Battery and Cables

I've gone through a few batteries over the years of owning the 330.  The last couple have been Interstate ones in the size 27.  This is the correct original size for the battery area.

The main problem I've had related to the battery is corrosion on the terminals.  The posts are OK, but the insides of the terminals end up getting oxidized after a few months.  There's no warning, just a click when you try to start the car and having to spend the next 15 minutes working on the problem.  The oxidation has built up enough that the normal wire terminal cleaner won't scrape it off, so I have to use a round coarse file.

I finally got tired of this, so I stopped by an auto parts store and got a new 12" long ground cable and a new end for the positive cable.  Eventually I'll replace that whole cable, but to change it requires access to the starter, which means taking off the heat shield and rear header.  So that's going to wait until I have another reason to take apart that area.  The terminal end I bought is actually a conversion one designed to connect a side post cable to a regular post one.  I cut off the terminal on the old cable and where the side post screw goes into the terminal, I soldered the wire in.  So this now looks like a standard terminal end that was formed onto the cable.  The other replacement terminal was the kind where you clamp the wire to attach it.  The left picture is the new ground cable and the others are the new positive terminal.

Now I shouldn't have to worry about oxidized terminals and the dreaded click.

Another thing that I addressed was getting wing nuts that are the proper type.  They should be 'German' style, i.e. large ears.  I found a source at MMCC and ordered some.  The one on the right is an old one from my PF coupe.  I don't know if it original or not.

Lowell Brown measured one on his 330 GT:
e =  28.0 mm
m = 13.7 mm
m_1 = 4.8 mm
d_2 = 12.8 mm
Thickness of wing = about 2.8 mm

While the ones I bought are a little larger:
e = 31.5 mm
m = 16.25 mm
m_1 = 6.85 mm
d_2 = 11.0 mm
The wing tapers from 2.8 mm down to 2.1.

In any case, much more original that the ones I bought 30 years ago at the local hardware store.