Battery clamp tension

[daverclasper]

Hi. My car has lived in the street for the past 11 years of ownership and I remove the battery as an anti theft thing, and also to top up the charge indoors, off a charger, as running an dynamo.

I have the clamp type posts and for ease of battery removal, I have always, just 'pushed and twisted the neg/pos cables on to secure, without tightening the fastenings with a spanner.

I keep the posts and clamps clean and put vaseline on the contact areas.

I had a new battery earlier this year, which is the standard size for my Vitesse. (previously it was fitted with larger batterys) This is the first winter with the new battery and in -2 degrees it was cranking a bit slower and was only starting to fire on 1 or 2 cylinders then eventually picking up on all six. The battery was not cold as brought out from indoors.

The ignition system is maintained and adjusted to correct setting, as are the carbs, and the valves are at correct settings. Also the battery earth is clean and tight as are the starter terminals etc.

So, Do the clamps have to be fully tightened to get reasonable transfer of juice, to and from the battery, or maybe the more difficult starting, is something else.?

In past winters, at, - degrees, it has fired up a lot more easily.

Thanks

[Unkel Kunkel]

I found these  Ojop  connectors work very well.

Useful where there is a need for frequent speedy battery connections and disconnections - without need for any tools  : 

 

[Pete Lewis]

accepting your anti theft idea has worked  but i guess you run a std bendix starter ?

these can on a cold day pull hundreds of amps current   so the answer is yes they should be secure

you may find the new battery post is slightly different taper and material so the old method fails when demand is higher 

the quick release clamps work well they solve your idea  as they are  quick and secure 

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

8 hours ago, Unkel Kunkel said:

I found these  Ojop  connectors work very well.

Useful where there is a need for frequent speedy battery connections and disconnections - without need for any tools  : 

 

I use those on all my Heralds, reason being that if anything goes on fire I can pull them off very quickly. This was particularly relevant when I rewired the last two, with fuseboxes, and was wary of melting yet another loom. 

Re Dave's original post, the clamps have to be tight so they don't jump off going over bumps - it does happen - and I've used the 'cap' type that sits on top with the self-tapper screwing down into the terminal, which don't squeeze the battery terminal, just resting on top of it, but also don't come off easily due to the self-tapper.

[Ian Foster]

10 hours ago, daverclasper said:

Also the battery earth is clean and tight as are the starter terminals etc.

Also check the engine block to chassis link, as corrosion here will affect the whole circuit and create a VD (Voltage drop).

This was a problem with my GT6 back in the late 70s. An additional cable from the block attachment point of the battery earth achieved miraculous results!

Ian

[johny]

Yes I wonder if thats one of the reasons people sometimes think high torque starters are necessary....

[Pete Lewis]

I doubt HT are any more torquey   than the old bendix units what they really are is a small hi speed motor develops the cranking toque via a gearbox 

the result is more far less current demand and they certainly whizz the old engines over at a faster rate and need a lot less battery .

bendix and pre engaged  have lasted well for many years but do demand some pretty high currents. which can tax the old cables /earths /solenoids  /etc.

Pete

 

[johny]

True if you draw less current you can get away with poorer connections and higher resistances...