battery post keeps corroding

37coop

37coop

Well-known member
hi guys ...is there a reason my battery post /lead corrodes up when connected? ,my 39 coupe is ,pos earth and its the neg post, that's the problem ,i clean it and within 2 to 3 days its back again ,I know using vasaline on the post will help but I,m curious as to why ,no other vehicle I have has this problem,many thanks ,cheers jim.
 
Because the cell is not sealed. The electrolyte is creeping up the post from the cell and causing the corrosion. There used to be some treated bits of felt on the market, soaked in an alkaline? of some sort, they worked quite well.
 
Bluebell is correct, you have a leak somewhere. try spraying WD-40 on your posts, this will help a lot.
 
There are anti-corrosion rings available from many sources like this.
They have worked well for me.
 

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Place a penny face up near each post. Put a dollop of grease on the back side to hold the penny in place.
Clem
 
Sometimes, different cable ends of different material will cause that. I use those felt washers on all my cars and have no problem. Walt
 
Clem Clement said:
Place a penny face up near each post. Put a dollop of grease on the back side to hold the penny in place.
Clem
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You would have to use a pre 1982 penney ---after that they wern't really copper ---I remember my father doing this, the terminal still got corroded ---new batterys are much better, many go their entire life without being touched, your battery has a bad seal at the post, you can clean and grease under the terminal to slow it down
 
there used to be a spray that would help seal the cable, post, etc....spray on after attaching the cable...red color??....used that along with the washers to prevent the corrosion....good luck....Mike
 
OK, Clem, why does the penny need to be placed face up? And Mike, I think the good spray-on stuff was Permatex spray gasket, purple? ..B.
 
Hi Everyone,

I had the impression that the fuzzy yellow/green build up on battery posts was from the off-gassing that happens during charge and discharge, and the gaseous stuff reforming as solids. Is this correct?

If it is coming back in a couple of days, as others have said, it might be an indication of excessive off-gassing, or even electrolyte leaking and evaporating.

Is this battery needing frequent topping off of fluids? If so I'd agree with the folks saying it's a leak-er.

Just did a battery service last week on a modern car and found two small spray cans on the shelf in Dad's garage, both Permatex blue cans, one a cleaner (it foamed a lot) and one a sealer, it was sort of a thick purple spray, directions said to use two light coats.

I'm also a big fan of the felt washers, I don't do battery service without using them.

-VT/Jeff
 

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Jim said:
Posts and cables coated with di-electric grease works well for me. Just my 2 cents. Jim
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I second that. Di-electric grease on the post before the clamp.

I resisted using the red and green colored fabric post washers feeling they were not authentic and detracted from the vintage appearance until I found them in the Ford accessory catalog. They were actually a Ford accessory # 51A-10682-A in the Green Bible.

From Ford's accessories catalog:

DSCN0721_zps3f4c3a4f.jpg
 
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Hi Everyone,

I agree the red and green colors are a bit gaudy. We have a 1/2 quart can of them at the auto shop and they're all black. I think we got 'em at Carquest but I didn't see them on their website.

-VT/JeffH
 
Isn't that a sign of over charging?? Seems to me in my oft time confused memory bank that was an indicator years ago. Either too high or too long???
 
VeryTangled said:
Hi Everyone,

I agree the red and green colors are a bit gaudy. We have a 1/2 quart can of them at the auto shop and they're all black. I think we got 'em at Carquest but I didn't see them on their website.

-VT/JeffH
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Yeah. I'm thinking the original Ford ones weren't green and red. I'd like to get a couple of black ones if they work the same. May do some searching.
 
Never fool with a penny that is face done. Before you pick it up, turn it over. Smiley side ups bring you good luck. Ya wanna mess with Lady Luck while driving a flathead???
 
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