Simplest Job Ever = Fail, Then Success

[WonderMonkey 727]

I avoid working on things because even the simplest job turns into a task that is more than it should be.  Some say "It's easy, just do it!" then later the comment is "Huh, THAT'S never happened before!".

 

Today I thought I'd break the ice with my atv and install a battery tender terminal so I just just plug and unplug.  What could be easier than that?  I took off the seat, the back cover of the battery, and confronted the enemy.  I removed the bolt that is the terminal for positive and negative, slipped the connector over the terminal bolt and went to tighten everything down.  See below for a photo showing it sitting there still loose.

 

 

I go to tighten and it just spins and spins.  Hmm.  I reseat everything and go to tighten and it spins and spins.  Due to the added thickness of the connector, the bolt can't reach the nut, housed in some sort of terminal housing I've never seen before.  Maybe it's common?  I don't know.  See below this housing without the nut in there.  The nut sits in there and when the bolt grabs thread, it travels up the bolt and when it gets to the top it's tight.  Except as I said, Honda punishes you for adding any accessories.

 

So when I realize this, I ALSO realize that I cannot do even the simplest of tasks when it comes to things like this.  How in the ! am I ever to install a winch or maintain my own atv?

 

So ... I went to the hardware store and got a longer bolt, and a washer to use as a spacer in case the bolt I got was NOW TOO LONG, which it turned out to be.  I got home, put it all together, and it worked great.  I WOULD be slightly proud of my very small success EXCEPT that the God of Mechanics was too busy smiting me for the audacity of even trying.  Thanks, God of Mechanics, for being a jerk.

 

But, it's done.  I expect the next thing I'll do will result in my Honda exploding and will burn down my house.

Edited January 14, 2021 by WonderMonkey

[slowindown 494]

LOL

 

I have torn off pieces of painters tape and put on the bottoms of the nuts to lift them up or just lift with a hook or similar to get them started.

Edited January 14, 2021 by slowindown

[jeepwm69 7,752]

You'd be surprised at how many of us that very task has given fits.

 

Once I tried superglue on the nut, screwed the screw in, and thought "Ha, now the nut will be glued to the top of the terminal and won't drop down again"

 

Then when I tried to back the bolt out it was glued into the nut and ripped the whole terminal off the battery.

 

I now search around the yard for a small stick, break off a bit, and stick it under the nut, holding it up in place where the bolt will reach.

 

And more often than not I have to reposition it 3-4 times before I get everything tightened up, so don't feel bad.

[WonderMonkey 727]

Soooo.... this is common?  Why the heck doesn't Honda just put in a bolt with one more thread on it?

[WonderMonkey 727]

11 minutes ago, slowindown said:

LOL

 

I have torn off pieces of painters tape and put on the bottoms of the nuts to lift them up or just lift with a hook or similar to get them started.

 

I'm slightly pleased that I'm not the only one to experience this, but on the other hand, other people experienced this.

[WonderMonkey 727]

4 minutes ago, jeepwm69 said:

You'd be surprised at how many of us that very task has given fits.

 

Once I tried superglue on the nut, screwed the screw in, and thought "Ha, now the nut will be glued to the top of the terminal and won't drop down again"

 

Then when I tried to back the bolt out it was glued into the nut and ripped the whole terminal off the battery.

 

I now search around the yard for a small stick, break off a bit, and stick it under the nut, holding it up in place where the bolt will reach.

 

And more often than not I have to reposition it 3-4 times before I get everything tightened up, so don't feel bad.

 

Sorry, I laughed.  I laughed in brotherhood of pain.

 

When I was in there and was excited about doing something simple, I cursed loudly.  My wife came out to see what was up.  I think she was hoping I had killed myself and she could collect the insurance BUT NO, it was just failure.  I can't even die right!

[slowindown 494]

BTW, I laughed at your humorous prose, not the problem you had with it.

[SlammedRanger 1,560]

Double sided tape is the exact thickness needed and after it gets dirty the only part that is sticky is the part stuck to the battery already. I do this to every single small engine battery i buy right when i get it. Problem solved. But i too have had failures to find this like eveyone else lol

[WonderMonkey 727]

24 minutes ago, slowindown said:

BTW, I laughed at your humorous prose, not the problem you had with it.

 

It's ok, you can laugh directly at me.  I'm sure the FBI intern who monitors my house was chuckling.

Edited January 14, 2021 by WonderMonkey

[WonderMonkey 727]

10 minutes ago, SlammedRanger said:

Double sided tape is the exact thickness needed and after it gets dirty the only part that is sticky is the part stuck to the battery already. I do this to every single small engine battery i buy right when i get it. Problem solved. But i too have had failures to find this like eveyone else lol

 

That's a good idea.  As I fight my way through working on my atv I'm sure I'll escape on the other side a more experienced human.  I'll keep your suggestion in mind.

[Derf40 140]

Man-up WonderMonkey  that"s. part of being a MAN, it's called experience.. we have that many days..hahaha

[WonderMonkey 727]

9 minutes ago, Derf40 said:

Man-up WonderMonkey  that"s. part of being a MAN, it's called experience.. we have that many days..hahaha

 

Can I buy my way into this process?

