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Author Topic:   Battery: Wing Nuts or Hex Nuts

Binkie posted 10-25-2006 10:30 PM ET (US)
Should I be using hex nuts and lock washers to fasten the cables to my starting battery. I`ve heard loose wing nuts cause rectifier failures.
Rich
ratherwhalering posted 10-25-2006 11:45 PM ET (US)
Nylock nuts are the way to go, wing nuts can work loose, and create all sorts of headaches.
Chuck Tribolet posted 10-26-2006 12:55 AM ET (US)
Wing nuts, just tighten them with a crescent wrench.

Chuck
Riverwhaler posted 10-26-2006 09:10 AM ET (US)
Wing nuts with a lock washer, just to add my 2 cents.
davej14 posted 10-26-2006 09:46 AM ET (US)
Wing nuts have been fine. I like the idea of being able to remove the connection without a tool in an emergency.
jimh posted 10-26-2006 01:27 PM ET (US)
Everyone chimed in with their various opinions in
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000624.html
As is the case in trivialities, I doubt that strongly held beliefs were changed by the exchange of different ideas.
Hook the cables up any way you like, and , if you like, don't bother to make any notation of positive or negative--that seems to be the free-thinking way to go.
It makes perfect sense to me to mark the cables clearly and securely fasten them.
Binkie posted 10-26-2006 03:49 PM ET (US)
jimh, I guess I missed your thread from a year ago. Sorry about that. I think your idea with the hex nut and washers is the right and safe way to do it. Before now I`ve always used wing nuts and a crescent wrench, and never had trouble, but I might have been just lucky.
I don`t know if your comment about hook the cables up any way you like was your attempt at humor, dumb, or just sarcastic. I certainly don`t have a free thinking attitude, when it comes to boats at all.
Rich
jimh posted 10-26-2006 11:55 PM ET (US)
Binkie--We're betting on the same horse in this race. I suggested clearly marking the cables and the connection posts with color-coded tape and got an earful in response. That's why the feeble attempt at humor.
KillerWhaler62 posted 10-29-2006 10:57 PM ET (US)
After being bounced around in Boston Whalers for 45 years I found that all types of lock washers and nylon insert nuts will eventually fail due to vibration.
For nuts that will be removed I use LOCTITE Blue. With this product the nut can be easily removed. If it is forever, or almost forever I use LOCTITE Red. If I am going to use it on stainless, I use the LOCTITE primer first. Both the Blue and Red LOCTITE come in liquid and stick. The primer I use comes in a spray.
Talking with Boston Whaler factory design team members, they use LOCTITE on all new Whalers.
Good luck with your nuts.......
TC Goldman posted 10-30-2006 09:58 AM ET (US)
Nylok nuts should not vibrate off as long as they are not reused over and over.I have heard they should only be used 1-3 times(different Manufactures say different things). They are made to be a lock nut that will hold up to vibration but should not be used where high heat will come into play. - FYI
swist posted 11-01-2006 07:41 AM ET (US)
Interesting discussion.
This all begs the question of why these batteries don't come with a different type of terminal fastening system if the wingnut and/or post is so inferior. The characteristic of both wingnut and post is that there is little stress applied to the battery case when tightening (assuming the wingnuts are hand-tightened, which is the only reason they exist). My own conclusion is that it must be fairly easy to break something if you take a wrench to it, but I am certainly no expert. What I have always done is use the wingnuts with a "little" mechanical assist from a small pair of pliers, but nothing too drastic - never had a problem. I also find it interesting that you never see marine cables connected via posts, which are nevertheless present along with the wingnuts on many marine batteries. That is of course the preferred connection method on virtually all cars....
contender posted 11-01-2006 11:21 AM ET (US)
I have always use wing nuts, just for the reason of being able to remove the cable with no tools, I have found that if you rotate the cable a little when tighting or loosening it will assist you for making it tighter or looser, I have always ran a black wire for ground and red for poss. so no problems not even mistakes at night. I keep the boat on the trailer so I also remove one of the cables after use, hense the wing nuts.
Binkie posted 11-04-2006 07:55 AM ET (US)
If the boat has only one battery, can a Guest battery switch be rigged so that the Off and On circuit is used, and then the cables can be bolted to the battery, and it is still convenient to "disconect" the battery with the switch.
Rich
swist posted 11-04-2006 08:24 AM ET (US)
Yes. I would never bolt down my battery connectors unless I had a disconnect switch nearby. The switch is a good idea for any number of other reasons too.
Liteamorn posted 11-04-2006 03:54 PM ET (US)
Binkie,
I installed a simple on/off switch on my single battery Montauk. I like having the ability to kill the power at a moments notice. I use hex nuts .

