Battery know how!! Tricks for the trade!

Every 2 or 3 months I check and clean battery terminals as was as add anti corrosion spray . When off the road I have a 22 amp IQ Charger with a 30 amp quick charge and Jumpstart. It operates as a trickle and has a battery repair mode . I also test the batteries with a Digital Battery tester on a regular basis . Dont buy cheap batteries for these trucks your just throwing money away.

 

Mr Snail is smart! He knows a lot of stuff!
I have seen similar results in farm tractor batteries. Their life is harder than OTR truck batteries. Some batteries are very good. The next one is not. Just my experience.
Dodge and Farmall never made batteries. In fact very few companies make batteries. The only company I know of that makes vehicles and batteries is General Motors.
I was in a class with an instructor from Delco around 1985. There were lots of students and lots of questions. He named off all the companies that made batteries in the USA. He explained that Delco makes batteries under many different names. They can have one eye, no eye or 6 eyes. Whatever the customer wants. They are done on large orders and that number of labels is printed. That can be for K Mart, Western Auto or Case. When the labels run out a new order starts but the batteries are the same. No other battery has a case that looks like a Delco battery. So if the case looks like a Delco it is a Delco regardless of the name on it.
Then one of the guys asked: We have Ford trucks at our shop with MotorCraft batteries. The cases look just like the Delco batteries. How is this possible?
He explained that buying agents search for and get bids an products everyday. We won the bid and shipped the batteries. They had no idea MotorCraft was Ford and Delco was General Motors. They were just doing their job as best they knew how. Yes those are MotorCraft labels on Delco batteries.
The shop I worked at also had Fords with those batteries.
I used to be real strong on Delco batteries before the 1150A high failure rate. Later I found out the 1150 was American made and the 1150A came from Asia.
Dave in Az's Alliance battery looks like an old school Delco with a handle. Sometimes manufactures buy in large quantities for great prices. Then they can sell us a premium product for the price of a cheep one.
In the same rack is a starting battery and a dual purpose one. Does anyone know anything about and or have experience with these dual purpose batteries?

 

Just wondering, I am thinking about getting my alternator rebuilt as preventative maintenance as it is a 240 amp big one on a Cummins ISX and the part costs like 7 or $800 I remember so being home I'm thinking have a place rebuild it. Anyone done this?

 

Yes when I bought my truck with 700k miles on it I took it to the local repair shop. That was 400k miles ago. Still going strong. Probly take it in again next year? Takes them a couple of work days so you have to plan for it? I’m not sure it was much cheaper than a reman one from the shop but feel like I get better rebuild from the local guy?

 

No not exactly that. However I often send stuff to Southern Auto Electric in Conley Ga. They rebuild it and send it back. They used to build motors for hydraulic power packs and motor coach air units at a previous job. That was over thirty years ago. They have been around.

 

Starmac, I pay a lot of attention to stuff you say about truck maintenance because you're the only guy in Alaska. What do you mean sitting at 14 (or close to 14)???? I'm thinking you mean with the truck or vehicle running. Pretty much every good/new battery I've ever owned sits right about at 12.8 when it's good and hot and only around 14 when running and alternator charging.

What do you guys use to coat the terminals? My grandad (farmer with lots of equipment) swore by Vaseline. He kept a big tub of it in the toolbox. I use that or white lithium grease. Anything wrong with these home brews vs. more expensive purpose made goop?

I have learned my lesson already on cheap batteries. I bought 4 from Rural King last year and 2 have already died. I never mix batteries but I've put 2 of my OEM 2015 batteries back in their places because it's all I had. Plus, they newer ones aren't sealed. They're dripping acid all over my air tanks when I charge them. I think I might try the Alliance ones Dave found. That's a great deal.

 

Yep.

He means 14V charging.

 

You still have to check for Amps
Just cause you have a proper volt reading dosent mean the alternator is alright..

 

Correct.
I recently had a wire that measured 13.2v on the multimeter but did not have the power to light a single led light.
Allmost broken wire or internally corroded .

 

You won't have the amps without the volts.

If volts are weak. Amps will be weak also.

Can't lose one without losing the other.