How to solder battery connector?

[thorn]

What is the easiest way to solder battery connectors? The center post is too small to get a soldering iron in AND a wire with solder at the same time without melting the rubber surround. Soldering a wire to the outside of the connector is also sketchy as it is easily pulled off. Are the pro mods using some connectors not available to the rest of us to make this easier? Does anybody make a connector (preferably 510) that has reliable screw connections?

 

[Bahnzo]

How I do it: I have a set of inexpensive jeweler's screwdrivers. I use one to poke out the center post to make it easy to solder. If the rubber insulator comes out, I use a screwdriver that it just large enough for the insulator to fit over the shaft of the screwdriver and use that to push it back in. Then I push the center post back in. Much easier than trying to solder in a tight space.

 

[5cardstud]

I just cut a notch out of the side wall for accessing the soldering iron and it works great. You can also get them with a short side wall on them but this is easier.

 

[duby]

I just pop the center post out and soldier it to the notch. Don't use too thick gauge wire and it will pop back in. For most connectors, it seems to work best if you put the insulator ring on the outer connector in first, then push the center post down into it.

You can also just strip extra wire insulation off and come back with heat shrink.

 

[Ragman]

The 510 connectors Ive used have all had a small hole or indentation in the center and I use stranded wire, twist it and fold the end so it makes a ball small enough to tightly fit in the hole. I could probably leave it that way but I heat the gun up and drop a couple gobs of solder on there and it holds well. I mean Im not lifting up the mod by either of the 510 connector wires so It doesnt have to be a phenomenal solder (lord knows my skills are lacking) Just cant touch the sides or the ground wire.

The ground wire I've tried both ways (inside and out) and I like putting it on the inside so I have more room in the box Im using. It doesnt take long to heat up everything so I dont bother removing the center piece to solder it all together.

But if you are worried about ruining the rubber because of the heat, I would suggest Bahnzo's way.

 

[thorn]

I've tried taking the center post out first. It is a botch to get the rubber surround back in with the center post in properly. Not only that but also when I stick the wire in the center post, trying to get it to solder to the side does not work and neither does trying to add solder in from the top hole of the post. And how to get solder to stick to the outside so it can't be flicked off with a finger?

 

[Bahnzo]

I've tried taking the center post out first. It is a botch to get the rubber surround back in with the center post in properly. Not only that but also when I stick the wire in the center post, trying to get it to solder to the side does not work and neither does trying to add solder in from the top hole of the post. And how to get solder to stick to the outside so it can't be flicked off with a finger?

Getting the rubber back in is easy with the jeweler's screwdriver. It's kinda hard to explain, but the screwdriver is small, so the rubber fits over the shaft easily and you can then just push it in with the screwdriver.

Use flux to get the solder to stick. I flux just about everything before I solder it.

 

[r3dgh0s7]

never had a issue with soldering the positive wire, never had to remove the center post either..

 

[duby]

And how to get solder to stick to the outside so it can't be flicked off with a finger?

You're not heating up the joint enough. Check out the "how to soldier" thread. Watch the videos. Soldier shouldn't be "globbed" on. Try tinning you leads, and heating the connector. You should not apply soldier to the iron, but rather the heated joint.

I can't give you much more help without a better description of the problem. Though it seems as the issue is poor soldiering.

As far as removing the post is concerned:
Pop out the post with a screwdriver or tweezers. Remove the insulator ring. You should have three separate pieces. Place the insulator ring back into the larger piece. Use tweezers to set the groove into plate. Once thats done, you can shove the center post straight in through the top. Push gently and firmly and it will pop into place.

r3dgh0s7 is right, this can be done just as easily without popping out the post. I prefer it this way for the sake of cleaner joints, heat shrink tubing, and my huge hands.

 

[johnny bobcat]

try using some flux beforehand and rosin core solder.

 

[WillyB]

What is the easiest way to solder battery connectors? The center post is too small to get a soldering iron in AND a wire with solder at the same time without melting the rubber surround. Soldering a wire to the outside of the connector is also sketchy as it is easily pulled off...

You have to hone your soldering skills. I've had wires snap off from over bending (usually solid core), but not come unattached from a properly soldered joint.

YouTube and these forums have many soldering videos.

 

[Hillshire_Farms]

I had to figure this out over the weekend. What I did was to pop the center part out with a small screwdriver, and remove the rubber insulator. I didn't have any flux available so I dipped both the brass parts in vinegar and wiped them clean with a paper towel to get all the grease and stuff off them. The tricky part is not touching them with your bare hands after you clean them. But once you heat them up the solder should stick to them with no problems if they're clean.

The real beast was getting that little rubber insulator back in the hole. I wound up putting it back in with a pair of needle tip tweezers. It's easier to do from the bottom than the top. Good luck!