Builds Shipwreck (12 Viewers)

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srgould41 said:
When my Optima Red Top does die I will replace it with AGM.
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AGM is what an Optimal battery is. Absorbant Glass Mat - as opposed to a flooded lead battery. AGM batteries still have fluid in them, but the liquid is in gel form so it doesn't leak out when flipped over. Lithium Ion is the latest battery - beside being super-light (my battery weighs 50 lbs each v. 12-15 lbs for a LI) - doesn't have liquid inside that can spill out since the medium is actually a salt. Of course, there is a few thousand reasons why I didn't use them.... I wanted the capacity I have, and a lithium ion battery (or two) would have cost nearly $5000... they claim the price will come down - but honestly, I know how they produce the salt now and I don't see how they can do it any faster - it takes time to process that much material.

I have had trouble with one Optimal battery, but that was a "returned" battery that I bought and used for another 7 years before it died.... funny thing is, I may have been able to revive it (which I learned later)... even if not, 7 years is 5 years longer then most flooded batteries last for me.
 
Um, I might be thinking of something different. I recall doing some research a couple years ago and there was a vast difference in construction of the Optima and the other battery I was looking at. Maybe just a different method. I'll have to go look it up again.

SuperBuickGuy said:
AGM is what an Optimal battery is. Absorbant Glass Mat - as opposed to a flooded lead battery. AGM batteries still have fluid in them, but the liquid is in gel form so it doesn't leak out when flipped over. Lithium Ion is the latest battery - beside being super-light (my battery weighs 50 lbs each v. 12-15 lbs for a LI) - doesn't have liquid inside that can spill out since the medium is actually a salt. Of course, there is a few thousand reasons why I didn't use them.... I wanted the capacity I have, and a lithium ion battery (or two) would have cost nearly $5000... they claim the price will come down - but honestly, I know how they produce the salt now and I don't see how they can do it any faster - it takes time to process that much material.

I have had trouble with one Optimal battery, but that was a "returned" battery that I bought and used for another 7 years before it died.... funny thing is, I may have been able to revive it (which I learned later)... even if not, 7 years is 5 years longer then most flooded batteries last for me.
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I had 2 cars (one a supercharged MR2, the other a rage swapped corolla) that had AGM batteries.

One had an optima (Corolla) that lasted about 5 years. The car started to act odd, struggle to run, the alt wasn't charging right. Swapped in a known good alternator and the problems persisted. Swapped the battery and all problems went away.

The MR2.... it had a Megasquirt 1 V2.2 on a JDM 4AGZE. Had an Ecide AGM. Driving down I5, 60mph when the car started to jerk a bit. The voltmeter stared jumping all over the place. A few more miles and the engine quit. Had to coast to a stop.

Voltage spikes through the system fried the injector fets in the MS unit, causing the injectors to be held wide open. After towing to a friends house, we fixed the MS, did an oil change (since there were now quarts of fuel in the crankcase, I was lucky not to hydrolock the motor with fuel), and it ran, but still had voltage running all over the place.

Took the alternator out and had it bench tested - no problems at all.

Went back, swapped to a lead acid sitting in his garage and all of the problems ceased. I ran that alternator for another 3 years in that car without incident.

There's some thing about the AGM'S that can cause them to fail in a different and unexpected manner.

I don't ever mention this in swaying anyone away from them and like to think those were very one-off circumstances.... but I also find it hard to believe I got the only bad 2, from 2 different companies, that caused other electronic failures.
 
2 very expensive plugs later.... I have charging


a cheap antenna later, I'm starting my stereo system




and lights are wired... though now there's a new issue of the oil sender not sending.... odds are good that it had something to do with whatever I did tonight... I hate wiring.
 
All this time I thought Optima batteries were the gel type. Wow, I never knew. :) I also read that I should have a yellow top, not a red top. I chose the red top because I could make it fit the space I had.

SuperBuickGuy said:
Optima used to be the only game in town - then the other players started and the 2nd term AGM was coined.
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Wow, sorry to hear you had those incidents. You just never can tell, huh?

toyotaspeed90 said:
I had 2 cars (one a supercharged MR2, the other a rage swapped corolla) that had AGM batteries.

One had an optima (Corolla) that lasted about 5 years. The car started to act odd, struggle to run, the alt wasn't charging right. Swapped in a known good alternator and the problems persisted. Swapped the battery and all problems went away.

The MR2.... it had a Megasquirt 1 V2.2 on a JDM 4AGZE. Had an Ecide AGM. Driving down I5, 60mph when the car started to jerk a bit. The voltmeter stared jumping all over the place. A few more miles and the engine quit. Had to coast to a stop.

Voltage spikes through the system fried the injector fets in the MS unit, causing the injectors to be held wide open. After towing to a friends house, we fixed the MS, did an oil change (since there were now quarts of fuel in the crankcase, I was lucky not to hydrolock the motor with fuel), and it ran, but still had voltage running all over the place.

Took the alternator out and had it bench tested - no problems at all.

Went back, swapped to a lead acid sitting in his garage and all of the problems ceased. I ran that alternator for another 3 years in that car without incident.

There's some thing about the AGM'S that can cause them to fail in a different and unexpected manner.

I don't ever mention this in swaying anyone away from them and like to think those were very one-off circumstances.... but I also find it hard to believe I got the only bad 2, from 2 different companies, that caused other electronic failures.
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swap meet this morning, so a bit lackluster on the work this afternoon

wired the speedometer






built a shift rod


installed the CB antenna... just one more antenna (HAM) but that's going to be a bit more involved because it needs to be as high as possible


mad cruiser


happy cruiser


thanks for watching


steve - elbe, walker or liberty? thinking a week from this Sat.... my preference is elbe since I've not yet been there - but I'm interested in this 'other' trails at Walker....

and anyone else who wants to go is welcome to come along
 
Glass update - I feel much better. I took the frame, glass, and rubber to the guy who made the windshield - he called me the next day and said the rubber was too soft and he couldn't get the window in... I think it's .... no, not going to guess, I want to talk to the supplier and find out what's up. I bought more weather stripping for the side windows from the recommended folks (bulk) on here - I'll know Monday, but the glass guy said it was much better. I was hoping to have some left over, but (according to my calculations) all of the windows, not including the front, take 26 feet of weather stripping.... add another 16 or so feet for the front window and that will pretty much use up the 50' roll... ah well...
 
Elbe sounds great. I know it well :)

My only thought on your CB antenna is that it might not be there for long while wheeling. Same goes for your radio antenna. Just a though.

Your shifter boots look great. Where did you get them? ;)

SuperBuickGuy said:
steve - elbe, walker or liberty? thinking a week from this Sat.... my preference is elbe since I've not yet been there - but I'm interested in this 'other' trails at Walker....

and anyone else who wants to go is welcome to come along
Click to expand...
 
So do I need to report a theft or something?

SuperBuickGuy said:
I'm still laughing about the boots - more specifically the rings. I have the same metal in my shop that I ...ummm... got from my dad (he may not have realized the quantity). That this metal may have come from the same shop and in a similar manner makes me chuckle.
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I was worried about my dash pod being stolen. Since it has hundreds of dollars with of gauges held in by two screws I went with security screws. I'll have to show you next time we go on the trail.
 
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