[ianmack]

Thank you simmitic, a bit of sanity here at last!

[bmcecosse]

It would be madness to fit round terminals to rectangular clamp posts! I've never seen round terminals without holes in them. But I give in to the greater wisdom here - stand well back when drilling these holes....crazy....

[taupe]

Roy

I think the OP probably has this type of terminal which requires a small hole drilling for the clamp screw.




Taupe

[SteveClem]

Exactly what I had on my A30 for many years,and never a problem. I have now 'upgraded' to conventional clamps because it seemed sensible.