Heavy Battery Removal

Those of you who have replaced 4d and 8d battery banks - how did you get the old heavy batteries out of your engine room? I'm probably going with 6v replacements which I can probably manage. Any ideas on who would be willing to do that? I'm in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area.

Find a supplier who delivers and installs. You will pay more than Wal-Mart but you should be able to pay for removal and installation. Auto parts or auto service companies might be your best shot.

I got another guy to help me lift them. I replaced them with 6 volt batteries.

The last time I did that I gave some young Navy guys that happened to be in Morehead City for a training exercise 20 bucks of so for 4 8D's, remove and replaced, took them about 20 minutes all told. Before that on a set of 4 L16's, the barretry shop sent some young bucks as well. Ditto several times before that in various and sundry locations on the east coast. The battery shop will almost always know or have someone, as will any good marina dockmaster.

SeaBreeze said:

Those of you who have replaced 4d and 8d battery banks - how did you get the old heavy batteries out of your engine room? I'm probably going with 6v replacements which I can probably manage. Any ideas on who would be willing to do that? I'm in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area.

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I used block and tackle, muscle, and the winch on my boat deck to get a couple out of my aft lazarrette. I did it by myself.

I have another 8d Lifeline in the ER that will be much harder to get out and it will take brute force. When I have to replace that, I’ll try and get my son and son-in-law to do it. They both are very big guys (not to mention young and foolish).

Unless you have similar young and foolish guys around (ask around the dock and see if there are laborers around who would like to make a few bucks) then it may be that you can make a deal with whomever you purchase the new batteries from to remove the old ones.

Use a reciprocating saw to cut them into manageable chunks.





*That's a joke...seriously

I replaced my 4D’s by my self once. The chiropractor fees would have paid for some help.

MurrayM said:

Use a reciprocating saw to cut them into manageable chunks.

*That's a joke...seriously

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You said it, now I can see someone trying to do it ............

I asked a friend to help. He is smaller then me and I could not budge them. He carried them alone on the boat , down the stairs and slid them in x4. Didn't Break a sweat. Cost me 2 beers.

I removed my one 8D by myself. That was 4 years ago. Would not want to try that today.
I was on the hard, got them to the gunnel, then got one of the yard guys to bring the forklift over.
The rest is ancient history.

Whenever I change 8Ds, I hire a couple young gorillas.

2 teenagers and 2 $20 bills.

Steppe said:

Find a supplier who delivers and installs. You will pay more than Wal-Mart but you should be able to pay for removal and installation.

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Agree....Pay the supplier to deliver and place the batteries in the boat rather than paying the chiropractor after the fact.

We left our dead 8d house bank down there as ballast.
Lugging 600kg/1300lb out was to much like hard work

We`ve got to change one this weekend, and will do it ourselves, as usual. I hate it, my back is already compromised, but we get it done.

A major issue is in confined spaces you cannot always get into a safe "bend the knees, back straight" position. I understand bending forwards opens the vertebral spaces at the back and closes them at the front, so spinal pressure tries to push the disc out the back, creating a risk of disc damage.

Remember 8Ds weigh around 50kg and up,getting someone else to do it can put them at risk.I believe 8Ds were intended to be fitted into trucks using a forklift.

Definitely let someone else do it. You couldn’t design a worse ergonomic disaster than bending over to pick up an 8D out of a typical engine room. After two back surgeries I would not even try to drag one on pavement.

Paid the yard folks to pull and replace all four of our 8D's. Check writing device is a lot easier to lift than those monsters.

I've done it in on the hard....
4 guy - 2 lift to Swim platform w 2 there to receive
2 in ER w other 2 passing them down to receivers.
2 in ER to position them
It doesn't take long w the right help.
How many beers depends on your friends but it's worth what ever it takes.
Good help is hard to find treat them well!

Sling a thick rope between the handles and get another person to help. Easy to lift an 8D that way. Much easier than trying to lift directly.

Chrisjs said:

Sling a thick rope between the handles and get another person to help. Easy to lift an 8D that way. Much easier than trying to lift directly.

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That is exactly what I did a couple of years ago except I used two ropes, one on each battery end. Fast and easy.

Couple boards to slide on and a rope. Once out the door and laying in the walk around I used the davit to get them to the dock. I’ll never buy them again, went to 6v for house bank and group 34 spins my cat starters just fine.

I just did this two weeks ago. I tied ropes to the lifting handles. Me and a friend stood in the salon and lifted without bending over. It was not an exact straight lift up, so we had to lift the front end first and let the battery slide forward then lift the back until it was level then lift straight up. when we put the new ones in we lowered straight down until almost in position then lowered the back end first into the battery box. I then went below and pushed them in the rest of the way while the guy up above gently lowered the front. It was hard but doable for two guys in their 70's.
John

Our 8Ds were outboard of the engines. All four were dead and removing them looked like a great opportunity for a hernia or ruptured disc. I consider this one of the few good reasons why God made teenagers.

Once out, I consolidated the house bank and relocated to in a much more accessible place. Also, switched to J305 6-volt AGMs. Not a walk in the park but nowhere near the strain of lifting an 8D.

angus99 said:

Our 8Ds were outboard of the engines. All four were dead and removing them looked like a great opportunity for a hernia or ruptured disc. I consider this one of the few good reasons why God made teenagers.

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I have an engine start battery to the side of the engine. No way to lift it up, it will need to be forward or aft to a position where it can be lifted. I have no idea how it was put in there to begin with. When it dies, I’ll replace it with a GRP 31.

Mine I did with a come-along, saw horse and a couple of 2x4s Fortunately I could slide them to the lazerette. Once there, attached the come-along to the 2x4 that spanned the saw horse and the gunnel. Lifted the 8d with the come-along. Set the 8d on a couple of 2x4s that spanned the lazerette opening, slid the battery to the cockpit floor and then out the transom door to the swim step then to the dock where they currently sit while I find a couple of teenagers to haul them up the ramp and lift them into my truck.

I rigged block and tackle with screw eyes into the overhead joists. Easily lifted them out of the trays. Slid easily to hatch.
Hired two fellows from the small local moving company who lifted the with a rope and then carried them to the dock.
Reversed for the two new ones.
I paid them their ask plus $20 each. I was glad to have the help.

Good price deal here just now on an Exide brand 200ah/8D. Bad deal,weighs 58.5kg. Hoping for nice thick plates and solid construction.

With help the trick is to use roped thru the handles , but the rope is made into a big loop so it can be lead over your back.

Now your back is straight and your legs do the lifting.

Watch as store delivery or movers use this technique to get monster freezers up flights of stairs.

Only somewhat related, but I finally removed the big Surrette batteries out of my basement after switching over to LFP about 6 months ago. I have been avoiding the job for reasons everyone reading this thread will understand. After dragging, using a hand cart, 3 pallets, and a tractor with forks, I got them loaded on a trailer to take to the scrap metal yard. After weigh in and weigh out, the total weight for the batteries was 4200 lbs. Scrap value was $840, so worth the two hour round trip drive.

Last time I dealt with this it was teenage boys and 40 bucks. Easy peasy.

For this very reason it is grp 31's and nothing bigger for my ride.