Shameless, the tired old F350 powerstroke gets a revival
- Thread starter kfgk14
- Start date
East Penn huh? Thanks for the tip.
I don't know if we have Carquest around here, will have to look and see if maybe someone else has East Penn around here.
Crap: Search turned up the nearest source of East Penn batteries is...oh wait, found a Carquest like an hour or more away...
Anyone have a trusted brand that's easily sourced through Napa/VIP Auto or such? I really don't wanna spend three hours and a ton of gas just for batteries.
I don't know if we have Carquest around here, will have to look and see if maybe someone else has East Penn around here.
Crap: Search turned up the nearest source of East Penn batteries is...oh wait, found a Carquest like an hour or more away...
Anyone have a trusted brand that's easily sourced through Napa/VIP Auto or such? I really don't wanna spend three hours and a ton of gas just for batteries.
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IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
You dont know powerstrokes.
The glow plugs alone will draw upwards of 18-20 amps each. There are eight of them.
Starter can draw up to 630amps during cold start.
Add that up with a minimum voltage and minimum RPM for the EEC to fire the injectors.....
There is a reason the truck comes from the factory with TWO 900+CCA batteries. And suggusting to skimp on batteries on these trucks is bad, bad advice.
redthies
Renaissance Redneck
Replacing all the glow plugs is as you surmised, a good idea. I bought Bosch for my 97 7.3 and they work great. They cost me $9.00 each. Not really a big cost to have a reliably starting truck. With any bad or weak glow plugs, it will be very difficult to start your truck. I had to keep mine plugged in even in only "cool" weather. In the dead of winter, I would still keep your truck plugged in if you can. It will make your life much easier.
Kaisen
Explorer
I *do* know Powerstrokes, I've owned a couple of them
One 900+ CCA battery is not terribly different than another
Please note that I specified "that meet the spec".....re-read my post
Buying a fancy brand, more expensive brand, or from a more expensive retailer will not always ensure you bought a better battery in any significant way
IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
And who said anything about a " fancy brand, more expensive brand"?
You clearly stated to buy the CHEAPEST that meet the spec.
My suggestion is simple. Instead of simply buying the CHEAPEST battery you can find, buy one that has a great rep from a retailer that will honor included warranties, regardless of cost.
Life, durability, and a retailer that stands behind their product is money in the bank.
Carquest does. And they carry East Penn. As far as I know, Napa's high end battery line is made by East Penn as well.
Buying the CHEAPEST battery you can find will cost you.
You clearly stated to buy the CHEAPEST that meet the spec.
My suggestion is simple. Instead of simply buying the CHEAPEST battery you can find, buy one that has a great rep from a retailer that will honor included warranties, regardless of cost.
Life, durability, and a retailer that stands behind their product is money in the bank.
Carquest does. And they carry East Penn. As far as I know, Napa's high end battery line is made by East Penn as well.
Buying the CHEAPEST battery you can find will cost you.
IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
Thats easy. Plate construction, case construction, and plate refinement.
Plate construction is a balance of density and surface area. Denser with less surface area puts you more towards a slow charge/discharge deep cycle. Less dense with more surface area puts you more towards a traditional high discharge starting battery.
Case construction comes into play with any rig that goes off road, for obvious reasons. A dislodged or damaged plate will leave you with a "dead cell"
ALL lead acid batteries use recycled lead now days. Just like good vodka, the higher the refinement process, the better the product.
I look for a no BS design that has been proven. East Penn's truck batteries deliver.
Really? You read that in a magazine somewhere?
Seriously.... a battery is a WEAR ITEM. Not only do they ALL die eventually, but a good retailer like Car Quest will not only warranty a faulty battery within the MFG warranty, they will pro-rate towards a replacement after the battery gives up for a period after the warranty.
That's money in the bank. Your stupid to not use it.
BBslider001
Diesel Head
I guess I can see the point of both, but if it were me (and it isn't) but if it were, I would get the most affordable that meet the specs. For example, Wal-Mart batteries aren't the best, but if they go bad before they should, they replace them with no questions asked. If they are older, they will pro rate them, which is what any decent company will do. I mean, if your budget is $200 and those are $150 for two, that is $50 he can put towards something else the truck might need. We are just going of what the OP told us in that he is a "high school student with a girlfriend" kind of broke. Giving him advice to save some money is not bad at all. And how did this turn into a "I know more about batteries than you" thread anyways? 
Kaisen
Explorer
So how would you suggest shopping for a battery then? Asking the 16 year old parts guy at your local auto parts store (CARQUEST, AutoZone, NAPA, Pep Boys, et al)? Will he be able to answer ANY of those specs about plate construction or lead/acid refinement? No way. He'll tell you about warranties.
