Looking for Battery cable lengths 70 to 71 CS/442
April 27th, 2015, 08:26 PM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Chelmsford, Mass
Posts: 604
Looking for Battery cable lengths 70 to 71 CS/442
Looking for Battery cable lengths 70 to 71 CS/442.
Hi all: I have yet to find any document that list the cable lengths for each type of Battery cable used on the different models of CS and 442.
My 71 CS with Factory Air, has the Top post battery mounted with the Positive terminal under the Driver side fender (this is the way it came from the factory). (Battery is located on the driver side, with post facing the firewall, Negative post near Alternator, and Positive post under DS fender). This location makes it nearly impossible to safely ever try to jump start a 71 CS with factory air.
What I want to do, is put the Negative post under the DS fender and have the Positive post out in the open near the alternator.
The problem is the length of the Stock CS Negative cable is too short to reach the extra 12-14” or so inches to the post under the fender.
Rather than use a Walmart battery cable, I would like to use a factory stock looking Negative cable.
I called OPGI and they have all types of cables, but they do not keep the Length of the cables in their computer. If I want a longer cable, I have to tell them year, make and model of the CS/442 that has a longer cable.
Does anyone have a list of negative battery cable lengths with (Make, year and Model) the cables were used on?
The existing positive cable (53”) is long enough to reach either side of the battery.
Hi all: I have yet to find any document that list the cable lengths for each type of Battery cable used on the different models of CS and 442.
My 71 CS with Factory Air, has the Top post battery mounted with the Positive terminal under the Driver side fender (this is the way it came from the factory). (Battery is located on the driver side, with post facing the firewall, Negative post near Alternator, and Positive post under DS fender). This location makes it nearly impossible to safely ever try to jump start a 71 CS with factory air.
What I want to do, is put the Negative post under the DS fender and have the Positive post out in the open near the alternator.
The problem is the length of the Stock CS Negative cable is too short to reach the extra 12-14” or so inches to the post under the fender.
Rather than use a Walmart battery cable, I would like to use a factory stock looking Negative cable.
I called OPGI and they have all types of cables, but they do not keep the Length of the cables in their computer. If I want a longer cable, I have to tell them year, make and model of the CS/442 that has a longer cable.
Does anyone have a list of negative battery cable lengths with (Make, year and Model) the cables were used on?
The existing positive cable (53”) is long enough to reach either side of the battery.
April 27th, 2015, 11:53 PM
#2
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 13,730
Interesting. I haven't experienced that with my 70 or 71, both with similar setup as yours. Maybe it's a difference in battery layout? I seem to remember Ford batteries have the terminals reversed, and if the battery were then installed with the positive towards the firewall that may put them near the fender as you said. I can't see how it would be under the fender though - how would you get the battery in and out of the battery tray?
As you can see in the pics below, the battery terminals are well away from the fender, on both AC and non-AC cars
As you can see in the pics below, the battery terminals are well away from the fender, on both AC and non-AC cars
Last edited by Fun71; April 28th, 2015 at 12:19 AM.
April 28th, 2015, 06:21 AM
#4
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,257
First of all, never call OPGI and ask about anything technical.
They sell parts out of a catalog, and not very well.
Call M&H Electrical, and they will not only give you the specs, but can upgrade the cable size to 2/0 or larger.
They sell parts out of a catalog, and not very well.
Call M&H Electrical, and they will not only give you the specs, but can upgrade the cable size to 2/0 or larger.
April 28th, 2015, 07:11 AM
#5
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Chelmsford, Mass
Posts: 604
When I first bought this car with 19,000 original miles on the car, I though the battery location was a little strange.
I had never seen the Positive terminal mounted under the Driver side fender on any of my other 6 Cutlasses.
When I looked between the fender and the Positive battery terminal I noticed there is an insulation pad located on the fender above the terminal. It consists of a Velcro strip glued to the fender, with a Pad attached to the strip. See the attached pictures.
The installation looks professional. I am curious if this installation is something unique that was used by the Framingham Mass Oldsmobile plant?
When I removed the battery bracket for cleaning I noticed the bolt and rust pattern of the mounting location. It appears the mounting plate has always been mounted with the long side parallel to the firewall. The car was still equipped with original battery cables (however the negative cable was too corroded to continue using).
Unfortunately even though I took over 400 pictures of the car that first winter, I never took a single picture of how the old battery was mounted.
When spring came, the battery was dead, this gave me the opportunity to move the Positive terminal to the safer location. The stock battery had a Left Side Positive terminal. I replace the battery with a Right side Positive terminal.
