The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Battery Tricks?

Anybody got any PROVEN ways to extend the life of an 8 volt battery besides keeping the posts and cables clean and lubed with dielectric grease? Anything wrong with putting tap water in the cells? 12 volt batteries are gauranteed for up to 5 years even the best 8 volt battery is only gauranteed for only one. How can I get 2-3 years service out of one? You DoubleE ShadeTrees got any ideas.
Adios, Kip

Hello,

I have an 8 volt battery in my truck. It has been going strong for over 4 years.

I made a little battery charger for mine, that keeps it trickle charged.

I took a small 1 amp motorcycle battery charger. I cut the positive lead and added 4 diodes in series. I used 6 amp diodes that I got from radioshack.

The anode end (the end with the white line around it) of the diodes go toward the battery. The ground side is left alone.

I soldered the diodes, all the same direction, in the positive lead to the battery and then covered the whole thing with heat shrink to make it tidy.

Now when I charge it, it only charges to 8.95 volts. Just the right amount to keep it fresh.

As far as water, I try to use distilled, it has no minerals which can effect your electrolytic balance.

IF you battery is getting dry too often, maybe you're over charging. Check the charging system on the truck. It shouldn't charge more than 9 volts or so. if so, have your regulator adjusted.

Good luck.

Brian

Thanks Amigo! Just got finished printing out your reply.
Thanks Again, Kip

The only battery trick I know is how to make it roll over and play dead!

Best trick I learned is to go with the " optima " dry cell 6 VOLT battery model # D6V-950. No gas or liquid in this thing- so no corrosion or need to protect terminals.You can mount it upside down if you want!. Cold Cranking amps are 750. 2 year free replacement & 6 year pro rated warranty & it is small [about the size of 3 beer cans in a row]so no problem fitting this thing in the floor mounted battery tray, heck you can put 2 of these in the tray & use a divi- charge & even if one goes bad you can still use the other.

OK - I have one:
You can prolong (significantly) the life of your battery by adding a little bit of EDTA to it. In fact, you can even bring back a dead battery!

Bryant Stewart, former editor of Pickups n Panels in Print magazine, asked me for a sample of EDTA close to 10 years ago because he knew that I'm in the chemical business. I asked what it was for and he said that an old timer had told him to use it in his truck batteries. When I looked into it, I was surprised to learn that this is a known fact, but that the battery manufacturers do not add it to their batteries because it may almost put them out of business!

EDTA is a chelating ("Key-lay-ting")agent and will tie up metals.

You can order small samples for free from Dow Chemical and 4 oz sample is enough to treat about 10 automobile batteries. A little goes a long way.

This chemical compound has also found more recent use in circulatory therapy in humans.

Here's a couple of reference posts:
EDTA can bring back dead car batteries

EDTA in Batteries

Battery Revival with EDTA

Kook, I hear that stuff makes mush of plates in a lead acid battery. Your thoughts?

Ok,
Thanks for the replys. These are some really good ones, Heck I just might stay OUT of the lounge. I put a new battery in this morning a 3 year 8 volt $60. I don't remember how many CCA's it is, but anyway still wasn't charging. So I took the generator apart it was dirty as all get out (brushes) and cleaned the heck out of it. What was I suppose to clean it with? I used DWI-40 and soapy water then blew it out real good. Charging real good now. I wonder if the old battery was still good (probably was) but I'll never know because they kept the core. Any way when I had the generator apart the copper?brass? race in the back that the armerature post spins in is shot and the front bearing is a little loose. I'm gonna head over to the bearing shop and see what they have. You guys got any ideas? Mainly on that back race? How do I get it out and what do I use back there.
All so how much does an Optima go for?
And what about Mushy Plate? I might check into that EDTA once this battery starts to go.
Thanks Hermanos, Kip

how much does an Optima go for? Right around $100.

Oh Yeah, I WONT put the fan belt on so tight after I replace the front bearing and rear race!
Adios, Kip

Oldcarkook, I think you just cracked the OJ Simpson case...

Tony, the O.J. Simpson case was cracked by a private detective from Dallas. He wrote a book about it titled "OJ is Guilty, but Not of Murder".

