Need a battery...

Graham · 15th December 2009, 08:47 AM

Hi Guys,

I need some advice. I want to buy a battery for my '40, but I have no experience as to what I will need in terms of power for a big V8, plenty of electrics etc.

Can anyone in the UK give me some recommendations?

Thanks guys,

Graham.

Martin · 15th December 2009, 08:54 AM

I've not bought mine yet, but I was looking at the Odessey racing 30.

Martin

Neal · 15th December 2009, 09:56 AM

Been using an Odyssey PC680 for the past four years. Compact, good cranking power. Be sure to use a battery tender if you go down this road.

Jim Rosenthal · 15th December 2009, 10:05 AM

Get an Odyssey. They are amazing- very low discharge rate, huge power for their size, can't spill, and they will crank anything. The 427 Kirkham Cobras use a little square Odyssey that is maybe ten inches on a side, if that, and it rolls them right over. My GT40 has one in it, also I have one in my Cobra, and two in my boat as the house battery bank, which is MUCH tougher use than any battery will ever see in a car.

I get good deals from Harris Battery company, who I think are in Pittsburgh, but there are several Odyssey dealers out West, you shouldn't have any difficulty finding them.

DON'T get an Optima. If you want a flooded battery, get a Trojan. They are also very reliable as well. I used them for years in my boat, until I found Odysseys.

Brett James-McCall · 15th December 2009, 10:34 AM

Yep I have an Odyssey. Use good old google to get the best price, its amazing the variance

Ron Earp · 15th December 2009, 11:13 AM

Anyone have the name of a US distributor who sells online? Google comes up with plenty of UK sources for Odesseys but few US sources who actually list online. Looking for a racing 22.

Doc Kaler · 15th December 2009, 12:29 PM

Ron,

Summit Racing sells a variety of Odessey batteries online.

40 Bud · 15th December 2009, 02:41 PM

I bought mine 5 years ago and it is still going strong. It came from
Portable Power Systems
405 W. 115th Avenue, Suite #3
Denver, CO 80234 <www.PortablePower.com>

303 460 8261 -- Fax 303 460 7306 -- e-mail sales@portablepower.com

Graham · 15th December 2009, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neal

Been using an Odyssey PC680 for the past four years. Compact, good cranking power. Be sure to use a battery tender if you go down this road.

Neal, I don't want to appear stupid, but what is a "battery Tender"?

Cheers,

Graham.

Mark · 15th December 2009, 04:20 PM

In my opinion the Optima is also a great choice. Had one in my Ferrari for 4 years without
any issue. Car would sit in storage for 5-6 months during are cold Michigan winters and come Spring the car would turn over on it's own without any charge.

Martin · 15th December 2009, 06:37 PM

Battery Tender = Battery Conditioner

Jim Rosenthal · 15th December 2009, 08:51 PM

Battery tender is basically a smart trickle charger. Debatable whether you need one on an Odyssey, as their self-discharge rate when not connected is quite low. I'll look around and see who sells them on line. They are also easy to ship since they are a sealed AGM-type battery, not flooded, so they don't have to ship as hazardous freight.

Jim Rosenthal · 15th December 2009, 08:52 PM

Ron, try ODYSSEY Batteries - Official Manufacturer's Site. That will give you a local distributor. Also, putting "Odyssey Batteries" into Google will turn up some choices as well.

Ron Earp · 15th December 2009, 09:56 PM

Not too digress from Grady's question, but I'm not so sure these things are the answer for what I need.

For example, I need a battery that is somewhere in the 450-550 CCA to start my Z with any authority. Sometimes this requires a minute of cranking on and off with a cold morning (no choke, static ignition timing, no accel pumps on carbs). Lots of fire up, run for 2-3 seconds, cut off and repeat until she runs. I'm just not sure one of these is up to it. I think it should be up to it, but a race weekend has a lot of start ups and shutdowns with no charging inbetween (I don't charge until about 4.5K RPM). I am not space limited, but I do want light weight.

I was looking at the Extreme Racing 22 series race battery which I'd consider marginal at 265 CCA. It weighs about 1/2 the weight of my current battery, a decent auto parts model with about 550 CCA. The Odyssey is a lot smaller, and a lot lighter, but I've a feeling she won't turn over my motor as long as I might need.

If I move up to a larger Extreme Racing Odyssey battery, like an extreme 35 or 40 series, then I'm back up to around 500 CCA but the weight is back up to around 25 lbs too, same as my larger lead acid battery. The Odyssey It is a lot smaller, but space isn't an issue for me.

It seems to me the biggest advantages of these batteries is their long term storage potential in that they don't need frequent charging. And, they have superior energy density, that is for a given amp hour output they are smaller than a lead acid battery. It would appear they last longer than a lead acid battery. But it doesn't seem that for X output they are appreciably lighter, unless I'm missing something here.

Neal · 16th December 2009, 09:59 AM

Ron, the PC680 is rated at 320cca at 32F but can peak at 2250cca for 5 seconds. I've used it on my 347 motor w/ 10:1 compression and webers for the past 4 years without fail. Most manufacturers don't specify peak cca which is a bit misleading. You have a bunch of lighting to consider so I expect reserve capacity is a consideration.

Doc Kaler · 16th December 2009, 10:49 AM

Here's another "option" for you:

Braille Battery USA

Graham · 17th December 2009, 02:38 PM

Thanks guys,

As per your recommendations, I've just ordered an Odyssey!

Cheers,

Graham.

Jim Rosenthal · 19th December 2009, 02:13 PM

Ron, I was astonished at how the Odyssey 925 would crank my SBF motor. I would visit one of their dealers and see if they have anything that would fit and weigh less. You might try one out. The amount of power they have for their weight is formidable. They use them in F18s and similar aircraft; weight is at a premium there as well. Take a look, anyway.

Ron Earp · 19th December 2009, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbo

Ron, I was astonished at how the Odyssey 925 would crank my SBF motor. I would visit one of their dealers and see if they have anything that would fit and weigh less. You might try one out. The amount of power they have for their weight is formidable. They use them in F18s and similar aircraft; weight is at a premium there as well. Take a look, anyway.

I actually have a small Odyssey from Jegs.

The 925 is fine, but at 25 lbs it is far from svelte. I like the Odyssey batteries, don't get me wrong.

I have a plan for the small Odyssey that I have purchased. All I can tell you is disassembling a normal lead acid battery is a bitch!

Chris Simpson · 20th December 2009, 08:06 AM

I had an Odyssey battery in an aircraft for several years and it gave no trouble at all. When the aircraft was just sitting in the hangar over winter for 3+ months, it was never put on charge but started the engine with no problems when Spring arrived. (FYI the aircraft was not flown in winter because it was on a farm (grass) strip where the surface became too soft to fly from during the usual wet winters we have here)

I remember the instructions that came with the battery said that it could be installed any way up except for directly upside down.

Chris