Battery power for the fiat.

[callyspoy]

A short story first.
When i went to cornwall in the summer my friends camper didnt start one day. Tried to jump it, still no power. RAC came out and fixed it by fitting a new battery.
But...whilst he was there i asked to check my battery output as it sometimes labours to start. When he did the test he said the battery was in excellent condition, but was not powerful enough for the engine.
It is the same battery that i had fitted with the A series, and is a 280 power rating. So, any idea what sort of power i should be looking at for the fiat lump as i dont wantto get stranded just because im tight!
Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[jonathon]

About 350- - 450 cranking rate is ideal for the Fiat motor.

[callyspoy]

So a tad more than my 280...!!! He did say its in very good condition, hence why it does start it still!

[twincamman]

I used a Princess (wedge) battery. It's the same size casing as the minor one, but it's 60ah instead of 38ah.

[bmcecosse]

I have a very small battery in my 2 litre TR7 - it's far from new - it never fails to start it. Don't worry too much about the size. Just don't leave the lights on!

[jonathon]

Not so BM, some engines require a very high cranking rate and some EFI engines will not fire at anything less than 12V.
If Mr C contacts his local motorfactor they will advise as to the standard requirement of the given engine, The positioning of said battery will also demand a different specification due to the length of cable run.

[olly12383]

Look at odyssee batteries use them in boats for v high crank demand with small case sizes... not large capacity but great for custom use and/or if you can't fit a 'conventional' battery in... or if you're overweight on the front axle anyway.