ROTFl

I think that by the time it makes mush of the plates, the battery case will be long gone along with the vehicle. On the contrary, all the documentation seems to support that it prolongs the life of the plates and therefore the battery.

Where did you see this?

Hey OldCar Kook,
I read the links you posted. Nothing in any of the info said anything about negative effects. Are you using the stuff in any of your batteries?
On another note I did order a complete rebuild kit (41 pieces with front bearing & rear sleave I think race was the wrong term to use) for my generator.
Bien Dia, Kip

Baldeagle, I should not have brought it up, but you got me peaked, what was OJ guilty of? (Slaughter comes to mind).
Believe me I am not looking for a discussion, just would like to know.

Concealing the commission of a crime.

His son, Jason, killed them. Then he called OJ on the phone to tell him what he'd done. OJ ran to the scene, realized the horror of what his son had done, and raced back home to catch his plane. The very next morning before he got the call from the LAPD, he retained a lawyer to represent Jason in a "serious matter".

The LAPD blew the case because they had blinders on. All they could see was OJ.

If you want more detail than that, email me privately.

What was the motive? Jealosy? Who's Jason? 1st marriage son? Why would he care? Interesting stuff.
Kook, you're the man- I wonder if the little motorcycle batteries and garden tractor batts would benefit. Those take a real beating if not cared for over the winter.

Motive: Jason aspires to be a great chef (think sharp knives and the knowledge to use them.) For the first time in his career, he was the head chef on that fateful night (if only for that one night. His boss had taken the night off.) He had prepared a special meal for Nicole and fourteen other guests, but at the last minute Nicole stood him up and went to the Mezalunna restaurant instead. It was the last straw for Jason, who couldn't bear the thought of being embarrassed in front of his coworkers.

Jason is OJ's son by his first marriage, and he and Nicole had a rocky relationship for quite some time. Jason didn't like the way Nicole treated his father, OJ. Jason also suffers from "intermittent rage disorder" and has to be medicated to maintain an even keel. That fateful night he had been off his medication for over a month and had become more and more explosive as each day went by. Just four days before the murders he had attacked his girlfriend and, using one of his chef's knives, grabbed her from behind and slit all her hair off with one of his chef's knives.

If the glove dont fit.. You must acquit.
I aint sayin' he innocent, he probably did it. But, on the other hand the L.A. cops can be pretty crooked some times.

How did OJ get in a battery trick discussion?

K10 - right on. I'm telling it works. Bryant Stewart is the one who turned me on to it. Be sure to do as instructed and add it to water to add, not just add the dry powder directly in the battery acid (will not dissolve). Yes I did (do) and so far so good. If all else fails, follow instructions.

Yep,
I'll probably try that chemical in the KZ1000P's battery when I come across some, it sits during the week.
Got the 41 piece rebuilt kit today for the '54s generator. Everything LOOKS okay except for that rear race, sleave, bushing. It's not slotted for the oil wick. I called to see if they would trade me out for one that is slotted. The Tech at the supplier told me that it's not suppose to be slotted thats the way they are. My question to him was why did they ship me a new wick then!!! Should I feel better that there are people more stupid than me in this world? I'll drill it! It wasn't ordered from my old stand by guys (they don't carry it). And of course I found the supplier off TSBP links so I wont mention who it was but it wasn't Jim Carters, Patricks, Filling Station or Langdon's.
OBTW OJ SmoOJ that's old news for the Lounge.
Adios Amigos, Kip

I had a trick battery once, as I recall his name was blackie, I taught him to sit up and spark on command...hee hee. He had a cousin, but in never liked him much, he was a real "A." Blackie said he had an excuse, that he came from a family of "AA's. I think I will stop here......

Best advice for long battery life is to use clean distilled water, not pond water, tap water or swimming pool water. By the way the Optima Battery are the way to go. I have sold them for the past ten years and they are bulletproof. I ship them all over the usa and overseas, because they are sealed no hasmat requirements. In applications like antique firetrucks I install two 6 volt optima in place of the one single regular 6 volt, that does the trick! Randy