refurbishing batteries

[juanprado]

There are quality tools that are not too expensive to use with battery service. There is a squeeze bulb that works great to remove battery fluid, plastic gloves, eye goggles, and nifty battery acid dispenser bottles with a quick pour spout that has a push on off valve.

It is no different than anything else if you are properly prepared and have the right stuff.

Battery acid is easily washed off hands/arms with water. Stings for a while on an open cut but I am sure there are many more chemicals in the automotive world that are worse. Super Purple cleaner comes to mind. That stuff does eat your skin.

Lost a few uniform pants/shirts and cotton t shirts along the way in a 20 year parts career but not as bad as "acid" sounds.

 

[hemichallenger]

If your battrey holds about 75 percent charge you may be able to get it back up. If its old, dead and the plates are falling appart there is nothing that will bring them back.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Your plates have sulfated for sitting discharged. The battery will need to be desufated. Goggle search "desulfator". Here's one from a place we all know and love,
BatteryMINDer Charger/Maintainer/Desulfator — 1.3 Amp, 12 Volt, Model# 12117 | Battery Maintainers| Northern Tool + Equipment.

I strongly recommend this unit. I have 3 of them and have extended the life of my batteries significantly.

 

[wb1895]

Just a quick update.
the battery that I changed the acid in is still holding strong at 13 volts. I put it in the deuce and have not had a problem yet.

I checked the other two batteries, and the plates are gone. I was able to gently push a coat hanger all the way through them. So, I believe that those two are shot.

Changing the acid seems to work

 

[wb1895]

Another update:

Changing the acid in the battery worked for a few weeks, but the battery is now only 10 volts and wont hold a charge.

So, changing the acid in a battery will work.......for a few weeks

 

[WILDBOY6X6]

All the info here is good for you wb,im looking for a set for my M756A2 I want to keep it all OEM for my restore of it.
The M35A2 and 818 dont care but want the pipe line to be stock,it even has the oem small mirrors too.

 

[builderboy]

I just purchased new batteries. Also put on a new starter. Now the truck starts with barely hitting the switch!!! It's awesome!!!!

 

[4x4 Forever]

Thanks for the update WB, sorry it did not work out for you.

 

[dubnali]

The last Deuce, 1972, came from the base with both batteries completely discharged. Used a constant voltave charger. Two weeks on 2 Amp setting and another two weeks on 10 Amp setting and they tested fine. They are working fine in the truck now. Hope they hold up.

 

[bchauvette]

The batteries on my "Small Emplacement Excavator" are badly sulfated. This is disappointing because I thought it was running and it quit while GL was filming the auction video. Clearly the MOG hasn't run for years. But that is part of the auction game and I welcome the challenge.

Idoesn't't look like the cells are physically damaged by looking into the cells. The battery cells on my MEP 003 look like they where bombed! A discharged battery will freeze. This is what happened to the gen set batts.

Here is what I've gleened so far on this site and the web:


1) Keep charger going for an extremelyt long time. Days, weeks, months. I've done this and it worked on several occasions.


2) Dump old acid, Flush with distilled water then install new acid.

3) draw electrolite down to cell top. Fill with with epson salt liquid concentrate then charge.

4) use a welder http://www.wikihow.com/Desulphate/Revive-a-Lead-Acid-Battery

5) Buy a special desulphaTor

My wife is Vietnames we had several opertunitioes to visit the old country. It was remarkable how resourcefuling the Vietnames where to survive. Like wood burning M35's, changing deuce crankshafts on the side of the street. Acetelenene tanks cut open and converted to acetylen/carbide generators. Street vending was the major source of commerce. I saw several sidewalk battery repair vendors. The only significant thing I saw driving by was a plastic pan. I assume to dump the electrolite into. After that I have no Idea what they do. I'm sure they didn't have access to new battery acid. But I am sure if they is a way they could cook up home brew acid they would.

I am goin to take it step by step with the least invasive, least expensive first. I am on the 3rd day of charging with no results. Next Im going to try the epson salt thing. Then the welder thingy and finally drain, and refill. While im doing this I am going to borrow 2 batteries from the M944 to get the MOG running.

Wish me luck

Did you know that batteries will discharge if put directly on concrete floors?
Butch
M944A1
S.E.E.
5 ton trailer

 

[steelandcanvas]

Did you know that batteries will discharge if put directly on concrete floors?

This was true years ago when batteries had rubber cases. The rubber would develop small cracks allowing the battery to discharge into damp concrete. With the advent of modern thermoplastics, this is no longer a problem.

 

[ducer]

Actually it is still kind of true, to a point. If in a garage with high humidity and a cold floor will keep the battery cooler than ambient air temprature so much so that condensation occours on the battery and will allow current to flow and discharge the battery. I've had it happen to me.

Denny

 

[Dodge man]

Did you know that batteries will discharge if put directly on concrete floors?

Yes they will and I finally found out why. It has nothing to do with concrete being "absorbed" through the case and neutralizing the acid. I talked to an submariner that used to work on the boats when they used Lead Acid batteries and they had the same problem. It turns out that the batteries were sitting directly on the hull and the bottoms of the batteries were always slightly colder than the rest of the batteries due to heat sinking effect of the sea water. The slight difference in temperature across the battery plates would cause slightly different electromotive potential across the plates and not just between them. Since it plates is connected to itself it would slowly discharge. They corrected the problem by thermally insulating the batteries from the hull.

By now, you're probably figuring it out. The concrete acts as a massive heat sink to the bottom of the battery and causes the same difference in potential across the plates and discharges the battery. The solution is to insulate the battery from the concrete. It's long been known that putting a board between a battery and the concrete would prevent the self discharge. Wood isn't a very good insulator and there are other materials better suited but MOST insulators rely on air pockets to form the insulation and a heavy battery will compress them and render them useless, so use and insulator that won't crush under the battery's weight.