[87Iroc 344]

I have messed with that occasionally as well. Even w/o anything under the head I struggled from time to time as I rebuilt mine. 

 

I will have 2 terminals stacked up when I finally install my battery tender(it fired right up relatively happy tonight in the cold after sitting 2 weeks)...so I'll have to keep your struggles in mind. Maybe have a bit longer bolt handy.

 

Or a stick

 

Or duct tape

 

Or double sided tape

 

or who knows.

[WonderMonkey 727]

28 minutes ago, 87Iroc said:

I have messed with that occasionally as well. Even w/o anything under the head I struggled from time to time as I rebuilt mine. 

 

I will have 2 terminals stacked up when I finally install my battery tender(it fired right up relatively happy tonight in the cold after sitting 2 weeks)...so I'll have to keep your struggles in mind. Maybe have a bit longer bolt handy.

 

Or a stick

 

Or duct tape

 

Or double sided tape

 

or who knows.

 

If you do get the longer bolt, also get the washer(s) as a safety net.  I could not find a bolt that was just the length I wanted, so I went just wee bit too long.  The washer came in handy.

[_Wilson_™ 6,593]

simple fix ... take the long bolt with all the added eyes connections etc stick it in terminal mark the thread take the bolt out screw the nut on the bolt till the mark shows on the bottom side cut the end of the existing  threads off with with drimmel cut off wheel etc  that's how i do mine. 

[shadetree 5,979]

simple fix, been doing it for years, you are just getting late to the party..rofl. a small short piece of tubbing like fish tank air line ?, or do what i do, left over drops of zip ties, cut them short, bend them, cram it under the nut as you put the nut back in. it keeps the nut pressed up.works very well for me.

[WonderMonkey 727]

37 minutes ago, _Wilson_™ said:

simple fix ... take the long bolt with all the added eyes connections etc stick it in terminal mark the thread take the bolt out screw the nut on the bolt till the mark shows on the bottom side cut the end of the existing  threads off with with drimmel cut off wheel etc  that's how i do mine. 

 

That would have certainly worked.  I don't have a Dremel or I MAY have thought of that.  Or maybe not!  I was able to use the washer to get it working but if I end getting a Dremel in the future I'd probably go back and do your solution just to make it a bit more tidy.

Edited January 15, 2021 by WonderMonkey

[WonderMonkey 727]

29 minutes ago, shadetree said:

simple fix, been doing it for years, you are just getting late to the party..rofl. a small short piece of tubbing like fish tank air line ?, or do what i do, left over drops of zip ties, cut them short, bend them, cram it under the nut as you put the nut back in. it keeps the nut pressed up.works very well for me.

 

That's another good idea.  I'll keep all the suggestions in this thread tucked away in my head for later use.  I will, of course, claim that I came up with it all on my own.  NO credit given!  Well, maybe a little.

Edited January 15, 2021 by WonderMonkey

[TBRider 1,411]

I just lift the nut with some zip tie cut offs laying on the shop floor. Lift nut tighten bolt remove zip ties...

[Fishfiles 20,147]

Ever heard that saying " making a mountain out of a mole hill " , LOL  

 

 

For anyone buying a new battery and wanting to get a battery with a better terminal connection point , you can't beat the Duracell , it has two threaded holes for negative and positive and the threads are solid with no insert nut and one on top and another on the side , makes a real good set up for a atv with a lot of battery leads or running dual batteries 

[Fishfiles 20,147]

Something you need to be careful of.  If you stick a longer battery terminal bolt in. And it is too long. It can bottom out and break the cage that holds the insert nut or damage the battery case.  

[WonderMonkey 727]

5 hours ago, TBRider said:

I just lift the nut with some zip tie cut offs laying on the shop floor. Lift nut tighten bolt remove zip ties...

 

Another good idea, filing away.

[WonderMonkey 727]

2 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

Something you need to be careful of.  If you stick a longer battery terminal bolt in. And it is too long. It can bottom out and break the cage that holds the insert nut or damage the battery case.  

 

That's the one thing I DID think about.  Luckily with the washer, etc. that didn't happen.  But glad you mentioned it.

[WonderMonkey 727]

2 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

Ever heard that saying " making a mountain out of a mole hill " , LOL  

 

 

For anyone buying a new battery and wanting to get a battery with a better terminal connection point , you can't beat the Duracell , it has two threaded holes for negative and positive and the threads are solid with no insert nut and one on top and another on the side , makes a real good set up for a atv with a lot of battery leads or running dual batteries 

 

 

Yes, a bit drama laden, wasn't it?  It was more that my apprehension of doing anything like this was met with an obstacle, and it was more of "It figures!" thing.

[slowindown 494]

3 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

Ever heard that saying " making a mountain out of a mole hill " , LOL  

 

 

For anyone buying a new battery and wanting to get a battery with a better terminal connection point , you can't beat the Duracell , it has two threaded holes for negative and positive and the threads are solid with no insert nut and one on top and another on the side , makes a real good set up for a atv with a lot of battery leads or running dual batteries 

 

I had replaced the batteries on the rancher and foreman last year. One from autozone and one from battery mart. 

 

The battery mart one had the threaded terminals but more like the stock battery - just no nut. 

Edited January 15, 2021 by slowindown