CONTINUOUSWAVE

I noticed the stainless electrical bonding wire on my outboard is missing a terminal. This is the wire that bonds the mounting bracket to the tilt motor. I could just get a new one but that means removing the motor from the transom to get at it. A simple stainless steel ring terminal or lug would fix it perfectly. They do not seem to exist unless I buy 5000 from China. Does anyone have a source?

I never heard of stainless wire. Do you mean stainless steel? For an electrical conductor? Why can't you use a tinned copper ring terminal?

It is a braided stainless steel wire that goes from the backside of the mounting bracket to the tilt assist or T-N-T manifold. It is there for electrical continuity between the aluminum components and is subjected to serious salt water exposure including submersion. I would not expect anything copper or brass to get along with the aluminum in that environment. Sadly, every terminal I tested with sandpaper showed either copper or brass under the tin plating. There is a stainless steel flag terminal crimped on at each end of the wire. The missing one is nowhere to be found. I spent a lot of time searching fruitlessly so I made one. I took a stainless steel hose clamp that was about 3/4 inches wide and cut off an inch long piece from the non-serated section. I drilled a quarter inch hole in one end. Then I cut "wings" in the other end with a Dremel cut-off tool. I folded the "wings" over in a big vise so that a channel was formed that I could lay the wire into. I placed the wire into the channel and crimped the "wings" all the way down with big Vise-Grips. Now I can bolt that to my T-N-T motor. I tried soldering it too but was unsuccessful. The crimp will have to do.

Are you looking for something like this?



https://shop.hamiltonmarine.com/products/outboard-cylinder-grounding-strap-31720.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjwid63BRCswIGqyOubtrUBEiQAvTol0aDrJgDJCtujaLSqWEq68teGbVIlu3oI8cHyPYHRWOgaAh-R8P8HAQ

Yup. See the loose flag terminal? I needed one. I could have easily bought the entire wire but I did not want to remove the motor from the transom to get at the bolt that secures it. They attached it to the bolt that holds the tie bar between the stern brackets. Of course the bolt head in on the inside surface facing the transom. Does that single terminal come with the wire? If so- nice find!