slantflat

Had a nice drive down to Forsyth, GA, for absolutely nothing. Been looking for a rim for the Saturn and this place says they have one. Yes I could have called, seeing as how they were 47 miles from my house, but I thought, they are busy and I'll be put on forever hold. Also in my experience someone will say they don't have whatever just to get you off the phone, because they can't be bothered to go look. So Tiger and I hit the road. Get down there, yep we have one. Waited, waited, nope don't have it. I said the website says you do. Got stuck in accident traffic on the way back.

Chris I'd say you're doing pretty well if a 4 year old battery still starts after sitting for a couple weeks. When that amount of time starts to lessen is when you need to start thinking. Years ago my Mom had a Caprice Classic with the original battery in it, going on 5 or 6 years old. It was the Delco Freedom battery, which I thought those were big pieces of junk. I had the car in the auto shop one day at school and the battery tested bad. But as long as we drove the car every day it would still start. Finally I got a Sears DieHard. Got one for my car, too, and neither one of them were worth a hill of beans.

So now that it's going on 5 in the afternoon I think I'll get to work. I'll at least get the pickup cleaned out so I can go get a water heater and a sheet of plywood tomorrow. It's been a beautiful day here and I'd say close to 70.

Jamesbo

Chris, I tell everyone ya better not be the last to finish I hope the last check I write [before I leave this orb] bounces

Fun71

Jethro Bodine claimed reversing his initials from JB wuz BJ, meanin Boy Jenius.

So here it is:

Ah wuz a'meanin 40º swang, but the nummer pad on muh keyboard was turned off so nuttin typed n the cursor jumped to da bottom o' da page, so I hadda do it all over agin an loss tracka wut Ah wuz doin.

Remember Jethro Bodine said if his initials were reversed it would be BJ for Boy Jenius.

Dream67Olds442

Mike - Like I said earlier, it was not doing well and would not hold a charge for 2-weeks in the cold weather before I got the solar powered battery tender. Since I put the tender on it, it acts like a brand new battery. You're definitely right about if I start to see a change, especially with it on the tender, that it's probably on it's very last legs. The battery is a middle of the road Walmart Everstart battery. I've actually had good luck with them through the years. I think they're a good value for the money.

Dream67Olds442

Kenneth - Was Jethro a Boy Jenius before, or after, he was a Double Naut Spy?

Dream67Olds442

James - Amen brother! Along those lines I tell my girls all the time not to expect much inheritance when I'm gone. Of course I'm kidding, well, kinda sorta!

Dream67Olds442

It's been awhile, so I thought I'd try to provide a little entertainment.

RELEASE THE KRACKEN!!!!

Jamesbo

Chris, My will reads

" Being of sound mind and body, I spent it all"

Greg Rogers

Chris the trailer is a clamshell, it tilts down after you open shell, then drive machines on, tilt back down and lower shell, we see a lot of them around here, where you're at prolly not so much. Boy I have had good luck with batteries the last 10years or so(where is some wood to knock on?) Last battery I bought for the 02 Impala was in 2010, sold car in 2018 with that one still in it. Battery in 2010 Impala was bought in 15still doing good. Cutlass has a Optima that is prolly 10 years old, 56 truck has a old battery that came in one of the F150's I parted out, and 2006 plow truck has a 2-3 year old battery that came in it. These newer cars don't have to crank much. I remember having a 98Chevy van that the fuel pump quit, I tried to get it to start and found battery was bad then, only cranked for maybe 30 seconds before grinding to a halt.

Dream67Olds442

[QUOTE=Greg Rogers;1322188]
Boy I have had good luck with batteries the last 10years or so(where is some wood to knock on?) [QUOTE]

Greg - Boy, you sure have had good luck! I thought an average battery these days probably lasts about 5-years, but wasn't sure so I looked it up. AAA says the average battery these days only lasts 3 to 5-years dependent on driving conditions and weather. With my truck sitting 95% of the time (which is the worst thing for the battery), at 4-years old it may be on borrowed time, but like I said, with that tender on it now it's sounding fresh.

I think I've seen those clamshell shaped trailers. I've never been up close to one so I don't know the dimensions, but I'm guessing because of the shape they are not tall enough to haul a motorcycle, but now I'm curious and going to check a few out.

slantflat

Good morning everyone.

