Replacing battery

[YeaImDylan]

Hey all, back again in relation to my battery. Running a single currently and it is dead and I want to replace it and do 2 and re do wiring. How long would I be ok to run a single? I’m planning to source the cable supplies myself as someone else did it who commented on my old post but it wouldn’t be for a few weeks possibly. Only strain on the battery would be cranking since I do not have a grid heater.

[Mopar1973Man]

17 minutes ago, YeaImDylan said:

How long would I be ok to run a single?

 

Not long in the cold of winter being the total load of the starter is much much higher than the grid heaters. It at least 700 Amps for a cold start. This is why dual batteries should be installed and not a single being the the total load is nearly the full capacity of a single battery.

[YeaImDylan]

Maybe I’ll just bite the bullet and buy a pre made kit… just would like to save money building the cable set but don’t have all the time currently. What batteries do you run btw? Idk anything about what brands to get and how many CCA each one should be.

[Mopar1973Man]

9 minutes ago, YeaImDylan said:

What batteries do you run btw? Idk anything about what brands to get and how many CCA each one should be

 

WalMart 810 CCA. Same manufacture as OEM batteries with a small bonus over the stock 750 CCA that were installed during manufacture. Being two 750 CCAs total 1,500 CCA. Now consider WalMart 810 CCA is going to be 1,620 CCA.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-Maxx-Lead-Acid-Automotive-Battery-Group-Size-27-12-Volt-810-CCA/28275658

[LorenS]

Hopefully the Everstart brand maintains the same level of quality now that the actual manufacturer is under new ownership.

 

https://hotvehs.com/who-makes-everstart-batteries/

 

[Mopar1973Man]

33 minutes ago, LorenS said:

Hopefully the Everstart brand maintains the same level of quality now that the actual manufacturer is under new ownership.

 

https://hotvehs.com/who-makes-everstart-batteries/

 

 

Quote

Everstart batteries are renowned for their quality. They are popular car batteries and work great in extreme cold weather conditions, even if the temperature is freezing. Everstart batteries have a distinctive design that reduces corrosion, and they provide high power capacity with minimal weight and long life cycle performance at an affordable cost.

 

Consider this...

 

OEM batteries lasted 10 years

1st WalMart Batteries lasted 8 years (Ran dead ZERO volts twice)

2nd Walmart - Currently installed.

[YeaImDylan]

Sounds like I’ll be picking up Walmart batteries! I may just bite the bullet and pay the 250 for a nice set of cables too.

[Silverwolf2691]

There's only like 4 3 (large) car battery manufacturers as it is so odds are you are getting a similar product at one place as you would the other. What the companies are, I don't know off hand.

 

Did some digging while writing:

East Penn (makes your household duracells too, also makes the Deka brand batteries)

Johnson Controls now Clarios (most brands, seriously. 50% of the market is their product) 

Stryten.. according to consumer reports.. never heard of them. (turns out to be Exide and another company merged together)

and I thought I read somewhere that Siemens-Deka was the other one. (nope not this one)

Exide was the other one I found.

 

As @Mopar1973Man said, if you live in the cold one really isn't enough but I know some people do a "battery delete" when they run side by side twin turbos. You can hear a difference regardless of temperature when you crank the truck over. 

 

I run a pair of Autocraft silvers, from Advance in mine. Never had an issue. 

 

Depending on the set of cables and what is still hooked up, there will likely be cutting and splicing even with premade ones. Make sure to get 1/0 (one aught) cable minimum.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Yeah like here we are forecasted for single digit nights again. Sure not a time for a single battery for sure. There is a reason why Dodge ditched the single battery design in the 1st Gen and upgraded to dual batteries in 94 in the 2nd Gens.

[Stanley]

Have 2 batteries makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, extra security than one and MO power... 

 

Speaking of batteries, I'd like to do a battery relocate someday to under my flatbed in a "under box" I call them. 

[Mopar1973Man]

Look up voltage loss over distance. Long battery cables have less power. Colder batteries don't recharge very fast. This is why the batteries are under the hood to allow them to get warm possibly to aid in charging speed. 

[Royal Squire]

Batteries aren’t under the hood on big trucks. Course they use more batteries. 

[Mopar1973Man]

I know but there is a sensor under the driver side battery that controls the charging rate. Battery temp sensor also controls the high idle and grid heater systems too. Yeah it sound easy to just relocate batteries but it comes with a cost of voltage drop, computer sensor (battery temp). 

[YeaImDylan]

8 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

I know but there is a sensor under the driver side battery that controls the charging rate. Battery temp sensor also controls the high idle and grid heater systems too. Yeah it sound easy to just relocate batteries but it comes with a cost of voltage drop, computer sensor (battery temp). 

Are there any other battery sensors for charging I may have to re implement that may have been taken out with the passenger battery by the previous owner? I didn’t even know we had a sensor underneath the driver one on our 2nd gens

[Mopar1973Man]

Battery temp sensor started 1994 and always been in the driver side battery tray.

[LorenS]

On 3/9/2022 at 12:57 PM, Mopar1973Man said:

there is a sensor under the driver side battery that controls the charging rate

Couldn't that just be extended? A guy would want to use a gauge or two heavier, perhaps, but I can't see that having a large amp draw, and thus minimal voltage drop. It's an RTD or similar, right, and relies on change in resistance due to temperature to measure the temp?  Would be milliamps, I'd think.

[Mopar1973Man]

Take a peak at the sensor in the driver tray and figure it out if you can move it but the length of cables from the bed ot the engine and PDC are going to be longer and there will be voltage losses for the length of cable too. Have to remember that starter can pull 700 amps on average. 

[Max Tune]

But once engine is started, PCM should read the same. The difference in distance should be negligible, no?

[Mopar1973Man]

Battery temp sensor no problem... Battery cables will be a problem... There will be losses for the battery cables. Sensor is going to be nothing being there is no current flow. Reason I know this is after doing solar set ups and even though its a mere 24V system and the panels only give 20 Amps of charge I still had to have 2 ought cable because of the losses of distance. Now kepe in mind the current is much higher and distance will be longer than factory. 

[Max Tune]

Old time hot rodder's would put the battery in the trunk over the right side rear wheel to add traction. Shouldn't be too difficult to move batteries and temp sensor to behind cab and still be ok.......

 

Might have to increase battery cables a bit, but the temp sensor shouldn't be a problem.

 

I may be wrong, but to me it should be easily doable....