(ET) Disconnect maintenance on BB600 Elec-trak

[Chris Zach <cz alembic crystel com>]

This weekend I couldn't work on my car (need parts) so instead I turned 
to the Elec-trak. As discussed the main disconnect (new style) was 
getting hot on one of the studs so I figured I'd get to work.

First step was to disconnect the batteries. There are 30 nickel plated 
interconnects in each battery string, so I needed to remove one from 
each series string (3 strings of 30 cells in the main tractor). Each 
string had a dirty/discolored one, so I removed that, polished it up, 
and put them aside.

With that out of the way I could work on the disconnect. Sure enough the 
lugs were dirty and needed a good cleaning. Cleaned up the three lines 
(I guess charger, voltage sensor, and main tractor), and put it back in 
with a very tight torque down on the bolt. Since the lock washer was 
also discolored I dispensed with it and just tightened the brass bolt hard.

Then cleaned up the battery posts, pulled a few cells to clean them up 
on the grinder/wire brush, then reassembled everything. Tractor runs, 
voltage indicator does not drop as much, will see how it handles in the 
next snow.

Come spring I may do a cleaning of the battery tops, there's a lot of 
crud in there. I don't want to take off the interconnects, if the nickel 
plating wears off the copper underneath will go quickly.

Speaking of which, I have a lot of interconnects that need re-plating. 
Where can one go to get things nickel plated?

Chris