The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Battery Disconnect

Wondering if anyone has any experience with the battery disconnect that goes into battery post, has a green knob that you unscrew to interrupt the circuit and isolate the battery. The battery cable connects to the other end of this.

Thanks

I had one on a GTO I use to own that had a short I could never seem to locate. It worked great for the years I owned the car. The only thing you need to make sure is that you have the clearance for the knob and your hand.

We used to use them on our trucks when they had generators. If a regulator stuck, the generator would try to "motor" and couldn't and burn the wires. It also made sure nothing was left on to discharge the battery during the night. If you have a modern radio it will lose its memory and if it's like the radios in my Mercedes, it will need a code to unlock it.

He is right about stuff losing memory if so equipped. You can make your own memory saver if you have a cigarette lighter. Use a cigarette lighter type plug in (Radio Shack) and then wire up a 9-volt battery connector to it (just a - +) this will keep those things going for short periods of time I am told.

I wonder if doing the 9 volt in the sig lighter would effectively charge the 9 volt bat.

Applying 12V to a 9V battery could cause it to explode.

So what do you guys think about this type of battery disconnect?

I have one on my Studebaker and don't like it much. You have to lift the hood each time you want to connect or disconnect. I have the battery switch type on my Chevy wrecker that works well. Quick,easy and you can take the handle (knob) with you for added protection against thieves.

I use one of those on my truck. I always disconnect it when I park it. I have mine connected to the negative ground.

Exactly where did you mount yours Fred? I’ve looked at those inexpensive green/red knob disconnects that clamp on to the battery post and thought they looked to chincy so I bought a nice big old rotary battery shut off switch to the tune of about thirty something dollars and can't decide where to mount it in the cab where it would be convenient without running an extra six feet of cable. Making a bracket to mount to the frame right across from the starter is about the most practical non-evasive place. Located there all I would have to do is split the pos cable at that point. That would be fine if I were just looking to kill the power for storage but right out in the open it wouldn't do much good as a theft deterrent.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

OK, it's obvious you guys have not hit the age where things you thought you'd remember are remembered not. I know that if I hook up one of those disconnects I will invariably forget to switch it off on the very day that lowlife scum bag will come for my treasured truck. What I would like to have is an automatic cut-off that will cut itself off when I turn the key off, making me have to reconnect the disconnect switch under the dash or wherever when I'm ready to start it up.

Denny,
mine wasn't very expensive and I thought that it might be a little on the light side. However, I don't seem to lack cranking power so I guess that is the test. I mounted mine right on the negative battery post. It is the type with a green turn knob. It has no theft deterrent value at all.
Fred

YEP....I have the green knob on the negative side of the batt. on the truck and one on my ford tractor. Both have worked great for years. I cut the clamp off of the OEM braided line and soldered the end flat and attached it to the disconnect...great little thing to have to save a battery. T/C Steve

Have been using one of those on my truck for years.

I don't believe you did this!

"...I cut the clamp off of the OEM braided line and soldered the end flat and attached it to the disconnect..."

Please go back and redo that. Don't solder anything in a primary electrical system in an automobile (or truck) 'cause, if you get something wrong, it will un-solder itself and as it is doing so, the resistance will go sky high and you will let the smoke out.

Its OK....I just soldered the end of the braided ground strap to keep it from fraying and to achive a better connection. We used the bolt on clamp that comes with the battery disconnect. Sorry about the confusion. You have to cut the battery terminal clamp off the OEM strap to affix the new disconnect part....You should invest in one great little device they can be purchased at your local APS.....Thanks & T/C Steve

I used one on the 52 I had, key(locked) was mounted high on the interior floor board about where a heater would be if it had one.. I could still reach it and it was pretty much out of site..then wired in to attached to the engine fire wall. it worked well for me, it was a red one too but not a great big one.. I think I paid 25 bucks or so.......it was worth ever penny of it..

I have a pix of it somewhere... might post later if I find it

you probably already know this but.........you can ruin a good batt by letting it drain down.....for sure

I've thought about putting one on - but just pull the one of the cables off . At this stage the truck is so ugly and cantankerous no one would want to take her .

yup, more then one way to skin a cat.............

I used an vacuum hose made up to look like a coil wire, boots on each end for a theft protection... dont know if it worked or not but n o one ever stole it.. that and the foot starter would make one need a tow truck to get it down the road..