Seriously, there is very little difference between one lead acid battery and another....they all meet the specs they list (XXX CCA @ X degrees) and they all have warranties. You don't always get what you pay for. It's kinda like a 10mm open end wrench. I can buy a drop-forged chrome vanadium wrench from Harbor Freight for a buck or two, or pay Craftsman five times more, or pay my Snap On guy twenty times that. They will all do the job. The Snap On guy visits me every week, replaces broken tools without question, and makes it easy. What $$$ value do you assign to that? For me it's zero.
When you're on a high-school kid's budget (the OP), suggesting Snap On tools or "The World's Best Battery" is probably bad advice. He'll need money for other things on the truck.
Seriously, there is very little difference between one lead acid battery and another....they all meet the specs they list (XXX CCA @ X degrees) and they all have warranties. You don't always get what you pay for. It's kinda like a 10mm open end wrench. I can buy a drop-forged chrome vanadium wrench from Harbor Freight for a buck or two, or pay Craftsman five times more, or pay my Snap On guy twenty times that. They will all do the job. The Snap On guy visits me every week, replaces broken tools without question, and makes it easy. What $$$ value do you assign to that? For me it's zero.
When you're on a high-school kid's budget (the OP), suggesting Snap On tools or "The World's Best Battery" is probably bad advice. He'll need money for other things on the truck.
IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
Read my previous posts. As I said, my battery shopping is based this....
Life, durability, and a retailer that stands behind their product.
So find yourself a battery with a great reputation, and find a retailer that will sell it and provide support after the sale.
For me that is Eat Penn and Car Quest. Very simple.
Your analogy doesnt apply. You are suggesting buying an end wrench is like buying a battery. FAR from it. The average life span of a automotive battery is 5-7 years. Tell me, what is the lifespan of an end wrench?
Paying a bit more for a GOOD battery from a GOOD retailer only improves your odds in the form of battery LIFE. And when the chips are down, the only thing you should be worried about with batteries is how long they will last, since they are a WEAR ITEM that have a finite lifespan.
Your are misquoting, again. Nowhere did I mention any worlds best anything, or anything snap on. Those are your words.
And I would argue that buying a better battery is BETTER advice on a limited budget. Being stranded somewhere because you decided to go with the cheapest battery you could find will get more costly, FAST, regardless of warranty.
Update! Got batteries and glow plugs today, spent a total of 280 on batteries and 40 on glow plugs because somebody needed them off their shelf fast always nice when things are cheap. They're AC Delco's, so I'm hoping they'll do the job well.
Should I be replacing the battery clamps with something different/better than stock? I've seen clamps somewhere that had a nice terminal on top for a jumper cable to latch on easily, I don't really think I NEED them but are they a significant enough improvement to be worth the money? For reference, the stock clamps aren't corroded or anything. Maybe wait until I've got bigger-deal things fully sorted?
Thanks again guys. Should be able to drive my big loud rusty yard ornament around tomorrow :coffeedrink::smiley_drive:
always nice when things are cheap. They're AC Delco's, so I'm hoping they'll do the job well.Should I be replacing the battery clamps with something different/better than stock? I've seen clamps somewhere that had a nice terminal on top for a jumper cable to latch on easily, I don't really think I NEED them but are they a significant enough improvement to be worth the money? For reference, the stock clamps aren't corroded or anything. Maybe wait until I've got bigger-deal things fully sorted?
Thanks again guys. Should be able to drive my big loud rusty yard ornament around tomorrow :coffeedrink::smiley_drive:
redthies
Renaissance Redneck
First, you need to post pics. Second, unless your battery clamps are corroded, or cracked, or otherwise looking beat, don't waste your money. If they ARE looking suspect, then they are worth changing. All sorts of weird electrical issues can be traced back to bad grounds or bad connections at the batteries.
Update! Got batteries and glow plugs today, spent a total of 280 on batteries and 40 on glow plugs because somebody needed them off their shelf fast
Should I be replacing the battery clamps with something different/better than stock? I've seen clamps somewhere that had a nice terminal on top for a jumper cable to latch on easily, I don't really think I NEED them but are they a significant enough improvement to be worth the money? For reference, the stock clamps aren't corroded or anything. Maybe wait until I've got bigger-deal things fully sorted?
Thanks again guys. Should be able to drive my big loud rusty yard ornament around tomorrow :coffeedrink::smiley_drive:
I would never use any glow plug but motorcrafts in a powerstroke. Other brands are known to break and seize in the head. Not worth the hassle you will face down the line.
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