New Battery

Post by **minor_hickup** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 8:42 pm

erm so in conclusion big battery = better cold cranking but will take longer to charge up from flat? However it would surely mean less crank handle in the morning when ive been driving at night.

Post by **bigginger** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:11 pm

lowedb wrote:Or indeed bucket brigade delay lines. Remember them anyone?

YES! And still have pedal and rack mounted versions of thememememem

Post by **Cam** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 10:31 am

minor_hickup wrote:erm so in conclusion big battery = better cold cranking

Yes!

but will take longer to charge up from flat?

Well it will be charged from flat OFF the car (you would not fit a flat battery) so it's not an issue really. You should not let it get 'flat' really. In practice if it starts to get sluggish in the winter then charge it with a battery charger to keep it topped up. This is common practice with dynamo driven Minors.

To use the bucket analogy then a gallon bucket will hold a pint just the same as a ten gallon one, but the gallon one can only 'charge' to a gallon whereas the ten gallon one can charge to ten gallons.

However it would surely mean less crank handle in the morning when ive been driving at night.

Yes. Ideally long drives in the day with no accessories on will charge the battery up but if you do short trips or sit in traffic for long periods with the lights/heater/wipers on then you'll drain the battery and eventually it will need a 'boost' from the battery charger.

Post by **minor_hickup** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:40 pm

Yeah i usually top the battery up at the weekends so its at its best for the week ahead. However sometimes its one of those weeks where its dull and rainy and every trip you make is with lights and wipers on, just the time when u dont want to use the handle!

Post by **chrisd87** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:54 pm

Sounds like you need an alternator! Your battery will last longer with one too.

Post by **minor_hickup** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:56 pm

its on the list! Can anyone tell me what modifications have to be done to the electrics to fit one?

Post by **chrisd87** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:03 pm

Not a great deal really - mostly it's just disconnecting the wires that lead to the regulator box as it's not needed anymore. The alternator kit I bought connects directly to the battery side of the solenoid, so there's only one 'business' wire really, plus the small wire for the charging light. Most kits come with fairly clear instructions and a wiring diagram to help you.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:13 pm

No point fitting a bigger battery than necessary - smaller is lighter and often cheaper. And yes, COSTCO sell excellent batteries (mine is now 6 years old and still going strong) for low cost.
Dynamo has no idea what size of battery it is charging - it just gets on with it! Like anything else - if you take out more than you put in, then it soon runs empty. If you are 'heroically' struggling on with a dynamo, then you must switch off as much electrical load as possible when idling along in traffic - ok on the open road though, provided the drive belt is not slack.

Post by **Cam** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 4:31 pm

bmcecosse wrote:No point fitting a bigger battery than necessary - smaller is lighter and often cheaper.

There IS a point and that is that it has more 'reserve' and cranking ability. Lighter is completely irrelevant but cheaper may be the deciding factor!

If you are 'heroically' struggling on with a dynamo, then you must switch off as much electrical load as possible when idling along in traffic - ok on the open road though, provided the drive belt is not slack.

Good advice, but I don't think using a dynamo is particularly heroic though.

They ain't as bad as all that!