|
Racers, help me select a battery!:edit ;Braille!
#1360642
12/29/12 01:26 PM
12/29/12 01:26 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,034
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
gregsdart
OP
I Live Here
|
OP
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,034
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
|
here is what I run; MSD digital 7, very limited use of fan, water pump runs all the time, mechanical injection, Alky so no cooling time required. Car takes a bit of cranking to start for each move up in the lanes. I run no charging system, and have older electronics that don't handle 16v so I am stuck with either a 16v with a reducer as an option or a better 12v with enough reserve to go two rounds. I drive to and from the lanes. I currently have a 38 lb Optima but would like a battery that is a bit lighter, but Lithium is a bit too pricy. What do you recommend?
Last edited by gregsdart; 01/03/13 11:26 AM.
8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: gregsdart]
#1360643
12/29/12 02:02 PM
12/29/12 02:02 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,008
Sweet Home Alabama
MRMOPAR622
top fuel
|
top fuel
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,008
Sweet Home Alabama
|
Greg,I don't think the 16 volts will hurt your older electronics.But my 16 volt rock battery took a poop and the rest of our cars now have the 12 volt red top optima batteries.And after doing a little research I have found they have more cranking amps & more reserve than my Rock 16 volt battery. I borrow one of the optima batteries with more cranking amps and put in my car and it does not spin the engine as fast. Hmmm!
Regardless of how good something works when it comes time to replace it I want something bigger,better more powerful! Like you none of our cars have a charging system maybe with the input from everyone we can determine the Best battery to use for cars with no charging systems!
PS Mine must have a new battery,but if we can find a better battery we will go ahead and replace all of them!
Last edited by MRMOPAR622; 12/29/12 02:07 PM.
"To Be The Man'You Have Got To Beat The Man"
"T/D and Pro-Bracket Racer"
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: MRMOPAR622]
#1360644
12/29/12 02:19 PM
12/29/12 02:19 PM
|
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,530
PA
moparacer
master
|
master
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,530
PA
|
Every race car I have had since the 1990s has had an Oddessy battery in it. Sometimes alky injected, no alternator, hard starting with 14:1 compression.
Never left me setting in the staging lanes once. Not one time.
I have the first one I ever owned that was bought in the late 90s that I still use in my plow truck lol.
67 Barracuda street/bracket car 11.27-119
68 Dart 502 BB 8.70s-152
414 cid SB Dragster 7.65-174
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: MRMOPAR622]
#1360646
12/30/12 10:22 AM
12/30/12 10:22 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,034
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
gregsdart
OP
I Live Here
|
OP
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,034
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
|
Bill, my MSD digtal 7 is one of the first produced, and read somewhere that they don't like 16+ volts? Same with the Dedenbear box I have. I do get reasonable service out of the Optimas, but have heard some guys complain about them. As far as performance, I don't see any deterioration in performance as long as I can get the motor lit and make the pass. The reserve of the Optima is ok, but when the battery gets to about 1/2 charge the cranking voltage gets too low for comfort.
8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: gregsdart]
#1360648
12/30/12 11:06 AM
12/30/12 11:06 AM
|
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 9,366
Lehigh Acres, Florida
rickstershemi
master
|
master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 9,366
Lehigh Acres, Florida
|
Quote:
here is what I run; MSD digital 7, very limited use of fan, water pump runs all the time, mechanical injection, Alky so no cooling time required. Car takes a bit of cranking to start for each move up in the lanes. I run no charging system, and have older electronics that don't handle 16v so I am stuck with either a 16v with a reducer as an option or a better 12v with enough reserve to go two rounds. I drive to and from the lanes. I currently have a 38 lb Optima but would like a battery that is a bit lighter, but Lithium is a bit too pricy. What do you recommend?
Greg, ck out Odyssey's Extreme Sreies Model 30 battery....only 20lbs
http://www.odysseybattery.com/extremespecs.html
Great Batteries 
Rickster
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: gregsdart]
#1360649
12/30/12 11:21 AM
12/30/12 11:21 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,898
Florida
Locomotion
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,898
Florida
|
If looking at Odyssey batteries, see if Sears has something that would work in their DieHard Platinum line. Everything I've read and seen shows that they are the same thing  , just relabeled. Best of all, they are less expensive! I've had an Odyssey in my race car for a few years, but I also run a 50 amp alternator and charge religiously between rounds. Shortly after getting the Odyssey I found out about the DieHard Platinums, so I got a pair for my dually.
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: rickstershemi]
#1360652
12/30/12 12:57 PM
12/30/12 12:57 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,034
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
gregsdart
OP
I Live Here
|
OP
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,034
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
|
I like the Extreme 30, also needs a charger though, total investment 450? Great plan on the fuel pump, will have to set that up. More input on batterys too, can't ever get enough info! Thanks, Greg
8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: emarine01]
#1360654
12/30/12 01:34 PM
12/30/12 01:34 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,330
Lynchburg, VA
Leon441
master
|
master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,330
Lynchburg, VA
|
I am not going to try and sway you to run a 16 volt. There are issues like you can't jump with a 12 volt or use your buddies jump box in an emergency where you forgot to turn your charger on.