Since my factory negative cable was too short now, and heavily corroded, I replaced it with a Walmart cable until I could afford a better solution.
In the attached pictures you will see the new Right side positive terminal battery.
The other pictures show the Velcro pad under the fender over the battery.
Question:
Do other Cutlass have this Velcro pad combination over their battery?
The short story is, how long was my original 1971 Negative battery cable?
Is there a 12-14 inch longer Oldsmobile equivalent (make model year).
Or should I try to re-orient the battery tray with Short end at the firewall?
I had never seen the Positive terminal mounted under the Driver side fender on any of my other 6 Cutlasses.
When I looked between the fender and the Positive battery terminal I noticed there is an insulation pad located on the fender above the terminal. It consists of a Velcro strip glued to the fender, with a Pad attached to the strip. See the attached pictures.
The installation looks professional. I am curious if this installation is something unique that was used by the Framingham Mass Oldsmobile plant?
When I removed the battery bracket for cleaning I noticed the bolt and rust pattern of the mounting location. It appears the mounting plate has always been mounted with the long side parallel to the firewall. The car was still equipped with original battery cables (however the negative cable was too corroded to continue using).
Unfortunately even though I took over 400 pictures of the car that first winter, I never took a single picture of how the old battery was mounted.
When spring came, the battery was dead, this gave me the opportunity to move the Positive terminal to the safer location. The stock battery had a Left Side Positive terminal. I replace the battery with a Right side Positive terminal.
Since my factory negative cable was too short now, and heavily corroded, I replaced it with a Walmart cable until I could afford a better solution.
In the attached pictures you will see the new Right side positive terminal battery.
The other pictures show the Velcro pad under the fender over the battery.
Question:
Do other Cutlass have this Velcro pad combination over their battery?
The short story is, how long was my original 1971 Negative battery cable?
Is there a 12-14 inch longer Oldsmobile equivalent (make model year).
Or should I try to re-orient the battery tray with Short end at the firewall?
April 28th, 2015, 08:05 AM
#6
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 4,845
I'm fairly certain that battery tray was mounted incorrectly, either from the factory(doubtful), or shortly after, maybe due to a crash & a mechanic not knowing how to install it correctly??? I've never seen a battery tray oriented like that. Not saying I know it all but I've seen enough Cutlasses to be 95% sure.
I don't think Velcro was in wide use in '71. I think it was developed for the space program & was not common in the consumer market at that time? These are all just guesses by me, I'm sure someone knows for sure. I'd say reorient the tray & use the good existing cable & get a good used or new ground cable.
I don't think Velcro was in wide use in '71. I think it was developed for the space program & was not common in the consumer market at that time? These are all just guesses by me, I'm sure someone knows for sure. I'd say reorient the tray & use the good existing cable & get a good used or new ground cable.
April 28th, 2015, 01:51 PM
#7
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 13,730
As far as getting battery cables that are the correct length, just measure how long you need then go to the local parts store and get one that length. I have thick 1 gauge (?) positive and negative cables that I bought from NAPA many, many years ago to replace the old corroded 4 gauge cables.
April 28th, 2015, 03:42 PM
#8
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Chelmsford, Mass
Posts: 604
Hi Fun71, I wanted to have the connectors look original. That’s why I am considering an Oldsmobile spring clip version for the Ground cable. My car is about 95% factory original.
Oldspackerat had a good comment about the Velcro. I am now 99% convinced that this car was shipped from Framingham plant with the Positive terminal under the DS fender.
If the car was damaged, a local repair shop would not have gone to the trouble of carefully installing the Velcro and pad combination to prevent a short from the Positive terminal.
I do not think a dealer would have installed it unless they were ordered to make the recall change.
My long term goal is to put the Positive terminal back under the fender, some day. I can’t do it now because that would require buying a new battery with a Left Positive post.
New Question:
Does a Stock 71CS battery Negative cable have a pig-tail Ground wire attached to the spring clip connector?
Oldspackerat had a good comment about the Velcro. I am now 99% convinced that this car was shipped from Framingham plant with the Positive terminal under the DS fender.
If the car was damaged, a local repair shop would not have gone to the trouble of carefully installing the Velcro and pad combination to prevent a short from the Positive terminal.
I do not think a dealer would have installed it unless they were ordered to make the recall change.
My long term goal is to put the Positive terminal back under the fender, some day. I can’t do it now because that would require buying a new battery with a Left Positive post.
New Question:
Does a Stock 71CS battery Negative cable have a pig-tail Ground wire attached to the spring clip connector?
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