Battery purchases - help please

[Frankenhealey]

I'm going to need to hopefully get three batteries this weekend and surfing has only left me confused so the answer is to ask Retro Rides.

I need a new battery for the Healey - good cranking amps needed (6.3 litres @ 11.5 : 1 compression) in a relatively bijou package (gel/calcium/). A main battery for the Goddess which with 5 litres but 6 : 1 compression will start on a lamp battery but needs a long cranking time to get the fuel to the carb. And finally a small battery for an elderley neigbours ride-on mower which is part grass cutter and part mobility scooter out here in the country.

What I really need is good value from a local/national source but preferably not Halfrauds. Any ideas?

Cheers,

Ian

[stealthstylz]

You could use a Optima red top on the Healey, they don't have much storage capacity though so not great if you're doing short runs then switching off (or if it keeps cutting out until its warm.

Goddess I'd find the nearest van breaker and go and get the biggest 12v battery theyve got.

[jrevillug]

Would it be worth throwing an SU fuel pump on the Goddess? Turn on ignition, wait until the ticking stops, turn over.

Being big heavy things, I think most battery companies are local rather than national. FWIW, I found that www.griffinbatterycentres.co.uk have fairly good prices on Yuasa batteries, and acceptable delivery prices.

[Porsche]

Just remember, whatever amperage the battery has, this will only be maintained to the amperage the alternator gives out. It's no use just uprating the battery, if you don't uprate the alternator too.

[jrevillug]

Apr 16, 2014 19:57:20 GMT Porsche said:

Just remember, whatever amperage the battery has, this will only be maintained to the amperage the alternator gives out. It's no use just uprating the battery, if you don't uprate the alternator too.

True for constant loads (lights, stereo, etc.), but not so for starting the engine.

[ChasR]

Apr 16, 2014 19:57:20 GMT Porsche said:

Just remember, whatever amperage the battery has, this will only be maintained to the amperage the alternator gives out. It's no use just uprating the battery, if you don't uprate the alternator too.

Surely this does not apply to Ford SmartCharge vehicles, where they dish out everything the alternator has when the engine is cold, but once warm produce quite little.

[RetroWarwicK]

i've always ordered Exide batterys off ebay. for example a regular 063 is about £32 delivered

[Dorset_Clive]

When I lived in Wareham, I always found Cribbs tyres (on the Sandford road between Holton Heath and the Bakers Arms) very helpful. I know they do batteries too, not sure if they do 'exotic' stuff for the Healey though.

[duncancento]

I work at an auto-electrical factors and we sell loads of Yuasa brand batteries, highly recommended.

It really depends on what size all three vehicles will take. Yuasa do a battery called a 640SHD that could potentially be perfect for the Goddess, 1000cca and reasonably compact. Truck batteries like a 627, 625 or 629 are 12v but they are massive. Mower might be something like an 895 or 896 - loads of possibilties on that one, no part numbers on his old battery?

Find yourself a smaller local factors, they should be able to go through sizes and specs. Ultimately it will depend on the space you've got to play with I guess.

[Porsche]

Yuasa batteries supplies Halfords and many other motor factors with thier own brand batteries, so are much the same except for the skickers/box colours.

They have all of their batteries manufactured cheaply abroard, then re-label them for sale in this country. Halfords, Oldham, Lucas & Tungstone are some of their brands. Also, beware when you try and go by price. Some batteries are the same inside, you're just paying more because its garanteed for longer.

I'd go for something from Bosch myself.

[dodgerover]

Not sure if they have a bad reputation in car sizes but Yuasa gel batteries are OE for most bikes and I would have said they were about as good as you could get.

[Porsche]

Apr 18, 2014 20:26:27 GMT dodgerover said:

Not sure if they have a bad reputation in car sizes but Yuasa gel batteries are OE for most bikes and I would have said they were about as good as you could get.

Yes, the motorbike ones are good quality and made in Japan, I think?

[willowandmikey]

If you have access to cost co I found them to be half the price of halfords

[Frankenhealey]

Thanks for all the help. I ended up at Halfrauds for the Healey battery as a recommendation to use Euro Car Parts ended up as a total bust. Joined a very long queue and after 20 minutes asked the woman in front how long she had been waiting and she said an hour with five people in front of her still.

[ferny]

The 6 year old 3-year life Halfords battery in the Herald is still going strong despite being run completely dead more than a few times and jumped god know how many other cars.


It'll conk out now, won't it...

[duncancento]

Apr 18, 2014 19:40:52 GMT Porsche said:

Yuasa batteries supplies Halfords and many other motor factors with thier own brand batteries, so are much the same except for the skickers/box colours.

They have all of their batteries manufactured cheaply abroard, then re-label them for sale in this country. Halfords, Oldham, Lucas & Tungstone are some of their brands. Also, beware when you try and go by price. Some batteries are the same inside, you're just paying more because its garanteed for longer.

I'd go for something from Bosch myself.

Yuasa accidently sent us a pallet of Halfords and Unipart batteries once!

Bosch don't make their own batteries either though.

[mochyndu]

Try your nearest unipart branch they'd have a catalouge with sizes/spec in and should be able to help.

[ejenner]

The Halfords Calcuim batteries (i.e. midrange) are bullet proof. So long as you didn't get a faulty one in the first place. I used to work in Halfords and we didn't really have to change calcuim batteries.

The basic range though... different kettle of fish entirely. I was asked to use our battery tester to check all the batteries which had recently been delivered and they were all coming up faulty, from new. We were also doing tons of warranty exchanges on the basic grade 3 year battery.

By contrast. Both my Saab convertible and my mothers Saab 900 both have Halfords calcium batteries which have both been run flat several times but just keep going. The one in my mothers car must be at least 10 years old as it has the old labels on it.

Only problem with those Halfords calcium batteries is the price! I'm sure something of similar quality can be had eleswhere for less.

[Porsche]

Maybe the quality has improved? It has been seven years since I worked for Lucas/Yuasa batteries, but before they shut the Birmingham factory, they started importing these cheap batteries and like ejenner said, we would unload the container lorrys and test the batteries and they would all fail. The original U.K. built batteries were always the best...but, like alot of British industry, the management of these companies was awful and they closed it down.

[dubmeister]

Odyssey batteries are the best i have come across so far ,hold a charge for years even when left lying around and they kick out some serious stomp when required considering the size they are