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Battery Disconnect Switch?


Jon37

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Greg...thank you for your informative tips. Very well taken.

Personally, I disconnect the battery on my TR6 "immediately" after loading it onto the trailer for a long haul to a meet, and, "immediatlely" after parking it in my garage upon return.

The Trailer: A few years ago, there was a case example posted on our AACA Forum that was a disaster to say the least. Cannot recall the exact year of the car, however, venturing a guess, it was an early 1920 Ford. The folks were trailering home after a meet and the battery connections were not tight. The vibration within the trailer caused a short, smoke ensued, then, fire. If I recall, the car and trailer were destroyed.

I totally agree with your suggestions.

Thank you,

Peter J...

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  • 5 months later...

Here's an additional word on the ubiquitous ''green knob'' cutoff switches.

As you may recall, some people (including myself) feel that they're just barely-acceptable for 6-volt cars, due to the fact that the only electrical contact area occurs along a small segment of the 1/4" threaded stud (to which the knob is installed). Six-volt systems have greater needs than 12-volt systems, and a 1/4" threaded stud isn't going to conduct a whole lot of power - especially when it gets corroded. .

I think I have found a remedy, though. You can instantly modify the green-knob switch so that the two halves of the switch fully contact one another (not through the threaded connector) and come completely apart when not in use.

The battery cable will be clamped to half the green-knob switch, and the other half of the switch will remain clamped to the battery terminal. When you permanently remove the plastic insulating spacer between the two halves (by prying it out of the switch) you will find that there is an enormous flat contact area between the two bronze halves. The green-knob threaded stud now acts merely as a bolt to hold the halves together (when you are running the car). Remove the green knob, and then the battery cable (or ground strap -- whichever you've attached to the green-knob switch) can be pulled away from the battery and parked anywhere. Put the two halves back together for a connection, and secure them with the green knob.

In my opinion this is better than continually unclamping and re-clamping the battery cable (or ground strap) from the battery, as it does not chew up the battery terminals. And, when the two are dis-attached, the surfaces of both can become corroded, requiring a cleanup at each re-attachment.

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