I have a '91 Dodge 1/2 ton truck with a 318 and 100+K miles. This is my run-around truck I use for doing service calls. I am having some starting & charging issues so I 'm in the process of changing all the Battery cables. I cant’t find the positive cable anywhere. I’ve checked all the local parts stores to no avail
Where can I possibly find this cable short of going to the dealer? Mainly the connector that goes on the starter…
I have a photo but cannot figure out how to paste
I have had odd battery cables made to fit. The only thing is they were made by a welding supply store, not a parts store. ANY length, ANY type of end. No problem.
re: posting photos on this board
If you ‘reply’ to your own posting, then in that window you will see a button in the lower left that allows you to “attach” a picture. (don’t know why that button is not available for a topic opener, but it is for all replies!)
Looks like my post vanished so I’ll try again. The first pic is the critical part I need to get ahold of. This attaches directly to the starter. I could splice (butt connectors) the wires on the other end where it attaches to the battery post. As I said earlier, I hit A-Zone, Advance, and several on-line sources with no luck. Google is not my friend today.
How comfortable are you with working with wires? If it were my truck, I would go to Radio Shack (or an online catalog like Digi-Key, Jameco, etc if you are familiar with terminals) and pick out the right terminals and wires. For the battery terminal, you still need to go to a parts store, and for the plug, you’ll have to splice that with butt connectors because they aren’t standard. And that other funny looking connector can probably be replace with two eye terminals, though it won’t be connected like the OEM part. I can’t tell what that other black piece is, so I’m not sure if you would be able to find a replacement or not.
Call the dealer and get a price. If it is reasonable, paste on a false mustache and wear a wig so no one will recognize you, sneak into the Parts department, and buy one. It’ll probably work better than one you make. You could also try a junk yard of course, but their cable may be little, if any, better than the one you have. I’d say that making the cable is a last resort. (But you may have to make a cable if, as is possible, the dealer is unable to get you one).
Ask a mechanic in your area where he would get a custom battery cable made, I know that in my area a commercial battery shop will do it. It is called El-Don Battery and is just south of Buffalo NY, Perhaps you could mail them your old one.
I was able to locate the corrrect cable. Called local dealers and all said they needed to get it from some warehouse and would cost $78.00 plus shipping. I got the part # and got it for half the price from Wholesalemopar.com today. I also went ahead and changed the ignition switch in the steering colum and while in there, replaced all the burnt out bulbs in the dash. Replaced the negative battery cable with a larger one and cleaned all connections…All is good…