need battery advice for 64 small block

[Richard F.]

i've got a 64 small block needing a new battery. currently it has a super start dcm with accessory posts that are used to wire a battery tender. what is advice about installing an optima blue top(it has the accessory posts).i like the setup for keeping the charger hooked up . i'm not concerned with the unoriginal battery, as it is not a car to be judged.
is the optima a reliable battery?
thanks for any assistance.
dick

[Edward D.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

Optima is a good AGM type battery. I'm not sure they are actually worth the extra premium price over other AGM batteries but a lot of people do like them. However, AGM batteries sometimes do not work well with old charging systems. Specifically if you are still using an original points type Voltage Regulator it may overcharge the AGM battery when driving and this will ultimately kill the battery. A newer solid state VR will not cause this problem. Also, older battery maintainer trickle chargers can kill an AGM the same way, make sure you have a newer one with AGM mode. If you have an original old type VR in your car you are better off with an old fashioned lead acid battery. These tend to tolerate overcharging much better.

[Richard F.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

thanks for the info..i think i'll stay with the same setup.

[Richard G.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

If you want to keep it stock looking, one could attach the charging wiring to the starter where the battery cables terminate.
Most of the harness included with the battery maintainers include a fuse in the harness.
If not add a fuse at the connection point so you don't have unprotected wires.

I have a battery disconnect so the terminals have to be connected directly to the battery.
I don't find it difficult. I have to open the hood anyway.
A good tender will add years to a batteries life.
Rick

[Duke W.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

Most common lead acid batteries are made by Johnson Controls. Walmart, Costco, Autozone and many, many others are the same JC battery with different stick-on "brand" labels, and they are listed on the JC Web site.

The most recent one I replaced, a Group 26R, lasted 17 years even though I killed it stone dead twice, and the new JC replacement from Walmart was 50 bucks.

C1 and C2s all use BCI Group 24, so if judging is not a concern, just shop price, peel off the labels, and you have a plain black unobtrusive battery that should last a long time with proper maintenance and care.

I can't say for sure, but I'm nearly convinced that the only difference between a low price battery and one with a longer warranty that looks the same is just the price and label, so I always buy the least expensive one I can find in the size I need, and I can't remember when the last time was I got less than 12 years out of one.

Anecdotal evidence indicates to me that "premium" batteries like Optima don't last any longer than a low price battery, and I hate the way they look, especially on a vintage car. Some swear by Interstate, but then they rarely seem to last more than five years.

BTW, I think Optima is also made by Johnson Controls, but is only sold under the Optima brand, which JC owns.

Duke

[Terry M.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

Currently there are only three battery manufactures in North America: Johnson Controls, Exide, & East Penn. The only one made in the USA is East Penn. If made in the USA matters to you, and IMO it should, Google Deka Batteries for locations.

[John D.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

I also got the low cost big box store battery for my C2 and removed all the label so it just looks like a black box. I got exactly ten years out of the previous discount battery.

Maybe I would have gotten more service if i used a battery tender but I'm not comfortable using it in my storage garage.

[Duke W.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

I'm not sure if battery tenders are the best maintenance practice. I've never used one, but what I do is fully charge the battery at no more than six amps before I drive if the car has been sitting for more than a week, which is usually the case.

Modern "maintenance free" batteries have an internal discharge rate of about one percent per day at room temp, slower if colder, and there is always a small current draw from the alternator and clock, so a battery cutoff switch is a good idea.

Batteries have a sort of "chemical memory", and if they always see a cranking load when significantly discharged, like 20-30 percent, from sitting weeks from the last drive, they will eventually never be able to come up to full charge.

Also typical Johnson Controls "maintenance free" batteries have removable three-gang caps. Water consumption is low, but I always remove the caps every year or two and add distilled water as required.

I'm convinced that my maintenance practices are why I get such long life, 12-17 years from inexpensive batteries since the seventies.

Duke

[Jimmy G.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

Tractor Supply has a good battery and the best price I have found on a 24

[John F.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

Buy a Delco!

[Jimmy G.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

Good advicw from a Corvette point of view Harder to find one today

[Dick W.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

Most common lead acid batteries are made by Johnson Controls. Walmart, Costco, Autozone and many, many others are the same JC battery with different stick-on "brand" labels, and they are listed on the JC Web site.

The most recent one I replaced, a Group 26R, lasted 17 years even though I killed it stone dead twice, and the new JC replacement from Walmart was 50 bucks.

C1 and C2s all use BCI Group 24, so if judging is not a concern, just shop price, peel off the labels, and you have a plain black unobtrusive battery that should last a long time with proper maintenance and care.

I can't say for sure, but I'm nearly convinced that the only difference between a low price battery and one with a longer warranty that looks the same is just the price and label, so I always buy the least expensive one I can find in the size I need, and I can't remember when the last time was I got less than 12 years out of one.

Anecdotal evidence indicates to me that "premium" batteries like Optima don't last any longer than a low price battery, and I hate the way they look, especially on a vintage car. Some swear by Interstate, but then they rarely seem to last more than five years.

BTW, I think Optima is also made by Johnson Controls, but is only sold under the Optima brand, which JC owns.

Duke

Coming from a fleet maintenance background I can tell you there is a major difference between the bargain price batteries and the top quality major manufacturer. To an individual a dead battery it's more of an inconvenience but when you are dealing with perishable products, it could cost you tens of thousands of dollars

[John F.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

They still sell them around here!

[Dick W.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

Buy a Delco!

Believe it is a Johnson Controls battery

[Ronald L.]

Re: need battery advice for 64 small block

Currently there are only three battery manufactures in North America: Johnson Controls, Exide, & East Penn. The only one made in the USA is East Penn. If made in the USA matters to you, and IMO it should, Google Deka Batteries for locations.

Terry - what about the Odyssey Extreme >>>([COLOR=var(--ytd-video-primary-info-renderer-title-color, var(--yt-spec-text-primary))]Douglas Battery Manufacturing Plant in Richmond, KY)?[/COLOR]