Overtightened negative battery cable nut, now just spins in either direction. Help!

[DOC101]

Hello,

So long story short I disconnected the negative battery cable because I was working on the car. When I went to put it back on, like an idiot I over torqued it & not the nut neither tightens or loosens. How do I get it off and replace it with another nut?

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[shoegazer]

Grab each side with a pair of pliers and pull apart as you twist to loosen. Hopefully a thread will grab.

 

[bbeem]

What shoegazer said. Worse case pry it off with some flat blades, the terminal is lead so it will come off not too bad. I ditched the OEM hardware for the same reason. An M10x30 or 35 will be long enough you can use a washer, lock washer, and nut and it will be a much better connection and will never strip.

 

[DOC101]

Grab each side with a pair of pliers and pull apart as you twist to loosen. Hopefully a thread will grab.

So just to clarify, grab the nut with 2 pliers from each side & rip the nut apart, and then replace the nut? Or I'm trying to force the nut upwards while twisting to loosen with the pliers, so that the it can catch a thread?

 

[bbeem]

I forget what the OEM looks like but put a needle nose pliers in between and open them to spread the connection open while loosening the nut so the nut grabs. Or a little flat blade to pry it wider.

 

[shoegazer]

So just to clarify, grab the nut with 2 pliers from each side & rip the nut apart, and then replace the nut? Or I'm trying to force the nut upwards while twisting to loosen with the pliers, so that the it can catch a thread?

Yeah... I was picturing a different mechanism.

That clamp is a pain. I don't have any wizard advice re: how to fix it. But I'll wish you good luck.

 

[shoegazer]

Photo for reference.

 

[shoegazer]

https://www.civicx.com/forum/threads/bolt-for-negative-battery-terminal-connection.34551/

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