Short time at the Awful house today. Not much going on there and the one guy that showed up had things to do. Pretty day out, and I think it will be fairly warm.

We're going to postpone the water heater until next Wednesday. I would hate to get it installed and then go out of town for a week and come back to find it was deficient in some way and my house is wrecked. Plus I didn't get $hit done yesterday and I really need to get a couple things done today.

So Happy Hump Day everyone. I like this not going to work thing.

Fun71

I hear ya. We were forced to work from home (ha!) half the week during the summer, and I got really comfortable with not actually going to work. Sorta like easing into retirement mode, I guess.

Jamesbo

Got my hunter green round gutters, hangers, end caps

I think I have all of the materials

1969w3155

My car batteries have been lasting about 7 years on average, much better than the 3-4 years of the old days. I have friends that have gotten 9 years out of them. The last one that I replaced was in my Saturn about 5-6 years ago. We had a cold spell, where it was hovering around 0-10° and it would crank slowly at first before starting the car. I decided to replace it before I was stranded at work. It was 7 years old.

Fun71

Around here batteries die in the 110+ summer heat. We typically don't get any warning at all, the engine will crank fine, you drive to your destination, then when you try to start the vehicle again - nothing. Dead battery.

Dream67Olds442

Kenneth - I agree with you that the extreme heat is hard on batteries too, although I don't know the chemistry/physics as to why. Maybe Mr. Wizard (Norm) can enlighten us? All I know is we get the worst of both worlds here with lots of +95 days in the summer, and our fair share of teens and single digits in the winter. I may live in "battery hell"!

slantflat

Well it was a productive afternoon I'd say. Got a couple bills paid and mailed, got the pickup cleaned out, and went to the new pull apart that's here in town, and has been for a couple of years. Just never been.

The website says they have one Aura. Went there, it says 2 bucks to get in. I give up my phone number and the little girl says I'm good to go. There's sections for each kind of car, GMs, Fords, Chryslers, etc. but the lot isn't very well organized. There's broken glass -everywhere- and the ground is uneven and the cars are too close together. Found two Aura's, no wheels. In fact no wheels on anything. I ask if they sell the wheels separate. Nope, they don't take the wheels off, must have all been sold. Wow that's a lot of wheels. So I don't think I'll be heading back any time soon. I need to make up with the good pull apart that threw me out.

Beautiful here today. Sunny and over 70. Nice to be without a jacket and drive with the windows down. Tomorrow I need to hit the Awful house early so I can make the doctor in the afternoon, then head out for the panhandle afterwards.

Hope everyone has a good evening.

Fun71

The internet has all the answers.

https://www.scottsfortcollinsauto.co...car-batteries/

Contrary to popular belief, high summertime temperatures pose a greater threat to battery longevity than wintertime lows. That’s because, while battery capacity is higher in the heat, high temperatures shorten overall battery life. Here are the main reasons why:

• Evaporation: Under the hood, a car battery can reach internal temperatures of 140 degrees or higher. This causes battery fluid to evaporate, which damages the battery’s internal structure.
• Overcharging: High heat can also cause the voltage regulator or other charging system component to malfunction and overcharge the system. This leads to a slow but inevitable death for your car battery.
• Corrosion: Extreme temperatures allow lead plates inside the battery to corrode and deteriorate.

Car batteries can die at any time, but cold temperatures cause more breakdowns in the winter. Think about it: cold winter temperatures follow the hot summer, when high internal temperatures weakened the car battery. Once it’s put to the test in frigid temperatures, the beating it took in the summer will take its toll.

Vintage Chief

All lead-acid batteries die for one reason - sulfation. The reason it's called sulfation (for name's sake) is because a lead-acid battery contains sulfuric acid as the electrolyte. For every 10°F above 75°F, you double the rate of sulfation which is to say you double the rate of discharge for every 10°F above 75°F. Sulfate anions lose electrons, sulfur then precipitates as a crystal and adheres to the lead plates. The loss of these electrons reduces electrolytic potential - that is, the ability to store chemical energy and transfer electricity.

EDIT: You all most likely learned this simple equation in some distant past - it's called a simple REDOX equation. One ion loses electrons (oxidation) another ion gains electrons (reduction). Here, the sulfate is oxidized, the sulfur is reduced yielding to the process of sulfation and adherence of the sulfur to the lead plates.

