Starter just keeps going?

[wilkin250r]

I've heard many people say the quality of the Optima Batteries have gone down significantly after the parent company changed several years back (2000?). But from my own personal experience, I bought a yellow-top a couple years ago, I love it! And I've abused it, I let it run down, it sat for several months, I recharged it and it works like new. And every time I start my truck, I have to crank it for about 15 seconds or so at first, to allow the fuel pump to fill the carb bowl. My Yellow top handles it all like a champ.

[bennylava]

Originally Posted by homemade87

The yellow top battery would be just fine . It is a dual purpose battery for starting and is commonly use in the stereo world because it will stand to be cycled when run down . Best of both worlds .

No battery likes to be stored any length in time in a discharge state . An AGM battery seems to not like it more . So if a battery is down charge it . Wet cells are a little more forgiven .

In the end its still hard to beat a wet cell for starting power .

I too have heard a good deal about Optima's... decline in quality over the years. Since you seem to be someone who knows about batteries, do you happen to have any alternative recommendations to the Optima? Another dual purpose deep cycle battery? Perhaps one known for somewhat higher quality and less known for premature failures.

Originally Posted by cadillac_al

I bought this one but haven't got it on the truck yet. It was recommended to me from the Camaro guys. It does require newer style starter bolts 4.3" long.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LUCAS-Starte...72.m2749.l2649

If I end up needing a new starter, I will try that one. Where did you get your newer style bolts?

[homemade87]

[QUOTE=bennylava;8059207]I too have heard a good deal about Optima's... decline in quality over the years. Since you seem to be someone who knows about batteries, do you happen to have any alternative recommendations to the Optima? Another dual purpose deep cycle battery? Perhaps one known for somewhat higher quality and less known for premature failures.


I too have read some about the optima . I only had one that was gave to me because it was not doing its job . I did manage to bring it back to life with a pulse charger . It lasted quite a few years but it was one of the old ones that was first built way back when .

If looking for a battery suggestion I would recommend a Deka made by east pen company . I have been using them for a long time with good success . I generally get 7 years out of them before they start to show there age , but I do take care of my batteries and do not neglect them . My daily driver or the vehicles I drive frequent I do nothing to . The vehicle takes care of it when driven . The other batteries that sit I charge about every 5 to 6 weeks just to keep them topped off . I have a pulse charger that helps keep them conditioned and only leave it on only enough to get the battery to 100% . ( never leave a pulse charger on long term , it will dry the battery out ) . Use a battery maintainer if you want to leave it hooked up . I have a lot of batteries and just rotate my chargers to keep them topped off . This has saved me hundreds of dollars .

This is one of the batteries I would think you could use . A 78 series is about as big as you can usually fit . http://www.dekabatteries.com.au/autospecfits.shtml .

If yours is a top post This would work fine .http://www.federalbatteries.com.au/9A78DT/ It also has side post if needed . I have one like this and use the side post for accessories .

Hope this helps and sorry for the long response . Its important to keep batteries full charged . It ok to cycle this battery . Use the power and charge it right back . I have a good friend that just don't get it and cant understand why he only gets 3 to 4 years out of a battery .

[bennylava]

Well I have yet to figure out exactly what the problem was, other than it seems to have stopped once I got a new battery. To be on the safe side, I had the alternator rebuilt at a good shop. As far as I know that alternator could have been 20 years since its last rebuild.

Anyway as something of an update, something weird happened which ties into my fuel line thread. I got the fuel lines off the truck today, and they weren't leaking cause they'd rubbed up against the cab. They were leaking because somehow, some way, electricity had welded the two fuel lines together. There was a hole where fuel came pouring out. I can't imagine how it didn't burst into flames. But it didn't. I guess cranking and cranking on the engine somehow loosed some electricity from... somewhere. Still haven't figured out where it came from. The starter seems to be fine, and the fuel lines aren't touching it or anything like that. Just another one of those weird unknowns I guess.

I insulated the new fuel lines so there isn't any more bare metal down there, just in case it happens again. All the smoke I was saying that came pouring out from under the hood, was from when the lines welded together.

[homemade87]

I would of liked to see a picture of that just for curiosity . I really dont see how that would have happened . So I dont really have an answer for you .

Just a guess would be the engine block was searching for a good ground source and the fuel lines was it . I would remove the grounds to the block and service them . Starter run on was most likely a separate issue and fixed itself . Solenoid or a Bendix binding on the flywheel holding the solenoid on .

[v30crewcab]

yep you got a bad ground somewhere. clean them all up good.

[raggedjim]

Yeah, make sure the engine block ground is good. I had an old fiat that the engine strap was broken on and one day when I was starting it a guy said "Hey, there's sparks under your car". When I got under it I found that the ground was broken and the engine was grounding through a wire coat hanger keeping the front of the exhaust in place!

Previous owners do some crazy stuff!

Good luck, Rg