Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 999 / 749 > Battery terminal fell off the cable!

[KeefyB]

Originally posted by Jools
Then again, I know a couple of people who have had gel batteries (as fitted to the 999) replaced under warranty because they don't hold their charge.

Yep,me too!
HW,I was gonna suggest Merv Plastics in Beeston Nottingham for your wiring needs,(Just a short blat down the A52 for you)but it looks like you are sorted.
If you are going to crimp the lugs on the cable,use a full width ratchet crimper and not one of those cheepy £1.99 Wilco specials.
Soldering is easy if you have only one cable,but can be tricky if there are two or three of varying diameters.
Easiest way is to put the lug in a vice,or mole grips,with the cable entry facing upwards.Heat the lug with a blow lamp just enough to melt some solder into the lug.(roughly half fill it)Plunge the cable(s) into the melted solder and hold it steady for a coulple of seconds.Allow the lug to cool before handling.

[HW]

Originally posted by KeefyB

Yep,me too!
HW,I was gonna suggest Merv Plastics in Beeston Nottingham for your wiring needs,(Just a short blat down the A52 for you)but it looks like you are sorted.
If you are going to crimp the lugs on the cable,use a full width ratchet crimper and not one of those cheepy £1.99 Wilco specials.
Soldering is easy if you have only one cable,but can be tricky if there are two or three of varying diameters.
Easiest way is to put the lug in a vice,or mole grips,with the cable entry facing upwards.Heat the lug with a blow lamp just enough to melt some solder into the lug.(roughly half fill it)Plunge the cable(s) into the melted solder and hold it steady for a coulple of seconds.Allow the lug to cool before handling.

KeefyB, thanks for that. I bought a ready made cable that was a little longer than the original one so I can route it better. Ducati don't help with that big plastic carrier that has cutouts for the battery cables to com through - but they are holes rather than openings so the cable cannot be pulled sideways to clear the battery. I am thinking of either routing the cable outside the plastic carrier to come in from the side to the battery terminal, or cut away a bit of the plastic carrier to allow easier movement of the cable once it is disconnected
The small wires I might solder into another lug or I might replace the single one on the earth cable with the big ones I got and crimp/solder. Ratchet crimp tools are £40 upwards, so I got some mole grips for the job.

Henry

[KeefyB]

Originally posted by HW
Ratchet crimp tools are £40 upwards, so I got some mole grips for the job.

Henry

Mole grips..!!! ????...Nooooooooooooo!!!
You will never get a satisfactory crimp using mole grips.A ratchet crimper should cost around £15-17.I bought two sets (0.5-6.0mm,6-16mm) on a special deal from an electrical wholesalers for £20.
Shame you were'nt at the Newark Aurojumble last week.There were crimper sets there at good prices,plus all the wiring materials.

[HW]

I can't even get the right lugs for crimping aroudn here. They should be the tube types really. My plan is to us the ready made lead for the earth. The thin wires for the rest can be soldered into a lug and that should be fine as they are low current. Nothing stopping me redoing it later when I get the right lugs/tool for the job.

Demon Tweaks had tube type lugs and cable to suit, but was 8 days delivery (stated 8 days, so possibly more), and Maplin drew a blank. Didn't find any other supplier in a web search. Any ideas? I don't have time to drive anywhere, but I'll happily order anything on the phone or online if I can get it.

Cheers
Henry

[Felix]

I've got some lugs. What's the inside diameter you need?

[HW]

Ta. Not sure, I'll know once I chop the old broken one off. If I had tube type lugs (uninsulated, it'll be approx 6mm inside dia, maybe a little more), then I would need to get a decent crimp tool to do the job. Back to square one as I can't get one locally and I'm not going to pay £40 plus for one. Let me see if I can do a decent enough job using the ready made lead plus a 2nd one for the half dozen low current wires - I'll come back to you on that. The only reason I don't want to wait the 8 days delivery is that I am booked for Cadwell track day on Good Friday and I've not had the bike out on the road this year yet. I'd liek to get reaquainted before going on track for the first time.