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Author	Topic: Battery: Wing Nuts or Hex Nuts
Binkie	posted 10-25-2006 10:30 PM ET (US) Should I be using hex nuts and lock washers to fasten the cables to my starting battery. I`ve heard loose wing nuts cause rectifier failures. Rich
ratherwhalering	posted 10-25-2006 11:45 PM ET (US) Nylock nuts are the way to go, wing nuts can work loose, and create all sorts of headaches.
Chuck Tribolet	posted 10-26-2006 12:55 AM ET (US) Wing nuts, just tighten them with a crescent wrench. Chuck
Riverwhaler	posted 10-26-2006 09:10 AM ET (US) Wing nuts with a lock washer, just to add my 2 cents.
davej14	posted 10-26-2006 09:46 AM ET (US) Wing nuts have been fine. I like the idea of being able to remove the connection without a tool in an emergency.
jimh	posted 10-26-2006 01:27 PM ET (US) Everyone chimed in with their various opinions in http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000624.html As is the case in trivialities, I doubt that strongly held beliefs were changed by the exchange of different ideas. Hook the cables up any way you like, and , if you like, don't bother to make any notation of positive or negative--that seems to be the free-thinking way to go. It makes perfect sense to me to mark the cables clearly and securely fasten them.
Binkie	posted 10-26-2006 03:49 PM ET (US) jimh, I guess I missed your thread from a year ago. Sorry about that. I think your idea with the hex nut and washers is the right and safe way to do it. Before now I`ve always used wing nuts and a crescent wrench, and never had trouble, but I might have been just lucky. I don`t know if your comment about hook the cables up any way you like was your attempt at humor, dumb, or just sarcastic. I certainly don`t have a free thinking attitude, when it comes to boats at all. Rich
jimh	posted 10-26-2006 11:55 PM ET (US) Binkie--We're betting on the same horse in this race. I suggested clearly marking the cables and the connection posts with color-coded tape and got an earful in response. That's why the feeble attempt at humor.
KillerWhaler62	posted 10-29-2006 10:57 PM ET (US) After being bounced around in Boston Whalers for 45 years I found that all types of lock washers and nylon insert nuts will eventually fail due to vibration. For nuts that will be removed I use LOCTITE Blue. With this product the nut can be easily removed. If it is forever, or almost forever I use LOCTITE Red. If I am going to use it on stainless, I use the LOCTITE primer first. Both the Blue and Red LOCTITE come in liquid and stick. The primer I use comes in a spray. Talking with Boston Whaler factory design team members, they use LOCTITE on all new Whalers. Good luck with your nuts.......
TC Goldman	posted 10-30-2006 09:58 AM ET (US) Nylok nuts should not vibrate off as long as they are not reused over and over.I have heard they should only be used 1-3 times(different Manufactures say different things). They are made to be a lock nut that will hold up to vibration but should not be used where high heat will come into play. - FYI
swist	posted 11-01-2006 07:41 AM ET (US) Interesting discussion. This all begs the question of why these batteries don't come with a different type of terminal fastening system if the wingnut and/or post is so inferior. The characteristic of both wingnut and post is that there is little stress applied to the battery case when tightening (assuming the wingnuts are hand-tightened, which is the only reason they exist). My own conclusion is that it must be fairly easy to break something if you take a wrench to it, but I am certainly no expert. What I have always done is use the wingnuts with a "little" mechanical assist from a small pair of pliers, but nothing too drastic - never had a problem. I also find it interesting that you never see marine cables connected via posts, which are nevertheless present along with the wingnuts on many marine batteries. That is of course the preferred connection method on virtually all cars....
contender	posted 11-01-2006 11:21 AM ET (US) I have always use wing nuts, just for the reason of being able to remove the cable with no tools, I have found that if you rotate the cable a little when tighting or loosening it will assist you for making it tighter or looser, I have always ran a black wire for ground and red for poss. so no problems not even mistakes at night. I keep the boat on the trailer so I also remove one of the cables after use, hense the wing nuts.
Binkie	posted 11-04-2006 07:55 AM ET (US) If the boat has only one battery, can a Guest battery switch be rigged so that the Off and On circuit is used, and then the cables can be bolted to the battery, and it is still convenient to "disconect" the battery with the switch. Rich
swist	posted 11-04-2006 08:24 AM ET (US) Yes. I would never bolt down my battery connectors unless I had a disconnect switch nearby. The switch is a good idea for any number of other reasons too.
Liteamorn	posted 11-04-2006 03:54 PM ET (US) Binkie, I installed a simple on/off switch on my single battery Montauk. I like having the ability to kill the power at a moments notice. I use hex nuts .