Battery size ?

[OKish]

heck im running an autozone duralast marine starting battery and it started up my truck at -20 without being plugged in. about 3- 4 cranks and she was firing on 2-3 cylinders.

 

[Darmeisner]

Well said JLEONARD. A specification from the factory on battery performance (or any other spec) is a minimum. To purchase below that performance standard is like buying a 2 gph lift pump.

 

[Niki]

I think the group 31 is a pretty good idea for anyone in cold climates who can't plug their truck in while they're at work. I've worked many days where the high is -4 and the wind is whipping and even w/ a fresh name brand battery it cranks slowly.

 

[JLEONARD]

Now "just for fun" last winter I ran a coupe of days with the grid heater disconnected. One of those days it was -2 when I left work. Let me tell you I was glad I had that Red Top... my truck cranked and cranked and finally popped off... smoking like the truck was on fire, running bad till the cylinders got warm.

The grids make all the difference in the world as normally it would have been maybe 3 compressions strokes to fire up and it would have run smooth.

Needless to say I reconnected the grids when I got home.

 

[DBohl]

Is there an advantage to using a marine battery?

 

[Greenleaf]

A Navy or Army battery will serve just as well. But watch out for the Air Force battery.



Tugboatphil told me to say that.



-GL

 

[JLEONARD]

Is there an advantage to using a marine battery

Yes. Sales dollars go up for the supplier.

A marine battery has wing nuts on the posts. Sometimes thay are made to be more resistant to shaking around, so "perhaps" that would be a very minor plus.

This is NOT to be confused with a deep cycle battery... that is something different.

A deep cycle has thicker lead plates... and hence less of them. You can discharge deeper and more often that with a "starting" battery. However, the max cranking power will be less than with a starting battery.

And consequently, since the subject is going, a "combination" battery is just that... partway between a starting battery and a deep cycle.



Thank you for attending this seminar. . please pay on the way out. :-laf

 

[Headshot zod]

Optima Marine Deep Cycle Group 31 900 CCA

 

[dpuckett]

Is that what your truck REALLY looks like under the hood? Or is it photoshopped in there? Definitely interesting.



DP

 

[Headshot zod]

I had some of that "petty blue" wire loom left over and decided to use it in areas were one doesn't. It definitely covered up some nastyness. The dodge brothers porcelein cloisonne' is from the 30's I think from a radiator. The battery is blue. I figured "hey what the heck, I'm going to an alternative fuel show. Who is going to know what it's for anyway?" The horn is a reproduction roadrunner horn and part of the Snow Performance line is hanging there (in blue wireloom) waiting for Mr. Swankmetal to finish up some intakes. .