Replaced battery cable terminals, now positive terminal won't fit the new battery post

Hi!! So I have been struggling with this fix for a few days.

Recently realized my battery terminals were super corroded and after doing a thorough cleaning, I found out that often if you have corrosion it can go deeper into the wires. I was planning on replacing my battery since it failed a power load test and I had been using a jump box recently to start it, but didn't want to put shitty corroded terminals on a brand new battery and possibly shorten its lifespan.






Read a lot of forums and watched videos and debated switching to military spec marine type terminals, but did not have a hydraulic cable crimper and I'm operating on a tighter budget here.


Followed this guy's workup:
https://youtu.be/ptT5mxyjT3k?si=5K-BmoUtwMGw6_wU
Ended up cutting off the corroded ends and attaching terminals to the raw wires, which barely reached. I am planning to ultimately replace the cables but I am moving in 2 days and wanted it to just get running reliably for now. I couldn't find many schematics or writeups about removing the fuse box to get to the fusible link cable that's bolted to the underside of the fuse box, and I want to take more time to actually measure and figure out what size custom cables (gauge and lug size /hole) to buy and replace. Also considering the jeepcables swap in the future. I don't plan to add a bunch of stuff so it's not really needed.

The main issue I've got now is that the positive battery terminal is too small for the new battery's positive post. I used Duralast Gold-Plated Terminals from NAPA, and they didn't seem to differentiate positive/negative. I got the terminal on there but there is a gap between the terminal and the flat top surface of the battery (bottom of post).



Basically the opposite issue of most people who come to forums to say "my terminal is too loose on my too-small corroded old battery post". Is this safe and fine? It seems like less surface area, it's really jammed on there so it's not going to slip off, I can maybe add another felt terminal washer, but it feels sketchy to me.. Should I scrap it and replace the terminal?

Also I'm going to a couple auto parts stores and ACE hardware later today, but does anyone have a good lead on where to get replacement wire loom clips? Like these ones
I can use zip ties for now but I would like to know what these are called.
Also was surprised how hard it was to find heat-rate wire conduit loom for cars.. I took some off when I was trying to figure out what cables went where, but reassembled it for now with old shitty wire loom

 

The important thing is that it tightens up and holds snugly.

 

It'll do the job. The Positive terminal is indeed larger than the negative so you got 2 negative terminals. A lot of people don't like that style of Battery terminal but for not having additional tools they will do fine. Here are some others that aren't as bulky as the Military style ones

 

Throw some protection on also, this stuff works great

 

send it, youre fine...
If youre really concerned, loose the bolt & gently tap it down further with a hammer, it will move...
The terminals a pliable & it will get larger....

 

I had to really force it on there to get it on, part of the struggle was that the cable is almost too short but mostly because.of the nightmare of re-taping and trying to re-contain all the wires back into the wire loom/conduit tube thingy..



It looked like initially the terminal gouged a little bit out of the battery post but I brushed it with a metal battery brush to smooth out the surface.
It's definitely on there good, just will be a nightmare to remove if it does somehow get corroded
I guess I'll just be hypervigilant with watching it for a while

I'm weirded out by these terminals, I don't see them clearly marked positive/negative so I don't know if one was originally larger.


I can't see markings on them now either, and I don't feel that interested in removing them and undoing the wire clamped part to see if they are different sizes and if swapping them would make a difference

Ps these are the wire loom clips



And @Sandman614 yeah I did get an OEM Toyota positive battery terminal

and was debating going with that, but I didn't have a good way to crimp on a lug to the end of the 2ga positive battery cable and the smaller positive-fusible link cable that goes from the positive post to the bottom of fusebox.. that was my main dilemma.. so yeah gonna return that terminal for now

Surprised that Oreillys and other stores don't rent out hydraulic crimp tools

 

Thanks yeah I used CRC battery cleaner then used some dielectric grease on the felt washers and posts/terminals after install...
I had thought corrosion was inevitable and common but it seems like if you keep them clean and protected (which reminds me, I wanted to get a new protection cap thingy), and you keep up with cleaning them, you can avoid corrosion

 

I didn't buy 2 negative terminals though, because it was sold as a 2-pack, it looks like one is supposed to be positive and one is for negative,

but I didn't see markings and I didn't compare the size *before* installing .. I guess I could buy another set of the same terminals, then disconnect the terminals from the battery, then basically "dry fit" each un-connected new terminal
https://www.autozone.com/batteries-...ast-top-post-battery-terminal-2-pack-az111cs/

 

You’re fine. Those will hold up for a long time as is especially if you’re eventually replacing the entire cable assembly.

 

Thanks! Appreciate the replies, it's reassuring haha..
I do wanna get in there and fix up all this old shit in the future, especially fix the valve cover gasket that's leaking oil down my engine block, and redo some of the heat shield covering and electrical tape on the wiring, just gotta move cities and pay off debt before I start doing some non-essenial maintenance/cleaning up to the truck!

Finally had my timing belt replaced (a shop did it for me, my sister was going to but she ran out of time and I don't wanna fck with that), last time it was done was ~80k and now it's like ~250k so that's a relief it didn't blow before that haha

If anyone has advice or a good link to a writeup on how to remove the fuse box to get to the fusible link cable (for future "Big 3" or "Big 7" replacement), pls send it my way! Thanks!!

 

P.s. Pics of truck for the forum

 

Might have just got a pack that accidentally had to left feet. I'd leave it til you have what you need to do your upgrade Electrons don't care as long as the connections are clean.

 

You might want to try loosening the bolt on the terminal and tapping (Gently!!) on top of the terminal using a deep socket to straddle the post on the terminal. I've done that in the past and you'll find that the terminal is soft enough to spread out and cover the post. But as others have said, clean and tight connection is what really matters! What's exposed on the bottom of the post now will be exposed at the top of the post later.