Replacement Batteries

[Megabyte]

Well... it's official.

One of the Optima blue-tops in the 2520 is toast.
Since they were installed in 2003 and have never been removed from the boat, I'm not too distressed.
They have given me excellent service.

Got to pick a good weather day next week and replace the Optimas with a pair of Group 31 Lifeline AGM's.

Boring project photos to follow in this thread.

 

[Bryan 2530]

Make sure you wax under the batteries while they're out.

Won't have the opportunity for another 10 years. :mrgreen:

 

[miky2884]

HAHAHA
I was gonna post the exact same thing!

 

[Brent]

funnier than the funny papers

 

[Megabyte]

Old batteries are out, and the new ones will go in tomorrow.

The battery shop tested both of the Optimas for me.
I was pretty sure one was bad, but I thought the other might be OK.

I was right about the one. It was showing something like 4 volts.
The other was showing good voltage, but under load she was only running at about 50%.
I'm amazed that the one good battery started the OX66 and ran my electronics.

Here are the new puppies...

Not the G31's I was planning on putting in.
The battery guy says if those Optimas lasted 9 years, these should do even better because they have better specs.
We shall see.

 

[Bryan 2530]

Nice Kev. What is the total cost on those puppies??

 

[Brent]

You got your money's worth on the first set!

 

[Megabyte]

Nice Kev. What is the total cost on those puppies??

$602.00

You got your money's worth on the first set!

Absolutely.
9 years for a set of batteries that were never removed during winter storage. I'll take that.

The up front cost for quality stuff can be high, but I am firmly convinced they are a better value in the long run.

Waiting on the weather to clear before going down to install the new ones.
Fingers crossed that there are no issues...

 

[gw204]

$602.00

OUCH! :shock:

 

[Megabyte]

OUCH! :shock:

Well actually, $601.21 with tax.
I rounded up.

List for those batteries is $405 each. I got them discounted for $283 each.
Check online pricing for Lifeline, Trojan, and Rolls-Surrette.
They are all the top of the heap depending on your application.

 

[Megabyte]

OK... the rain stopped so I went to the boat while it was still overcast.

I cannot believe some owners remove their batteries for winter storage, then re-install them every spring.
This was not a fun job.
It was heavy, dirty, hot and steamy, and I don't look forward to doing this again for another 10 years.

First order of business was the removal of the Optimas, which I did yesterday.

Tip #1: When removing the old batteries, use a piece of parachute cord and thread it through the connections.
Do this for each terminal as you remove them so everything goes back in the same place that it came off of.
Do not rely on wire color, especially if there was a previous owner. Most people do not wire by ABYC standards.
Also do not remove any of the zip ties just yet. Leave everything bundled for the time being.

Batteries were marked with their install date, just because...

The Dremel proved to be invaluable today.

This is why...

The posts on the lifelines are not lead like most automotive batteries, and they do not have separate posts and wing-nuts for marine applications like the Optimas did.
The posts on these batteries are (what looks to be) a bronze material, and down the center are 'bolts' that are used in a marine environment.
The positive bolt is larger than the negative... this is where the Dremel came in handy.

This is the point where you cut loose all of the old zip ties, being very careful to keep the connections for each post intact with the parachute cord.
Only remove the parachute cord when you are ready to prepare everything to connect to the new battery.

Several of my positive connections were a little tight on that bolt, making it difficult to thread the stack into the post, on your stomach, upside down, while sweating into your glasses and steaming them up.
Add slippery, sweaty hands, and clearancing the connections so that the bolt turned freely is a good idea. :shock:

As I worked my way down the line, each connection was checked for clearance, then polished to a bright finish with 60 grit sandpaper.
The stack was assembled on the bolt, then hand tightened.
Oh... and I cannot tell you how many times each stack was done over due to forgetting the lock or flat washer.
Remove, and repeat... :roll:

Once everything was assembled, the bolts were torqued down and the wires dressed with new zip ties.
The batteries were marked, the connections given a shot of CorrosionX, and everything was buttoned up.

Time for a shower.

 

[gw204]

Looks like you have some serious corrosion on that 6 ga. ground wire coming off battery 2. Some wiring upgrades (tinned lugs, heat shink ring terminals and something to replace the electrical tape) may be in your future my friend. A few bus bars back there would really clean up your battery connections.

Nice job! Those should get you a few more years of trouble free service.