Dream67Olds442

Kenneth and Norm - Great contributions, both of you! The last paragraph of what Kenneth posted pretty much says it all, the battery gets beat up during high temps in the summer (from Norm's explanation of sulfation), and may die then, or may die in the winter when more cranking power is needed to turn over a cold engine.

Dream67Olds442

Norm - Here's a follow-up question. On a standard lead cell/acid battery, does a constant trickle charge somehow reduce the amount of sulfation that occurs, even when the vehicle is stored in high temperature (+90 degrees) conditions?

Vintage Chief

So, what's the interaction then between the lead and the sulfur in a lead-acid battery during sulfation? The lead degrades it's as simple as that. How does it degrade - that's easy.

Atoms are composed of neutrons, protons & electrons. Quantum mechanics demonstrates every atom maintains valance. That is to say (and recall from chemistry) every atom has a set of rings from inner to outer which contains electrons. Some of these electron shells contain fewer, more or an even number of electrons in their outermost electron shell - this then defines valance. Recall the periodic table is based upon one unifying theme for all atoms in the known universe - electronegativity. All atoms are most strongly attracted to which element in the periodic table. That would be Fluorine. Flourine is the most electronegative element in the periodic table with an electronegtively of 3.98 (most just say 4.0 for simplicity).

Sulfur (S) is 2.58, Lead (Pb) is 2.33. Sulfur then is more electronegative than Lead. Sulfur degrades the Lead - the Lead slowly falls apart. That is sulfation inside a lead-acid battery. You rebuild a lead-acid battery by removing all the lead plates with new lead plates and adding new sulfuric acid - that's how you recycle lead-acid batteries & why you remove the Lead plates. The lead can also be recycled. But in a nutshell the periodic table defines why the lead degrades - Sulfur (2.58) is more electronegative than Lead (2.33) and degrades the Lead.

Vintage Chief

Yes, mostly. This industry has grown by leaps and bounds. The key point is the type of charger. Let's face it, all batteries are going to die of sulfation which we've just explained. If a fully charged battery at rest just sits, it's going to discharge at a very slow rate, but the absolute eventuality is that a battery is going to discharge as a function of time and rate of sulfation. Maintaining a lead-acid battery at its optimal charge (at any temperature) is the best case scenario for extending the life of any battery. Again, a battery will discharge at a faster rate as temperature increases (sulfation and discharge will occur twice as fast for every 10°F above 75°F).

Enter the new world of battery tenders. And, there are several types of battery tenders - some perform these operations better than others. You can read all about that on your own. The best battery tenders are those which read the discharge (per unit time) & monitor the discharge over select period of time intervals (determined by the manufacturer) and apply (for some manufacturers) recharge pulse rates of varying electronic frequencies. There are several variables I just demonstrated - those are key in extending lead-acid battery life. Certain frequencies delivered over select time periods (based upon per unit time discharge rates) can reduce sulfation. Some can reverse sulfation (to a degree), but it is chemically impossible. You can continue to "reduce" the rate of sulfation but you can't actually completely reverse sulfation. They claim to dissolve the sulfates by varying both the pulse rates and the frequencies. Chemically speaking, they're not dissolving sulfates, they're speaking of dissolving Lead Sulfates. Lead Sulfates are poorly soluble in water. A lead-acid battery is ~33% (concentrated) sulfuric acid - what's the remainder(?) - which is the solute and which is the solvent? The solute is sulfate the solvent is water; albeit, the Lead Sulfate (precipitate) is poorly dissolved in water. Bottom line, if you have Lead Sulfate (the result of sulfation) and you claim to reverse sulfation, you are performing this process inconsequential to the amount of time required to form Lead Sulfate. What they're truly doing is reducing the formation of Lead Sulfate by producing vary electronic pulse rates to maintain free ions [the sulfates themselves e.g. SO4(2-)] so they do not form Lead Sulfates.

In a nutshell they work great in extending battery life at essentially any temperature. Rather wordy I know.

1969w3155

Speaking of golf, Tiger Woods needs a new driver.

Greg Rogers

Mike, that boneyard sounds like just my type, no organization, but if you find what you want it will be cheap-hopefully... Well, rejoined facebook this morning, Why? MARKETPLACE! I've been looking casually for another snowmobile and trailer. Craigslist doesn't have squat, but my friends are sending me all these ads on facesit, so I rejoined. This time I won't become friends with anyone and have to suffer their bad hair days, etc...Craigslist used to be the hot place now it's facebook, I guess... Until the next latest and greatest.. Wow got up to about 45 yesterday, dirt roads are just a sloppy slushy,muddy mess. So bad you might get bogged down and stuck without 4wd.Have a good one!

