I went and got some star washers as well as some 6mm flat washers. I got everything back on the battery, here is a new photo.
It goes terminal > aux cable (1/4" hole) > star washer > copper starter ring terminal > washer > bolt head. I used my channel locks to compress everything back together.
My last question hopefully, should I be concerned about the difference between the bolt diameter (6mm) and the 1/4" aux ring terminal? Or will that be negligible?
That lot looks ugly! Nor does it look stock to me. Neither of those connectors looks stock IMHO, as if someone has been tinkering with the electrics. It's no wonder you are having problems. When I bought my first Harley new in 1974 I had to buy a metric wrench for the battery terminals, which had 6mm (just under 1/4") bolt and nut. I haven't noticed any change in those sizes on my many bikes since!
That lot looks ugly! Nor does it look stock to me. Neither of those connectors looks stock IMHO, as if someone has been tinkering with the electrics. It's no wonder you are having problems. When I bought my first Harley new in 1974 I had to buy a metric wrench for the battery terminals, which had 6mm (just under 1/4") bolt and nut. I haven't noticed any change in those sizes on my many bikes since!
Not sure what you mean. Battery is stock, bolts came with battery. The aux ring terminal broke 3 years ago, so I had to put on another, don't see any value in buying an overpriced stock one, if that's even a thing. Copper ring terminal appears not to be stock (and the root of my issues) but as long as I fixed the diameter differential issues I think I'm okay without stock. Star washer is also not stock.
Are people really buying HD ring terminals? Seems Overkill to me.
Not sure what you mean. Battery is stock, bolts came with battery. The aux ring terminal broke 3 years ago, so I had to put on another, don't see any value in buying an overpriced stock one, if that's even a thing. Copper ring terminal appears not to be stock (and the root of my issues) but as long as I fixed the diameter differential issues I think I'm okay without stock. Star washer is also not stock.
Are people really buying HD ring terminals? Seems Overkill to me.
Those wiring terminals are widely available in any auto electrical store, in a wide variety of sizes. It's so simple to fit the right size.....
Sportster battery connectors have been coming loose for decades now, it's a well know problem with them (mostly the neg. terminal. Once they get loose they start arcing which causes all the heat it needs to melt the batter terminal. You need to replace that terminal connector on that wire with one that has a hole ever so slightly bigger than the bolt. If you face the wires connector properly you don't need any spacers between the batter and the connector. But only if you are using the OEM battery from HD. HD, OEM batteries have terminal that are flush with the face of the battery. Most after market ones do not extend to the face of the battery and they need spacers. If the hole on the wires connector is to big then you are actually tightening the bolt to the battery but the connector really isn't as tight as the bolt unless you have a washer next to the bolt head that just barely slips over the bolt shaft. Also, on the first picture you showed of your connector/battery post, you have the connector turned the wrong way and the crimp for the wire is holding the connector at an angle to the battery terminal which also promotes loosening. If and when it comes loose, the arcing will cause a build up on the wires connector that acts like an insulator. If you just re-tighten the bolt without sanding/scraping/ grinding or filing that coating off the fact of the wire connector, your creating a huge amount of resistance right at the battery terminal which will also cause a huge amount of heat right at that battery terminal causing the lead terminal to melt or soften enough to start pulling the female thread part that is inside the terminal to start pulling through the lead part of the terminal, thus, causing the bolt to be loose without the bolt turning at all. That being said, if you have a lot of extra stuff connected directly to your battery, then it could also be pulling to much current through that connector and also cause the lead terminal to heat up pulling the "nut' in the terminal out towards the bolt too.I have seen this same type of problems with the tightness of the bolt on Sportsters since about 2003 models. That's one of the reasons I carry a wrench and some sandpaper with me on my rides. Wrench to pull off the loose bolt and the sandpaper to sand off the black coating arced onto the face of the wire connector. Hope this helps in understanding why this may be happening to yours.
Okay thanks for all the info, will do this tonight after work. I thought to get the most contact, I'd want the Cooper terminal touching the terminal itself...
Why should I put a star in between the aux and the Cooper? Doesn't a star just prevent turning?
Thanks again,
Jake
Yes it does and you don't want the 2 ring terminals turning on each other, plus you get a better "Bite" terminal to terminal.
If the ring terminal hole was smaller for the starter cable I'd say put it first, but it's not.
On Mine it's battery, brass spacer, star washer, starter cable, star washer, ignition, tender, bolt.
My bolt is 10mm.
08-30-2019, 09:36 AM
