perkins 135 start battery

I'm the new owner of a 1980 Bristol 42 trawler with twin perkins 135. The boat was sold out of an estate and has been sitting.* There were no batteries aboard when we made our deal. We managed to get her running with a 4D and get her home to plymouth. The 4D will start her but really seems like she could use a little more cranking power. I'm wondering if she really should have 8D's for start batteries. Wondering what other perkins owners have for start up ?
Thanks
Tim

Bristol 42* "Witch of Tillo"

I have a pair of Perkins 6.354's on my (about to former) boat. For staring I have two 105 Ah batteries in series (starting is 24V). This seems to be more than adequate.

R

A std truck Series 31 start batt should have all the CCA required for that engine.

You may need a pair if frequently starting below freezing.

4D is a SIZE , not a declaration of use, like size 9W shoes.

To Start you want a START battery , not a deep cycle ,

unless there are a bunch of them. in parallel.

FF

If you want a really robust and trouble-free starting bank without a lot of size and weight, get a pair of quality 12v AGM starting batteries, like the group 34 size Deka Intimidator, and wire them in parallel.* Tons of cranking amps in a total of 83 pounds.*

Compare the CCA stats of various batteries - a pair of those is hard to beat.* For our Volvo KAD44P diesel, we had a pair of Optimas, which were terrific for 7 years, but the Intimidators with which we replaced them are even more powerful.* We paid about $125 each at an industrial battery supplier.

Sears Platinum (made by Odyssey) are also supposed to be really good.

Another alternative is a pair of Deka group 24 or 27 traditional flooded starting batteries - even more cranking amps for a few more pounds.

-- Edited by RCook on Sunday 20th of December 2009 07:42:34 AM

-- Edited by RCook on Sunday 20th of December 2009 07:44:19 AM

-- Edited by RCook on Sunday 20th of December 2009 07:46:44 AM

-- Edited by RCook on Sunday 20th of December 2009 08:03:17 AM

Starting batts almost never need the only advantage of AGM or the new Spiral built batts.

Short charge time , with the ability to accept huge current in a short time .

Starts are seldom run down 2% so charging is minor.

For HOUSE battery's a case could be made for AGM ,
but only for the ex sailor that is willing to actually pay for QUIET!

Then cutting the noisemaker time in half is worth the high costs , and the special charge requirements .

FF

-- Edited by FF on Monday 21st of December 2009 01:25:40 PM

AGM starter batteries have significant advantages:

They don't leak and corrode, and require no maintenance.

They typically last much longer than flooded starting batteries - 7 years is not at all unusual.

They're not damaged by freezing weather.* They have very low self-discharge when sitting unused.* They survive untouched for a long cold winter without difficulty.

There are tons of them in cars and trucks, and they do an exceptionally nice job in diesel pickups.* They don't require a special charging system.

In my truck the Optimas are 8 years old, and still fired up the big Cummins with no trouble after sitting 2.5 months while I was out cruising this past summer.* At the end of another summer, after mine had sat 3.5 months, I used them to jump start another diesel truck which had been sitting for only 3 weeks with ordinary batteries that were only 3 years old.* The other day I started my truck easily after it had sat outside for several days reaching down into the single digits in the mornings.

Seems to me like a pretty good tradeoff for higher initial price - the only disadvantage of AGM starter batteries.



-- Edited by RCook on Tuesday 22nd of December 2009 09:30:14 AM

-- Edited by RCook on Tuesday 22nd of December 2009 01:33:36 PM

"They're not damaged by freezing weather."

ONLY if fully charged and kept very charged.

They will freeze like every other battery at low temps if NOT full.

WE simply use a 75 W solar call and charger to run 6 unattended months , summer and winter for our collection , with good old wet cells .

FF, you are correct that AGM's can freeze.

Maybe the way to think about it is that if you charge them when you put the boat away for the winter they will still be charged enough to be safe months later, due to their low self-discharge rate.

if you charge them when you put the boat away for the winter they will still be charged enough to be safe months later, due to their low self-discharge rate.

__________________

AS insurance you may have to disconnect ALL the wiring from every battery .

plymouth tim wrote:

I'm the new owner of a 1980 Bristol 42 trawler with twin perkins 135. The boat was sold out of an estate and has been sitting.* There were no batteries aboard when we made our deal. We managed to get her running with a 4D and get her home to plymouth. The 4D will start her but really seems like she could use a little more cranking power. I'm wondering if she really should have 8D's for start batteries. Wondering what other perkins owners have for start up ?
Thanks
Tim

Bristol 42* "Witch of Tillo"

Click to expand...

Our Gulfstar 44' trawler has twin 6-354's...and the starting battery is a 4D for the port engine...and it starts it fine, but additionally...on the consoles of the stations there is a button marked "Battery Combiner".... and that adds a little boost if needed to get an engine started.* But if you have a well charged 4D as a starting battery on each engine....and they are relatively new....you should be getting plenty of starting power.

If it appears to be starting slow....and your batteries are good....I would start at the batteries and work back to the engines checking connections and what not.* It may be as simple "grungy" contacts somewhere in the circuit....or a starter that needs repair....

*

As FF mentioned, a group 31 will do the job. We are going on our fourth season with the 31 for our Perkins 6-354. I took out the 8D's and went with the 31 for starting and 4 6 volt for the house.

Rob
37' Sedan
Sunkyang Marine

When we outfit we locate the Voltmeter pickup at the starter solenoid terminal

This will show all the "normal" charge and voltage , yet the starting voltage can be monitored as the engine starts.

Works great as it may allow PM , before the sound of a clicking selenoid is all there is.

Tiny #18 is all it takes to feed a V meter.

We have a Series 31 on our 6.354 in Skinny Dippin', but I DO want to swap it with a higher CCA 4D cell when I get the money. As long as the engine is running well and it's warm outside, a Series 31 works fine, but if you are chasing down a problem and need extended cranking... You'll want a 4D in the tray for that extra uhmmph. Ask me how I know. However, I was also thinking of just adding a second one to accomplish the same thing. Look around, I have more than a couple of threads around here about batteries and my woes in trying to learn about boat electronics.

A second 31 size batt will probably give the pair more CCA than a 4D.

And there a hell of a lot easier to drag out .

FF wrote:

A second 31 size batt will probably give the pair more CCA than a 4D.

And there a hell of a lot easier to drag out .

Click to expand...

I had no problem at all dragging out the 12 batteries in our boat (after I hired a kid to do it for me that is )........Arctic Traveller

*