Another Battery Question

[dom14]

Hi Guys,
I've been re-searching for a suitable battery for my 1990 GQ Patrol RB30 manual.

I'm leaning towards not putting the same kind of sealed no-maintenance heavy duty RACV battery.

1)For an unclear reason, I prefer batteries that I can maintain, rather than sealed ones. I don't seem to be able to find a 4WD, heavy duty battery(above 650cc) that needs maintenance and not sealed.
Are there any unsealed 650-900cc batteries out there at all?

2)Are the Optima yellow top batteries(AGM, dual purpose) any good value for the money?
They are over $300 to get a one around 700cc.

3)Are the calcium batteries any good? I can get a one around 920cc, which will fit into the
battery bay narrowly, and it's damn good price, suspiciously though. The seller claims it's
old(over a year old) stock and only give one week warranty. It will be fully charged when I pick it up.
Is there anything I need to be aware of if I'm to get this Calcium battery? It's an ACDelco battery.

Thanks for any help.

[MEGOMONSTER]

Hi Guys,
I've been re-searching for a suitable battery for my 1990 GQ Patrol RB30 manual.

I'm leaning towards not putting the same kind of sealed no-maintenance heavy duty RACV battery.

1)For an unclear reason, I prefer batteries that I can maintain, rather than sealed ones. I don't seem to be able to find a 4WD, heavy duty battery(above 650cc) that needs maintenance and not sealed.
Are there any unsealed 650-900cc batteries out there at all?

2)Are the Optima yellow top batteries(AGM, dual purpose) any good value for the money?
They are over $300 to get a one around 700cc.

3)Are the calcium batteries any good? I can get a one around 920cc, which will fit into the
battery bay narrowly, and it's damn good price, suspiciously though. The seller claims it's
old(over a year old) stock and only give one week warranty. It will be fully charged when I pick it up.
Is there anything I need to be aware of if I'm to get this Calcium battery? It's an ACDelco battery.

Thanks for any help.

That large capacity calcium battery sounds alright. As long as cheap, I mean cheap.
Cheap enough that your happy to lose your money on battery that potentially could die in the first three months and your back to square one.

Calcium battery are now widespread in motor vehicle OEM original.

Good luck buddy.
The last battery I had to change, I've had for 12 years and still was going strong but I felt that surely it would to fail soon, so I changed it just in case.

It now seems my second battery is about to shit itself, 4-5 moths after warranty expired. Battery is only 2-1/2 yrs old.

[Robo]

AGM,
absorbed glass mat.
love em.
have 3.
wouldn't go back.
I was like you, liked to maintain untill I found AGM.
1 is around 6+ yrs old now still going strong.

If you still prefer std type battery, add batralite from new,
should add a couple of yrs to bats life span.
don't add batralite to calcium.

and by a std bat I mean "non" calcium bat, just old fashion lead acid battery.

[threedogs]

I use a wet cell Trojan 115AH battery as my AUX battery, its the same battery they use in bass straight for the shipping bouys.
Keep the water up and it will last a long time, Plus more bang for your buck as well.
I also have a water kit for it

[dom14]

How cheap mate? The seller's asking $100 for a Delkor brand caclium battery, rates 912cca.
1 week warranty. Seller can charge it before pickup and says it's old stock, older than 12 months.
Does that sound right to you?
Thanks


That large capacity calcium battery sounds alright. As long as cheap, I mean cheap.
Cheap enough that your happy to lose your money on battery that potentially could die in the first three months and your back to square one.

Calcium battery are now widespread in motor vehicle OEM original.

Good luck buddy.
The last battery I had to change, I've had for 12 years and still was going strong but I felt that surely it would to fail soon, so I changed it just in case.

It now seems my second battery is about to shit itself, 4-5 moths after warranty expired. Battery is only 2-1/2 yrs old.

[threedogs]

one week warranty isn't much . these could be those re born batteries
where they use pulse technology to give them a longer shelf life.
IMO buy the best you can, IMO you cant skimp on batteries,
especially if touring

[megatexture]

How cheap mate? The seller's asking $100 for a Delkor brand caclium battery, rates 912cca.
1 week warranty. Seller can charge it before pickup and says it's old stock, older than 12 months.
Does that sound right to you?
Thanks

Second hand batteries sell for 20$ here at wreckers but good luck finding a deep cycle. Personally I wouldn't touch the 2nd hand one unless I was buying off a mate and I knew how it was treated ..

[dom14]

Thanks mate.
Yeah, I don't think it's worth the trouble with that battery.
I'm better off with the new reliable one.
One week warranty most certainly looks dodgy.


one week warranty isn't much . these could be those re born batteries
where they use pulse technology to give them a longer shelf life.
IMO buy the best you can, IMO you cant skimp on batteries,
especially if touring

[threedogs]

A lot of DC batteries are from UPS systems these have very weak construction for a battery.
I'd stay clear ,unless it went in a battery box for camp lighting or such
Its the old adage its cheap for a reason.

[Tonks]

I use a wet cell Trojan 115AH battery as my AUX battery, its the same battery they use in bass straigh for the shipping bouys.
Keep the water up and it will last a long time, Plus more bang for your buck as well.
I also have a water kit for it
3D what is the water kit you have for your battery ?

[threedogs]

You replace the caps with the water kit ones and to top up my battery first have a look then fill a coke bottle with water,
put the water kit hose in the bottle and pump a black bulb until water spurts out, you'd be surprised how much water a battery will take,
thanks for the reminder it probably needs topping up as the Trojan uses heaps of water when worked hard, i'll get some pics,
water kit cost about $70 I think, but worth it IMO

[dom14]

Yeah, but the UPS type batteries(AGM deep cycle I reckon) aren't good for cranking, are they?!!


A lot of DC batteries are from UPS systems these have very weak construction for a battery.
I'd stay clear ,unless it went in a battery box for camp lighting or such
Its the old adage its cheap for a reason.

[dom14]

What is a water kit, mate?!


3D what is the water kit you have for your battery ?

[threedogs]

Water kit replaces your 6 caps with 3 x 2 connected
and you fill battery via a black lumbar style bulb fist pump

[Tonks]

Water kit replaces your 6 caps with 3 x 2 connected
and you fill battery via a black lumbar style bulb fist pump

3D,
Any pictures.

[threedogs]

I'll get a pic or two this morning.

A friend of mine changes both his batteries every two years regardless.
He does a lot of outback touring and cant afford to have a battery fail.
I don't know if he gets any money back for his old batteries.
But a brand new battery can fail at any time, I don't think I would go "outback"
with two 4 year old batteries on board, Spot the weak link in the system

[megatexture]

Google battery water kit, you can get ones that auto top up the battery's fluids, mainly used for larger battery banks.

[threedogs]

This one I do manually, here's some pics, seeing I haven't been using my fridge lately the battery was still full.
So that's good

[dom14]

Thanks for the pictures mate.
If he goes in the outback regularly, he definitely can't afford to have batteries fail.
So, changing them regularly is the way to go.
I always keep a second battery(not brand new) at the back of the car, fully charged, in case.
If worse come to worst, you can use a deep cycle battery to crank the motor for once, am I right?