Small race battery

Im just chewing over whether Id regret ditching my full size battery for a race spec item, but with a twist!

Ive noticed that Rally Design have started doing their own version (50) of such which appears to be just a regular sealed lead acid mower type battery. I had a play today with the battery from my ride on mower today and it fired up the Mk1 just fine that was a 12v 17Ah. I know that itll not last long on a cold morning, but am I damaging it by subjecting it to such a load? I felt the batt after I cranked it; I presume it would have been warm if it were under too much load?

I can get a similar battery for about 30 quid locally am I cheaping out big time or is this a feasible option?

Ive heard that the Red Top and Odyssey type batteries are a bit crud at the best of times. This is for a track car and it works in nicely if I can put the batt behind the seat. I wouldnt be adverse to taking along a spare full size batt for bumping from if need be, god knows I take enough crap along with me anyway!

Cheers in advance!

 

Steve r's just put a small battery in his - spent a while researching and all seems well.

PM pointer sent.

 

I've got an odyssey PC680 in the track car, behind the front seat, and it's absolutely fine. I had a duff king lead (Magnecor) that stopped the car from starting, but it turned it over for a good 5 minutes before it ran out of puff - on a pretty high compression engine. I also know a few guys running 911 engines on a PC680, where the engine is a long way from the battery - no issues as long as you used decent cable.


I have it on a cut off switch so it doesn't get drained by stereos / alarms / etc.

 

I have had an Odyssey PC625 in my ibiza for 6 yrs now and until very recently it has been fine - but now I think it is dying. Pretty pleased with it though as its done ok and only weighs 6kg.

Lots of folks racing use Racing 30's - a bit bigger than the PC625 - thinking of trying one of these next

 

Is that the RMD25?

not much info on the site to see the specs.

You'll only damage (shorten the life) the battery by constantly draining it and charging it back up.


I have a warehouse of batteries, wondering if any of them are suitable for such an application..

 

That's the one! From looking around the specs that you can see are pretty much the same as what's one other sealed lead acids like those on eBay etc. The one on my mower lies on it's side and has the seat banging up and down on it so they're pretty durable. I know there's more to batteries that just the Amp hours. It's the cold crankers that'll kill it. The mower gets a charge in spring and last most of the year, I take my little lad around the garden on it every other day - or so it seems...

I might just buy the posh Odyssey one if you guys reckon they're good! I just rememebr someone saying they weren't much crack but that was many moons ago and it was probably a 'show' car!

I've just had a quick Google and it looks like my mower batt is good for about 300CCA's, compare that to the 600 odd from the 'posh' ones and I guess I could a minute or two of cranking (if it works like that )

Hmm, 30 quid vs 90 quid...

 

Stuff that won't work well with the odyssey batteries is leaving them on slow trickle drain. Shut them off when not in use and they stay charged for months. I imagine that holds true for the cheaper alternatives too.

The Odyssey batteries are an AGM (Absorbed glass mat) battery, which *I think* means they don't leak, even if the casing is broken - I'm happy to be educated here if I've got this wrong. It also means you need a smart charger for them.

I bought a C-TEK job for about 40, which is very small and portable too. I believe that standard chargers, and the standard classic car battery conditioners, are no good for AGM batteries.

The RMD 25 looks worth a go though.

 

need to look at ours and see what the CC is on them.
80 for the odessy with all its fancyness

or free and it being a lead battery that really should be vented to atmosphere.

 

I'll leave the window open

 

Odessey PC625 in my track car.



I've had this fitted for well over a year with no problems. The car sat in the garage for at least 6 months over the winter doing nothing and it started first time with no issues. I've never had to charge the battery or jump start the car. I do have a FIA spec battery cutout switch fitted so the battery is fully isolated when not in use.

 

Cheers Steve. I might not have such luck with mine as I've always had a bad earth (immob I think)(bloody thing), which drains my batt, I did used to run a discarnect when the batt lived under the bonnet. I guess the FIA switch might be a logical step as I'm thinking about a proper extinguisher too.

I'm not so keen on having to have a special charger for it if I should run into flat batt issues though, more $$$ I know I should "do it once, do it properly", but I'm a tight ar$e too!

 

i've been using the rally design battery daily since may with no problems. Mounted it in one of their alloy boxes behind the passenger seat.

 

Thanks George. I take it that it's 'just' a lead acid type battery and can be charged with a conventional charger?

 

yeah far as i know. i dont live far from rally design and popped in and they said just to treat it like a normal battery. i left my lights on month or so back and jumped it off a bmw mini, thats all i've had to do so far.

 

Brill thanks!

 

if the rally design is good, let me see what the ones at work are like cost wise.

 

Is that for my benefit Jon? If so cool! 12v 20Ah

 

yes

I want to find out what the CCA are to.

 

Motorbike batteries are a good cheap alternative. Something like the YTX20 is used in bikes that are harder on the starter than a car engine (high cc/cylinder) and are available for 40ish. I wouldn't be surprised if this is what the rally design batteries are.

I have one on my mk1 ABF in the boot, used as a track car/occasional daily with no problems.

 

sorry for digging up an old thread, but, I think its better than opening a new one.

I was thinking that the goal in putting a smaller battery is for lightness, relocating it to the rear is just wrong, as you shift weight around (good) but as said, good cabling is needed, and good cabling taking the power to the rear weights as much as one of these small batteries (bad).

wouldn't it be better to put one of these small batteries as close as possible to the starter to minimise cabling?

I am still deciding where to put mine, the constraints are:
-low as possible (to improve CG)
-as close as possible to the starter (to minimise cabling, therefore weight)
-as close as possible to the rear (to improve the weight distribution)

looking at all the possible places where I could fit it there are two places that pop up:
-at the passenger feet
-under the master cylinder (LHD car)

what do you guys think?