From: James Shanks (n1vbn@arrl.net)
Date: Wed Sep 15 2004 - 02:22:07 PDT
Everette and List,
I would like to point out that a disconnected ground cable will
not prevent a battery explosion, when you are tightening the positive
cables be very careful even with the ground disconnected because if the
wrench hits the frame or body piece's IT becomes the ground. I had it
happen to me too and the head mechanic said "fender covers are there for
more than to prevent scratches on a customers fender. Stick it in so the
wrench hits the fender cover instead of the body/frame."
I now figure there will be a small run on fender covers......" You
want this for WHAT???"
Remember... a careful mechanic still picks up the wrong wrench.
Jim
Where is that 9/16th??
At 05:10 AM 9/14/2004, everette wrote:
>Mike this is an excellent posting, like Mike I have been working on and
>around vehicles for many years. I do not know if it really makes much
>difference but I have always make it my practice to leave hooking ground
>cable last, and unhooking ground cable first. What happened to Mike would
>have happened anyway, but leaving ground cable to last will stop the
>disaster that happens when a wrench on positive cable touches frame while
>securing it. We have all heard the stories of people getting rings caught
>between wrench and ground resulting in terrible burns. I am a bit over
>cautious I suppose but do not wear a ring just because of the danger in this
>and I also take my watch off.
>
>Everette
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <michael@tsixroads.com>
>To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
>Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 9:15 PM
>Subject: [MV] Hooking up batteries
>
>
>I finally did it. After fixing my own stuff for 30 + years and working on
>MV's for 10+ I blew up a battery Sat. Really got my attention to. It
>happened on my M35A2 which I don't use too often. The batteries had gotten
>too low to start the truck so I pulled them off and took them to the house
>to charge them. They had some charge left and took a charge OK so I didn't
>think too much about it. I hooked up the pos and neg first and then dropped
>the inter battery cable onto the battery post. It was loose enough to drop
>all the way on. That is when the fireworks began. Sparks all around the
>post. I picked up the other battery and broke the connection but before I
>did the battery blew up (I had enough sense to not touch the wire for I am
>sure it was hot). I didn't get much on me but I went to the house and took
>a bath and changed cloths before I did anything else.
>
>Apparently, the act of pulling the batteries out to unhook them had worn the
>insulation off the small wire that runs through a hole in the frame
>resulting in a dead short. There was a rubber coated gorment that most of
>the rubber had come off on the wires but it was no longer still in the
>frame. I guess I haven't been reading my TM and doing my PM's like I
>should. I would recommend that everyone check the insulation around their
>wires, esp the main ones that run through metal holes in the frame.
>
>Mike
>Tishomingo, MS
>
>
>
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James Shanks
n1vbn@arrl.net
1985 M1009
1998 IMZ 8.103
1984 H-D FLHT-C
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