 

[Megabyte]

Buss bars would really clean everything up.
I was thinking about that as I was doing this job.

Trouble is, every spot I looked at was already taken with something else.
It is in the plan though.

 

[Brent]

2 beer job?

 

[Grutus]

Capt. Kevin if you received 9 years from your Blue top batteries why would you swithch to the Lifeline batteries and why wax under the batteries? I was thinking of replacing one of my two batteries and have been thinking of getting the Blue top batteries and it ok to replace only one of the two batteries. Thanks for anyones opinions.
Grutus

 

[sparky]

Yowzers, that wiring looks pretty bad. I see exposed, corroded wire at several of the high-amp wire connections, which indicate failing terminals and corroded wiring. I see 6+ terminals stacked up on top of one another, with a mix of terminal materials (and little to no heatshrink terminals in use).

Not trying to step on your toes, but you just dropped $600+ on batteries, but didn't take the $50 and 2-3 hours to properly re-terminate the wiring. At least cut off the cheap plastic crimp ring terminals, and install tinned heatshrink insulated ones. I can understand not replacing the main battery wiring (its expensive, and pain to re-run), but the little stuff doesn't take long or cost much to clean up. You could easily take some of those wires and combine them into a single terminal, which would reduce the chances of things loosening up or shorting out.

 

[miky2884]

Im not seeing what everyone else is seeing, wires look good to me :?: :?: :?:

 

[Megabyte]

Sparky... You're right.

It isn't they way I would like it, but it was necessary to get the boat back in service and running.
The old batteries had seen the end of their life.
One was at 4 volts, and the other had good voltage but under load showed only 50%.
Not where I wanted to be while out on the Bay.

I have family coming into town for graduations and such, and they all want a ride on the boat.
The detailing... will have to wait until a little later in the season.

Honestly, I'd love to put in a couple of buss bars and get the accessory wires off the battery posts.
Trouble is... finding a place for them.
I'm pondering that...

 

[Mike S]

I used to use Optima batteries (Yellow Tops) in my vehicles - had a lot of problems making them last. At the suggestion of my battery supplier I changed to DEKA AGMs. I also have two banks of DEKA 6V golf cart batteries in my Airstream trailer and they are great - last long and charge up quickly.

In my Parker I have three Deka G27 AGMs - two for the 24V trolling motor and one for starting. These are all in the console enclosure and in the rear box I have a positive and a negative (Ground) buss bars for power distribution. Really cleans things up. The Perko switch is inside the console and allows me to jump the starting battery from one of the trolling motor batteries.

After adding the 30 gallon bait tank, I thought that moving all possible weight forward would help, and it does.

 

[sparky]

Sparky... You're right.

It isn't they way I would like it, but it was necessary to get the boat back in service and running.
The old batteries had seen the end of their life.
One was at 4 volts, and the other had good voltage but under load showed only 50%.
Not where I wanted to be while out on the Bay.

I have family coming into town for graduations and such, and they all want a ride on the boat.
The detailing... will have to wait until a little later in the season.

Honestly, I'd love to put in a couple of buss bars and get the accessory wires off the battery posts.
Trouble is... finding a place for them.
I'm pondering that...

Barring the bus bars (ha), you could consolidate several wires into one larger terminal. Get a few, say 6 gauge crimp terminals (and the appropriate crimper), and combine all the small 12 gauge wires into a single terminal. Each terminal on the post is just another spot for corrosion or breakage to occur.

Of course, bus bars are the ideal way to handle it, or running a large wire to someplace near the usage points, and adding the bus bars there. It seems odd that there's 5+ additional items in the stern that need power. If any of your wiring runs forward, couldn't you attach it to the main breaker panel in the console?

You could also try adding a direct connect kit: http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... 7&id=51576
It doesn't take up much room, and gives you 4 terminal connections right at the battery. I wish they were ring terminal rather than spade, but they work, and are insulated (which your terminals aren't).

In any event, I've seen way way worse. I've also put out and repaired wiring damaged by electrical fires caused by the old jam-too-many-terminals-onto-the-battery-posts routine.

The worst I've ever seen was using the long mounting posts on a fuel gauge as a "common" ground and 12VDC distribution block. There were 10 terminals stacked on the long mounting posts for the gauge... There was evidence of several small fires at different places along the wiring. The owner kept asking why the gauge got hot when the boat was in use, and why they kept smelling the faint aroma of burning wire.
:roll: