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I needed to replace the battery in my 98 FLSTS. Tried to remove the bolt that connects the negative battery cable to the frame and it broke off. I tried an extractor kit to get the rest of the bolt out, but no luck. Broke two bits so far trying to drill it out. What's my next move? Any issue with just drilling a new hole? Is there a self-tapping screw that would work? Thanks for the help!
Might be easier to drill a new hole just make sure there's nothing on the other side that might get damaged if you break through to fast. Clean the paint off a little so you get a good ground.
Weld a washer to it and then weld a nut to that and it will come right out, I've never had that fail to remove a broken bolt. But like Screamin beagle said you could also just attach the wire somewhere else nearby, it's just a ground.
welding a nut is a good way but invest in some heat dam putty to confine the heat.
you need to make sure you have a center punch to correctly start the bit or it will walk. another issue is hf bits and the like are failures waiting to happen, you need GOOD bit and a left hand twist is better as it may remove the dutchman during the drilling. HSS is a good bit material for common apps but here you want a more exotic material like a cobalt or tungsten solid or mixed.
i would look closely at the cable as i have seen acid wick its way to the end and screw up the termination. welding whip lead is a good soft replacement but for the ground, i would use a bonding strap, they come in many flavors.
First: Clean that battery box.
Was the ONE broken bolt holding the metal cable clip and also the two small gauge ring wires to the frame?
If so... the two small gauge wires can be bolted to the other ground screw on left.
That would resolve your "ground situation"
The ONE broken bolt appears to be in place to hold the fat cable in place via the clip.
To resolve that situation consider: Just zip tie to the wire sleeve next to it.
Cheap, easy and serviceable.
Notes :
There appears to be another RED ring cable end near the positive.
Be smart about positive connections and try to minimize the possibility of having a positive wire touch frame (ground).
The RED positive cable appears to be missing some insulation too.
A piece of red and a piece of black heat shrink tubing is cheap.
Why not just use that other grounded location, to the left and lower in your picture? About 2 1/2 - 3 inches to the lower left. Or, just drill out the screw and re-tap the hole.
John
Last edited by John Harper; Dec 9, 2024 at 05:32 PM.
Thanks for all the replies! I should have mentioned I'm beyond amateur with this stuff. Welding is definitely outside my skillset. Thought I might be able to handle a battery install, but here I am!
Originally Posted by John Harper
Why not just use that other grounded location, to the left and lower in your picture? About 2 1/2 - 3 inches to the lower left. Or, just drill out the screw and re-tap the hole.
John
Can I do that? that seems like the easiest option (assuming the bolt doesn't break. Any reason not to use that one?
Originally Posted by im
First: Clean that battery box.
Was the ONE broken bolt holding the metal cable clip and also the two small gauge ring wires to the frame?
If so... the two small gauge wires can be bolted to the other ground screw on left.
That would resolve your "ground situation"
The ONE broken bolt appears to be in place to hold the fat cable in place via the clip.
To resolve that situation consider: Just zip tie to the wire sleeve next to it.
Cheap, easy and serviceable.
Notes :
There appears to be another RED ring cable end near the positive.
Be smart about positive connections and try to minimize the possibility of having a positive wire touch frame (ground).
The RED positive cable appears to be missing some insulation too.
A piece of red and a piece of black heat shrink tubing is cheap.
Broken bolt was holding those two small gauge ring wires, the clamp with the larger wire, and the negative battery cable. The red ring cable was connected to the positive battery terminal, along with the positive battery cable. The battery cable was on the front of the terminal, with the red ring cable on the back. I believe that's for the battery tender. and yes, the red cable is missing some insulation. Thanks for pointing that out!
Can I do that? that seems like the easiest option (assuming the bolt doesn't break. Any reason not to use that one?
No reason at all, should work fine. Maybe put a drop of ATF or penetrating oil on that good one and let it sit overnight before you try to turn it, and use a small socket (or nutdriver), not a screwdriver. Those screws look pretty cheap and weak. Good luck!
John
Last edited by John Harper; Dec 9, 2024 at 07:27 PM.
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Broken Bolt on Negative Battery Cable
