I have had an old 84 F250 4x4 that runs a 460 engine for a long time. For a while, it had the odd problem of starting fine cold, but hardly turning over when it had been stopped for a few minutes after coming up to normal operating temperature. This puzzled me, because the battery cables looked great on the outside, the battery was new, the connections were shiny and it didn"t happen EVERY time. I messed around with the truck being somewhat unreliable for a couple of years, trying this and that.
Finally I tried changing the battery cables, and the problem went away. I decided to investigate and cut into the insulation on the old positive cable. Inside the outwardly perfect looking insulation, I found mostly blue powder. There were less than 10 strands of copper wire that had not oxidized and come apart. I was surprised that the old truck would start at all with that cable!
So, to answer your question, yes, the corrosion does reduce the amount of current a cable can carry. Just how and why a cable can corrode inside without any outward sign remains a puzzle. But that was what happened with my truck. And now I examine battery cables much more closely when one of my machines has a starting problem.
I would replace the cable with a quality new one. Good luck!
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Harvestin Hay: The Early Years (Part 2) - by Pat Browning. The summer of 1950 was the start of a new era in farming for our family. I was thirteen, and Kathy (my oldest sister) was seven. At this age, I believed tractor farming was the only way, hot stuff -- and given a chance I probably would have used the tractor, Dad's first, a 1936 Model "A" John Deere, to go bring in the cows! And I think Dad was ready for some automation too. And so it was that we acquired a good, used J. I. Case, wire tie hay baler. In addition to a person to drive th
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
Sell 1958 Hi-Altitude Massey Fergerson tractor, original condition. three point hitch pto engine, Runs well, photos available upon request
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.