Small, light battery

Would a 250-ish CCA yard tractor battery mounted in the trunk start an 8v VW assuming good starter/compression/wiring etc in warm weather? They're small, cheap, readily available and relatively light.

maybe if it was a warm engine.

While not cheap.. Odyessy makes some very light dry cell automotive batteries

Wheelchair batteries.

In reply to Ranger50:

Really? More info please. Size, cranking amps, price, where to buy etc.

pseudosport actually had the $30 or so lawn tractor battery you can find at walmart in his turbo miata for a couple years and it worked great. cheap and easy to find again too.

our challenge jeep uses an old brought back to life harley davidson motorcycle battery to start the 4.0L. that batt doesnt hold a charge long but its got enough juice when charged to crank for longer than i would have thought.

but on a bigger budget i highly recommend the odyssey or braille lines of batteries. ive got the 14# odyssey in my M3 that works great so long as you dont use electricals for much with the engine off. i added a kill switch too so theres no draw when its not running either.

I ran a lawnmower battery in my MR2 for 2 years no problems. 2.2L N/A

Always wondered why more people didn't pick up on this.

Don't waste your money on a Braille. You can get their DEKA cousin for much, much less.

In reply to doc_speeder:

I may be outdated, but the minimum rule of thumb used to be 1 cca for each cubic inch of engine displacement for a gas engine. Automobile diesels were 2cca per cubic inch. But most automotive batteries far exceed these minimums.

In reply to doc_speeder:

http://www.performancedistributors.com/batteries.htm but like I said, it is a wheelchair battery.

You want light?

This is the latest technology. A123 cells. A friend is using a 2.3 Ah on his 400 dual sport with no problems, and they're very popular with the KTM crowd. I asked Turntech about using one for my Swift, and he recommended a 5 Ah

This is the same thing, but cheaper. I have their 2.3 Ah for my 250, but haven't used it yet. The 6.9 is their biggest, and weighs a little more than 2 lbs.

Osterkraut wrote: Don't waste your money on a Braille. You can get their DEKA cousin for much, much less.

+Deka. I have one in my Miata. $80 glassmat/gel cell

i used the Odyessy 680 in my ZX2SR for a long time. Even started it at -14F. Just.

I finally killed the Odyessy in my Ti.. it only lasted 9 years . Definatly worth the price in that respect

I wouldn't waste money on running heavy battery cables to the trunk. You typically have to add more in weight to get the cable back there than the 6lb battery will weigh. Just mount it on the stock battery tray and be done with it.

I've had good luck with Brailles of late, as well as good luck with XS Power and Deka. I love Deka's Intimidator-- it's a normal sized battery, but AGM so it is indestructible--great for the rally car.

The LeGrand has a 2lb LiPo Braille in it now. I'd say it has more nuts than their 6lb AGM.

I was going to mount the battery in the back of the Swift until I found the lithium ions. weighing only a few pounds, it's going on the firewall, just above the starter to reduce cable weight.

Zomby woof wrote: You want light? This is the latest technology. A123 cells. A friend is using a 2.3 Ah on his 400 dual sport with no problems, and they're very popular with the KTM crowd. I asked Turntech about using one for my Swift, and he recommended a 5 Ah This is the same thing, but cheaper. I have their 2.3 Ah for my 250, but haven't used it yet. The 6.9 is their biggest, and weighs a little more than 2 lbs.

^These are the best, if you can afford them. This is what all the high-performance electric car guys lust after.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. There are more options than I realized. Also, I moved the battery to the trunk for underhood packaging reasons more than for weight reasons, but I figured it will help weight distribution and overall weight to get a lighter battery that is still up to the task.

Zomby woof wrote: You want light? This is the latest technology. A123 cells. A friend is using a 2.3 Ah on his 400 dual sport with no problems, and they're very popular with the KTM crowd. I asked Turntech about using one for my Swift, and he recommended a 5 Ah This is the same thing, but cheaper. I have their 2.3 Ah for my 250, but haven't used it yet. The 6.9 is their biggest, and weighs a little more than 2 lbs.

I don't see 12v... should i be looking at this 13.2v?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/4S1P-13-2V2300mah-A123-original-Battery-RC-Battery-/200531640782?pt=US_Batteries&hash=item2eb09e01ce

How do those leads work in a car application.

I'm so confused.

(This topic is very relevant to my interests, though.)

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: I don't see 12v... should i be looking at this 13.2v?

yea, even a "12v" battery is really comprised of six 2.1v cells for 12.6v, so their 13.2v looks like whatever combo of smaller cells to make that voltage, which is still lower than running/charging voltage.

i have to say i'm intrigued with those things. 1.96 lbs is nutty light! obviously best for pure race applications, but any idea how one would last through a full autocross day when its started and stopped many times without terribly long charging periods inbetween?

I ran a really small motorcycle battery in my CRX Si for about two years before I sold it. Worked fine, it was super small/light, super cheap, and it was totally sealed so I could put it in the passenger compartment without a battery box. Got it on ebay for $15 or $20.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: I don't see 12v... should i be looking at this 13.2v? http://cgi.ebay.ca/4S1P-13-2V2300mah-A123-original-Battery-RC-Battery-/200531640782?pt=US_Batteries&hash=item2eb09e01ce How do those leads work in a car application. I'm so confused. (This topic is very relevant to my interests, though.)

13.2V is what you want. That's the one I have for my bike.

Too small for a car though. If you contact him, and tell him what lead size you want, he will do something custom for you at very little charge. Read a few of his auctions.

They work exactly the same as a normal car battery, except in the cold.

Read the FAQ on the Turntech site.

Deka AGM, I run a ext14 on my 3.2 should be able to knock an 8v over no problem.

Thread theft but relevant, what would work on a larger capacity engine. like a V8?

I had a friend run NMRA Factory Stock with the DynaBatt I linked above in his 94 Cobra with no problems. But like I said, it is just a 12v/15-ish aH wheelchair battery.

DynaBatt available here;

http://www.newedgeperformance.com/dyna-battdrycellbattery135pounds.aspx

Battery box made specifically for the DynaBatt, saves you fab work/time.

http://www.newedgeperformance.com/dyna-battbatterybox.aspx

Tony D