Jamesbo

I bet Norm has spent the last few beautiful days smacking whitey around. Me? they doing aerification of the greens on the 1st few pretty day

Mike, Have you considered adding a Ruxton to your stable?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruxton_%28automobile%29

Dream67Olds442

Norm - Thanks for putting in the time to give the detailed explanation. The trickle charger companies claim extended battery life, but do not go into the detailed chemical explanation of how that is achieved. I have both my bikes, the 442, and now the truck (solar powered) all on trickle chargers. I'm sure the battery tenders are the only reason I've gotten the longevity on my bike batteries that I have. The battery in my large Yamaha (1900 cc) was starting to sound a little weak at the end of last season, but has continued to start ok when I've pulled it out over the winter. That battery was new in late 2016 when I bought the bike. I already have a new battery set to go in it this spring when I get it ready to ride. I left the new battery dry for storage over the winter, and will need to add the acid and give it an initial charge before I put it in in a few weeks. Thanks again.

Dream67Olds442

Greg - I read on another thread (can't remember on which one) that you were in the market (no pun intended) for a new machine. The pic of the machine you posted when you showed us "Purple Elvis" looked like it was pretty nice. Just curious, but are you just looking for a newer, more powerful machine with more amenities, or are you having issues with you current sled/s? I know nothing about modern snowmobiles, but I'm sure the newer ones are light-years ahead of the old ones in the 70's and 80's. I imagine the newer ones have at least TBI or EFI fuel systems and electronic ignition. As a teenager, we only had one snowmobile in the mid to late 70's, a smaller used Ski Doo, that my Dad was always working on just to keep it going so we would have something to ride. Seemed like it was broke as much as it was running, but it was probably about wore out before we even got it.

Fun71

That is not the only reason batteries die. There is also mechanical failures where the plates fracture and short internally. This happens more in off-road vehicles that are subjected to a lot of mechanical vibration / shock loads.

Also, as sulfation occurs, a layer precipitates out on the bottom of the battery. When that layer grows tall enough, it will contact the bottom of the plates and cause leakage between the cells. Military maritime batteries (such as those used in submarines) are routinely taken apart and the precipitated sediment is removed.

A military maintenance technician told me that the height of the battery is directly proportional to the warranty period of the battery, as in more distance form the bottom of the battery to the bottom of the plates = longer time before the sediment touches the plates. The manufacturers set the warranty period based on this distance.

slantflat

Good morning everyone.

Beautiful here and quickly heading to where I won't need a jacket. If I were up home that would still be months off. I miss being up home(sometimes) but I don't miss the cold.

Jamesbo I'd love to have a Ruxton. Most of the ones I've seen, which are only a few since they only made, what, 90 of them, have been purple. No thanks. We used to have a Ruxton in the museum I'm a member of, don't remember seeing it last time I was there. Love the squinty headlights, but I doubt they are very effective at night.

Sometimes batteries die of loneliness. I'll buy a battery and then never use it and it goes dead before I get back to it. Eh, batteries are expensive it's good for the economy. I got a kick out of Optima saying you needed to buy one of their special battery chargers to charge their batteries. It's different than a lead acid battery, therefore it needs to charge differently. They all charge the same way when they're in the car. I always used my regular charger, never had a problem.

Greg I've been looking at Marketplace lately but it drives me insane that the search function is so worthless. It gives me every car except what I ask for. Heck I get more correct hits if I misspell the name of the car. And it will give me a car in my same town under the heading of "outside your area." Nonsense.

So this afternoon I'm going to see the doctor and then hit the road for Pensacola. Not sure about the doctor but the ride to Florida should be nice. Got the truck cleaned out and I'm ready to go.

Have a good afternoon everyone, time to start getting ready.

Dream67Olds442

Kenneth - That's an interesting tidbit of info!

Jamesbo

Safe travels Mike, Ya may get wet

I'm heading norte tomorrow to deliver my gutters

Dream67Olds442

Mike - Safe travels to Florida, hope you have a nice visit!

