Poor Mans Battery Fix

[dkaiser]

Hi Guys,

 

I bought this '87 Royale to fix up lass may an d only got about half done before winter came. I want it for this season so I am tackling the body again. but...

 

I went to take the battery out to get a new one. Last year I always had to put a charger on it to play with the carbs and such. Well, when I took it out, it was completely dry. So me thinks, maybe if I put acid in it may work, at least well enough to work on it, and if not I'll get a new one.

 

So, I had an old car battery sitting here to take back to the store whenever I get a new battery. I drilled small holes in the bottom of each cell, one at a time and put the acid in a peanut butter jar and filled up each cell on the bike battery.

 

I now have it on a 2 amp charger, to see what will happen.

 

What do ya think, did I waste my time or could I save it? I have no idea how old it is , since it came with the bike. It says Powerline Y50-N8L-A on it

 

D

[IH Truck Guy]

A battery guy once told me once they go dry,they will never be the same.Having said that,I have added acid to a old dry,battery and nursed 2 years out of it...

[captnmidnight]

Ya may want to talk to pyro about that one!(LOL)

Or Beer30, he knows all about toxic brews! You can't be that crazy and not know anything about toxic brews.(LOL):080402gudl_prv:Let us know how it turned out.

[dynodon]

Strange things can happen to batteries. I bought a dry reproduction tar-top battery for a 57 Chevy that I had in the 80's. Never took it out of the box. Stored on a shelf in my garage that I keep above freezing in the winter and dont' let get super hot in summer. then in 2006 I bought another 57 and it needed a battery. I contacted the company that I bought the battery from to see if there was any chance it was still good. Owner said no way.

 

Well, I am going into my 2nd year of using that battery. Took it to the local Interstate Battery distributor who filled it with fresh battery acid, and slow charged it for a day. Working like a charm. I figured I paid $125 for it way back then, (near $200 today for the same thing) and even if I only got one summer out of it I was at least getting something for it.

 

Keep that battery on a maintainer like the Battery Tender Jr. (here is the best place I have found to buy these from, great price/service):

 

http://www.accwhse.com/batteryt.htm

[dkaiser]

Well, it didn't work. Went and got a battery at Wally world $42.

 

D