But, 16 volt batteries charge slow, 25 amps, there fore they do not charge at a high voltage when on their recommended charger. 16 volt alternators can charge much higher. And this is when you burn low voltage electronics up. The 16 volt batter fully charged is on about 16.6volts. once there is a load on the battery you are looking at 16.4 or less. There is nothing on any 12 volt system that will not handle that.
The benefit of a 16 volt system are when not using an alternator you have good voltage to your accessories. Where a 12volt system with alternator has 13.5-13.8. With no alternator fuel pumps, water pumps, fans turn slower due to the limited 12.5 or less voltage. You can crank with a 16 volt battery and never have less than 11.5 to the ignition where it discontinues to operate. This is why 16 volt systems are popular. You can have a practically dead battery and as long as the engine cranks the ignition will work and start the engine. But, let that 16 volt get below 14Volts and it will not turn any engine with nutz over. So that takes some understanding.
I run 16 volt because I already have the charger but there is nothing wrong with a 12 volt system if you have an alternator. Many racers do just fine with 12 volt systems and no alternator just be sure you are charged up between rounds.
Career best 8.02 @ 169 at 3050# and 10" tires small block power.
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: gregsdart]
#1360655
12/30/12 01:40 PM
12/30/12 01:40 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,008
Sweet Home Alabama
MRMOPAR622
top fuel
|
top fuel
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,008
Sweet Home Alabama
|
I am trying to determine which is the best way to compare batteries to see which is the best.To run a big engine with high CR on alcohol and no alternator,I would think the more cranking & reserve amps the better.But after my Rock 16 volt battery quit(same day),I put in a optima battery with more cranking & reserve amps,and it did not spin the engine as fast,no data on if it would go longer between charges or not.
I guess I'm also asking which is the better battery(most powerful) to use of the 2 a 12 volt or a 16 volt?
PS Greg,I will see if I can find the name of the company in SC(he used to work for MSD before branching out on his own) I sent my MSD 7 to 2 years ago when I had a Hi-Speed miss.They up graded it (made the rise time faster like on the 7 digital)and checked it out up to 12,500 RPM'S sent it back to me for a $125.00.That way yours will be at least (he claims it to be better)as good as a new 7-AL box,and you can run a 16 volt battery if you want.
Last edited by MRMOPAR622; 12/30/12 01:43 PM.
"To Be The Man'You Have Got To Beat The Man"
"T/D and Pro-Bracket Racer"
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: Leon441]
#1360657
12/30/12 01:45 PM
12/30/12 01:45 PM
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,427
Toronto
mshred
master
|
master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,427
Toronto
|
After having an older Optima red top that sat for a few years brand new seep out all its liquid into my battery box after two years of it being in my car (having never known what a burnt up battery smelt like, that was the longest 2.5hr drive home from the track in my car ever....me and my brother got out a couple times, looking underneath to see if I had ran something over and had guts everywhere or something LOL) I know have some cheapy house brand motormaster battery in my car. I want to change it out (even though its worked fine so far), and I am probably going to go with a Dekka intimidator as they are priced right, work well, and they can be had for cheaper under other brand names. I have heard ALOT of bad about optima's new product quality, and after having mine do what it did (thank goodness it was in a box or my trunk would have been a mess) I will never buy on for any application again just my
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: Adobedude]
#1360660
12/30/12 02:18 PM
12/30/12 02:18 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 685
SW Ohio
AAR-B4
mopar
|
mopar
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 685
SW Ohio
|
Reading your post the battery is the symptom not the problem. It was mentioned earlier.........fix the starting problem. My
|
|
|
Re: Racers, help me select a battery!
[Re: Adobedude]
#1360661
12/30/12 02:21 PM
12/30/12 02:21 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,695
nc
emarine01
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,695
nc
|
Quote:
Quote:
I'm weighing the idea of installing a Model 30 battery in the factory location - to lose 20# of weight on the nose - vs moving the 40# battery to the back and adding another 20# worth of cable + cutoff switch + mounting provisions. This looks like a 20# weight loss vs adding 25# more weight and juggling 65# to the rear.
I actually thought about moving a lite weight battery back to the stock location to save on the cable weight etc until I had my truck scaled...A big heavy battery on the right rear is a good thing with our trucks.
Good point, I mud race a small pick up and had 2 8vdc in series that worked good till they shorted out internally from the violent motion of the truck, So the glass mat batts may work, So are 2 red tops beter than 1 yellow? 
|
|
|
|
|
