Batteries load tested ok but voltage dropping

[Cubey]

This is pretty darn close to what they are, if not exactly.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/cj-classic-trucks-battery-tray-bronco-1966-1977/p/3704/

Edit: no, mine are factory stock. Check this out: (click to enlarge)

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[nostrokes]

Well damn, there goes my good deed for the day..



Yep if that's what you have then you'll have to find the j hooks. Guess you'll have to take some measurements and hope a parts store can help you out, doubt you'll be able to find them at a junk yard. They usually yank the battery a and pitch the accessories that go with it.

 

[79jasper]

In my younger days, a ratchet strap or rubber bungee cord always worked great..... lol

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[Thewespaul]

Have you tried the wedge style? I’ve seen a lot of bricknose trays setup for both

 

[sjwelds]

Interesting. My 92 uses the J-hooks. Had to build my own since they were missing. Used 1/4" all thread with some little formed clips on the bottom. Built the hold down straps too. I upgraded to group 31 batteries and never looked back. Had to modify the trays too.

 

[Cubey]

Well I hope I didn't throw $200 at good batteries. The new ones had no problem this morning, just took 2 glow plug cycles. The starter did seem like it was really mmphing but eh maybe its just normal. Ill know better in a few days after it sits at below freezing temperatures again.

I did find the new ones hadn't dropped below 12.7v (with door closed, so presumably no load) at the cigarette lighter so maybe the old were weak and dropping despite tests. The old ones tended to drop to 12.5 overnight.

Walmart will only use their handheld tester on batteries that aren't their own. Both old showed "good" on their handheld.

I guess I might just dump off the old batteries for core and be done with it. I don't know if any Walmart will refund core or if it needs to be done at the location they were bought from. If the same location, I guess I will have to do so today before I leave town here.

 

[Macrobb]

Walmart will only use their handheld tester on batteries that aren't their own. Both old showed "good" on their handheld.

I guess I might just dump off the old batteries for core and be done with it. I don't know if any Walmart will refund core or if it needs to be done at the location they were bought from. If the same location, I guess I will have to do so today before I leave town here.

Just want to point out - I was at a local Pick & Pull, and they had batteries for sale. Apparently, they don't charge them, just test them with a load tester and if it says good, put them for sale.
After the first one(only 18 months old) turned out to be boiled dry and had *no* current capacity, I went back with my multimeter and double-checked any likely prospects.
I found a couple that tested good with the load tester, but had no more than 10.5V (unloaded) with the multimeter!
Those were probably "good" current wise, but with a dead cell. So the load tester shows more than 9V under (100a) load, but the battery still won't work right.

At home, I'm now using a spare IDI starter for a load test - it's pretty easy to hear how the battery is - either it barely spins/does nothing(bad), droops from full speed down to slow/stops(bad) or spins quickly with no slowing for 30+ seconds(decent).

 

[Cubey]

Maybe I'm just overstressing about it. Playing back the video I took this morning, I guess its spinning fast enough.

Here's the video. It is a true first start with the new batteries on a cold engine, after sitting overnight at around 35 degrees.

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[Cubey]

Ok, I was wrong. It can use the wedge. Unfortunately, I threw away the package from a set of $4 J-hooks, so I could only return one set. I wasted $4 on a strap I cut short last night for holding down the driver's side battery. Oh well. This kit fits, but the O'Reillys here only had one. I will get another later.

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[snicklas]

In your video, it sounds like it's cranking over fine, especially for a first, cold start with 2 glow plug cycles. Even my Infiniti gasser turns over a bit slower an longer on a 30 degree or lower cold start. I think if you would have cranked for a second or two more on the first attempt, it probably would have started. That extra couple of seconds of cranking wouldn't have hurt the starter.

If it keeps starting like this, I wouldn't be worried about the starter or batteries. Sounds like both of my IDI's.

I do understand being conservative thought, with only having one vehicle. I have the luxury at this point, that I have more than one vehicle, and if one doesn't start, I just jump in another one. I have seen batteries pass on a "tester", but don't have the oomph to start a diesel. A diesel, with running the plugs, and then cranking against the compression, the batteries just don't have what it takes. I know on my 6.0, which is a power hog, if the batteries are low and it will turn over slowly, if I try and jump it, it takes a small charger on 75 amp boost and cables from a running vehicle, or 2 sets of cables from another diesel or 2 vehicles. A diesel takes a tone of power to crank over.

 

[Cubey]

If it keeps starting like this, I wouldn't be worried about the starter or batteries. Sounds like both of my IDI's.

I have seen batteries pass on a "tester", but don't have the oomph to start a diesel. A diesel, with running the plugs, and then cranking against the compression, the batteries just don't have what it takes.

A diesel takes a tone of power to crank over.

Yeah. I just dumped off the old batteries for the core refund. I don't have the storage space for two more batteries, much less dead weight to be hauled around that I'm not using.

I could have probably gotten several more months from them if I just always charged them a short while off my generator, but that's a huge hassle. I did it for over a month as it was. It was a constant worry about the day it might not work anymore.

The old probably suffered from fatigue of the bad alternator, then dead glow plugs last year draining them heavily; plus no hold downs, probably causing plate damage.

Hopefully these will last me a long time. They are serviceable due to removable caps, which helps.

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[junk]

Sounds like it turned over fine to me for 35 degrees. Do you have any dead glow plugs? Also what's your timing set at?

 

[Cubey]

Sounds like it turned over fine to me for 35 degrees. Do you have any dead glow plugs? Also what's your timing set at?

It was probably 40 out at that point but yeah. Hopefully no dead plugs, I put in new motorctaft ones a little over a year ago.

Timing is questionable. I advanced it a while ago to help with towing but how accurate it is, is unknown.

I should also note that my cold timing temp sensor is broken. I bought a NOS one a long time ago, but I have yet to put it in. As you can see, it doesn't really need it. On very cold starts, a little throttle helps for the first 5 seconds or so, but it didn't need it in that video.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

If it got down to 35 degrees overnight, I'd bet that your big hunk of cast iron (engine) under the hood, in the shade, was still pretty close to 35. Even if the air temp was 40.

 

[Cubey]

If it got down to 35 degrees overnight, I'd bet that your big hunk of cast iron (engine) under the hood, in the shade, was still pretty close to 35. Even if the air temp was 40.

It's 23 tonight, but warms up the next few days. I might plug in the block heater for an hour before I leave on Wednesday, just to help things. I'm at a free RV park with electric, so I might as well. It has a nice new cord, so hopefully it works without a problem.