healeys
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: 100-4 6 volt battery problems - suggestions please....

To: <Fiat500f@aol.com>, <Healeys@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: 100-4 6 volt battery problems - suggestions please....
From: "Greg Lemon" <glemon@neb.rr.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 22:53:28 -0500
Maybe there is a way to seal up the batteries, but I don't think it is
something you want tomess with.  You mentioned doing rust repair on the
frame, want to spill acid on the work and have to do it again?

I would suggest going to a single 12 volt battery, there is a small size
that will fit, you will lower your weight, and lower your voltage losses
from two six volts in series.  And unless you are going for concours, the
battery compartment of a BN1 is concealed and won't be viewed that often to
detract from oroginality.  I have had a couple of cars with the two six
volts, and never gotten real good starting power out of them, and one (let
alone 2) six volt usually costs more than a single 12 volt.

I don't know the size offhand, I took my general dimensions to a battery
store and worked from there, but the size needed should be in the archives
or supplied by some lister with a better memory than me.

Greg Lemon
54 BN1


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Fiat500f@aol.com>
To: <Healeys@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 11:33 PM
Subject: 100-4 6 volt battery problems - suggestions please....


> Hi again,
>
> Ok, battery problems this time.  My friends car that we are working on is
a
> '54 100-4.
> A little over a year ago, my friend bought the two six volt batteries and
> trays for the car from British Car Specialist.  We thought we were ready
to put
> them in, but while waiting for the batteries to arrive, we found more,
(and
> more) rust in the frame that we had to do first, so the batteries were put
to the
> side while rust and numerous other things were repaired.  About six months
> ago, FINALLY, it's battery installation day.  I fill them up with the
correct
> acid, and set them aside while to figure how the battery trays and
mountings are
> all going to work.  The trays don't fit. So after much head scratching and
> Anderson/Moment book picture consulting, they are determined to be the
wrong
> ones.  So, battery day is not happening.  I set the trays to the side and
go to
> do the same with the batteries, when I discover a problem.  There is a
puddle
> of acid under each battery!  I remove the filler caps from the batteries,
and
> sure enough, the acid levels have all dropped.  So, I wipe off the acid on
the
> outside of the batteries and fill them up again, sit them on the work
bench,
> and watch them.  Slowly, acid starts coming out of two sides of each
battery!
> Upon very close inspection, I can see hairline cracks in both batteries,
and
> on the top corners of each battery also.  So, I call British Car
Specialist.
> They say they can't take them back because it is illegal to ship the
batteries
> with acid in them, and, that it's been too long since the sale.  Lame and
> lamer.  So, I now have two never used, never charged batteries that are
defective.
>  Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can use to seal the cracks
in
> the batteries?  Everything I have tried reacts with the acid and doesn't
seal.
>  I've tried tar (it's a tar top battery!), silicone, JD weld, liquid
nails,
> floor adhesive, roofing crack sealer, driveway sealer, super glue gel, and
> plummers putty. Suggestions please?
>
> Sincerely,
> Paul B.
>
> Your messages not reaching the list?




<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>