Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Did a quick search and did not find anything
Looking for a Battery recommendation. Have been using Optima 6v red top, seems like I get 3 years out of them then nothing. Somebody got a line on something better?
Thanks
W

You're doing something wrong. Deep cycle it now and then, as with any battery, but never let it sit discharged, which fosters sulfation. Use a decent trickle charger like the CTEK UC800 i've used for the past 28 years unchanged. Have gotten nearly a decade from my last two Optima 6-volt Red Tops and know of a '41 Cad that got 14 years.

Too often, people want to blame the battery, motor oil, brake fluid (you should use DOT 5 silicone), etc. rather than make sure everything on their car thoroughly fettled.

Also like Optimas because they're light. But i'm a sport car guy who long ago fell for 1939-47 overdrive Packard 8s and Su8s seeing them as "road cars" while most in this hobby pile on gew gaws using them as vanity barges. "Weight is the enemy" seems lost maxim in the old domestic car crowd.

Also use a 55-amp, bolt-in (no butchering), positive-ground 6-volt alternator for brighter head and tail lights at stop signs, dusk, etc. Jim's Battery Mfg., Youngstown, OH (800) 426-7580. When i find a good product or service, believe in extolling them. Tell Jim and Dolores that a 1947 Super Clipper in Walnut Creek, CA and a '47 Custom Super Clipper in British Columbia sent you.

So far, have gotten rid of over 100 lbs. Higher compression head, otherwise stock beyond taller rear axle ratio in addition to overdrive. Keep it simple. More torque, less pork.

Happy Easter, Passover, Fly-by, Spring Equinox, Ostara to all.

I have a 1927 Ford T with a 12 year old Optima red top. This car has only a cut out, and no voltage regulator.

I do think keeping batteries on "battery tenders" does more damage than good. Over the years, I've tried a couple of different brands, and they all tend to overcharge. One of them had my 12V battery at 17 volts.

I've had better luck with just disconnecting the battery when it's not being used. I get 7-9 years out of them, and these are just regular car batteries. Also, I think this prevents them from being parasitically drained by things like clocks, etc.

I only use those chargers now to top off a battery that's been sitting all winter and has dipped a bit, and I check it every few hours with a volt meter to make sure it's not overcharging. I usually have to disconnect them before they cut off on their own, as once again, they tend to over-charge.

Yes, that's true in some cases but the Optima batteries can't be properly charged on a regular charger. Well, they can be but it apparently limits the Optima's life.

As for battery tenders, the cars in my Oregon shop must be kept on one, especially during the winter as it gets far too cold for a battery. It made a major difference in keeping the electrons flowing! My system uses a solar panel on the roof although I recently upgraded it to a 24v 200w panel that is maintaining two 12v Lithium-Ion batteries in series (the controller can charge 12v from a 24v panel) so have not yet reconnected it to the car batteries until I figure out how to mix the battery technology.