Dream67Olds442

James - Safe travels to you too! From your posts yesterday, sounds like you were able to get the remaining exterior parts to finish it up? Good luck, it's going to be really sharp when it's done!

slantflat

Thanks guys. It's usually an uneventful trip. I've got a lot to do outside I hope it doesn't rain.

Jamesbo do you know anything about that Randy guy who lived in Cumming before he moved to Wisconsin? He had prostate cancer real bad. Wonder if he beat it.

So everything was good at the doctor today. The vampire only took a little blood instead of her usual quart. My old doctor would say, okay time for the bad part, and I'd say, eh, it's the most action I've had in a long time. He'd laugh, I suppose he'd heard it all. This doctor, he says this is the part you'll hate. I say, eh, beats the alternative.

Greg the prices seemed cheep enough at that yard yesterday, but the place was a shambles. I guess I'm used to the tidy place I've been going to for years. Now, there's another place not far from me that's the old fashioned yard, the cars are sitting every which way, trees growing up through the bumpers, no paint left on any of them it's all been weathered off. That guy has cars that have been there 40 years. I don't make it out there very often, I need to go.

Okay got most of my stuff together so I'll finish up and hit the road. I'll see you's all later.

Jamesbo

Mike, I'm sorry I don't remember him

Greg Rogers

Chris, yeah I am sorta looking for a newer snowmobile. The 98Polaris in the pic is still a good one but the newer ones are light years ahead as far as comfort and technology.. It has almost 6000 miles on it now and I still feel it has lots more but it's sorta like the difference in a 98 pickup and a new one... The Polaris still has a carb- 2 actually... But yes it is way ahead of the 70's sleds you are talking about. Ok I am actually going to force myself to go over to the barn and start working on the F100 today. I need to get restarted on it and there will be no snowmobile riding until we get more snow, but we all know it's hard to get motivated after something has set on the back burner for a while. I'm sure once I get started I will get the motivation back.

Dream67Olds442

Greg - Thanks for the rsvp. Good luck in your search finding a newer sled, and getting the motivation to get going on the F100 again!

Dream67Olds442

Good morning guys,
Cooler today, 37 right now at 0800, overcast with high of 45 projected, and rain throughout the day. Tomorrow through next Wednesday looks really nice though with sunshine and highs in the mid to upper-50's each day.

No big plans for today. The stored vehicles are due to be started again on their regular tri-weekly winter schedule, but that will have to wait until tomorrow at least. With the nice stretch of weather coming up, I may try to get a jump on planned spring start-up maintenance. I've got a laundry list to do: Oil and filter changes on 442 and both bikes; new battery in the Yamaha; front end lube, new inline fuel filter installation, and new air cleaner on the 442. All vehicles will get a thorough after winter cleaning and waxing, but that won't be for at least a month yet because they will still be sitting until at least the beginning of April. Like Greg, guess I'll see if I can get motivated enough to get jump started on it. If I do, the bike maintenance will probably be done first because I'll want to get those out first.

Hope everyone has a great day!

slantflat

Hi everyone.

Absolutely beautiful here today. High 70s, sunny, nice breeze. Word has it rain and 50 at my house. Aw, I'm not there.

Nice trip yesterday. I haven't made that trip in the dark in a long time. Seemed to go better. I tell you what, my truck is a bare bones big block 4 wheel drive, but it sure is smooth on the interstate. And I'll bet I bested 10mpg this time. I'll have to check.

Got a few chores done after breakfast and I just got back from Lowes. I bought the cheezy metal 10x8 storage shed. I figure it's a good start, and when it starts to fall apart I'll fix it with custom touches. Or I'm just cheep, who knows. Gonna start on that in a little bit.

Greg good luck with the truck. How about some pictures of the progress. I usually choose one subject to overthink while I drive, since I don't play the radio when Tiger is in the car, and last night it was my Chevy. I will never, ever, work on it again I'm sure so what I'm going to do is take it somewhere and let them get it going. Lazy way out I know, but this way it will get done. Then down the street to my neighbor for a driver paint job and I'll be in business.

Went to Whataburger for lunch. Never been there. There's a couple guys at work who rave about it, and there aren't any in Georgia, so I said I'd go to one and report back. Gotta say it was pretty good. There's probably half a dozen in Pensacola. Maybe since I'm gonna be here awhile I can drag Mom out to Jamesbo's place uptown.

Okay break is over. Wish me luck on this thing, it doesn't look nice. Have a good afternoon everyone.