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Kenny_McCormic
Kenny_McCormic UltraDork
1/27/14 3:16 p.m.
FSP_ZX2 wrote: Walmart lawn mower battery under $30 and about 10 pounds (verified by weighing myself with and without the battery in the Walmart bathroom scale section which is around the corner from automotive)...as I recall about 230CCAs; use one in the ZX2.

These do work quite well if you buy the highest CCA one they have. However I have my doubts on it working well on anything with over 2 liters, 10:1 compression, or extreme cold.

Bobzilla
Bobzilla PowerDork
1/27/14 3:45 p.m.

Damn me and my need for torques! lol

mazdeuce
mazdeuce UltraDork
1/27/14 3:59 p.m.

Anyone know what the cranking equivalent for a rotary is? Is it like a four cylinder? A six? I'd like to get a teeny battery for the RX7 but I have no idea how hard the starter is working.

FSP_ZX2
FSP_ZX2 Dork
1/27/14 4:05 p.m.
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
FSP_ZX2 wrote: Walmart lawn mower battery under $30 and about 10 pounds (verified by weighing myself with and without the battery in the Walmart bathroom scale section which is around the corner from automotive)...as I recall about 230CCAs; use one in the ZX2.
These do work quite well if you buy the highest CCA one they have. However I have my doubts on it working well on anything with over 2 liters, 10:1 compression, or extreme cold.

Put the fist one in in 2008, changed it in 2012 (after winter). Car was driven to events until 2013. Car is a 10.1-ish 2.0.

Bob...you can always use a "real" battery in winter when you're not racing...and on good tires on the street (your winter setup isn't going to care). I think this would work fine in the summer...its a $30 mistake if it doesn't.

Curmudgeon
Curmudgeon MegaDork
1/27/14 4:22 p.m.
mazdeuce wrote: Anyone know what the cranking equivalent for a rotary is? Is it like a four cylinder? A six? I'd like to get a teeny battery for the RX7 but I have no idea how hard the starter is working.

I use a $29 Wally World U1R battery in the Jensenator with the stock 80 amp? I think that's what it is? alternator. Works fine. But I'm not running a/c, lights etc either.

mazdeuce
mazdeuce UltraDork
1/27/14 4:37 p.m.

In reply to Curmudgeon:

Thanks, that's what I needed to know.

carbon
carbon HalfDork
1/27/14 6:05 p.m.

my shorai has been great, really light and tough. Economical, not so much.

http://shoraipower.com/lfx36l3-bs12-p130

Bobzilla
Bobzilla PowerDork
1/28/14 7:29 a.m.
FSP_ZX2 wrote:
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
FSP_ZX2 wrote: Walmart lawn mower battery under $30 and about 10 pounds (verified by weighing myself with and without the battery in the Walmart bathroom scale section which is around the corner from automotive)...as I recall about 230CCAs; use one in the ZX2.
These do work quite well if you buy the highest CCA one they have. However I have my doubts on it working well on anything with over 2 liters, 10:1 compression, or extreme cold.
Put the fist one in in 2008, changed it in 2012 (after winter). Car was driven to events until 2013. Car is a 10.1-ish 2.0. Bob...you can always use a "real" battery in winter when you're not racing...and on good tires on the street (your winter setup isn't going to care). I think this would work fine in the summer...its a $30 mistake if it doesn't.

Oh, I'm not running a small battery in winter. Hell no. It was -11 this morning, the high will be 3 and the car is sitting outside in this for ~11 hours without starting.

Leafy
Leafy Reader
1/28/14 7:34 a.m.
Bobzilla wrote:
FSP_ZX2 wrote:
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
FSP_ZX2 wrote: Walmart lawn mower battery under $30 and about 10 pounds (verified by weighing myself with and without the battery in the Walmart bathroom scale section which is around the corner from automotive)...as I recall about 230CCAs; use one in the ZX2.
These do work quite well if you buy the highest CCA one they have. However I have my doubts on it working well on anything with over 2 liters, 10:1 compression, or extreme cold.
Put the fist one in in 2008, changed it in 2012 (after winter). Car was driven to events until 2013. Car is a 10.1-ish 2.0. Bob...you can always use a "real" battery in winter when you're not racing...and on good tires on the street (your winter setup isn't going to care). I think this would work fine in the summer...its a $30 mistake if it doesn't.
Oh, I'm not running a small battery in winter. Hell no. It was -11 this morning, the high will be 3 and the car is sitting outside in this for ~11 hours without starting.

I dont see the problem. It might take a few cranks but the Li batteries output more amps as they get hotter and they get hotter by trying to crank over.

ProDarwin
ProDarwin UltraDork
1/28/14 9:17 a.m.

Leafy - how well does the 12-cell work if the car is only driven occasionally? Do you have to put a float charge on yours?

Leafy
Leafy Reader
1/28/14 9:23 a.m.

I dont have a 12cell yet. On a car without a phantom draw other people with experience with them are going weeks at a time without driving the car. And other's are daily driving with success. There's one car I've seen not consistently start with one but that car wouldnt consistently start with a full size miata battery either because there's some weird wiring or ecu issue where it just sometimes wont start unless the jump pack is on it.

belteshazzar
belteshazzar UberDork
1/28/14 9:47 a.m.

In the summer I daily drive my miata on a 16 cell EVO. In the winter I drive it once a month or so. Never needs a jump.

fwiw i've got some aftermarket stereo goin' on in there too.

TIGMOTORSPORTS
TIGMOTORSPORTS Reader
1/30/14 6:35 p.m.

I was looking at one of these: https://performancedistributors.com/product/dyna-batt/

Leafy
Leafy Reader
1/30/14 6:37 p.m.
TIGMOTORSPORTS wrote: I was looking at one of these: https://performancedistributors.com/product/dyna-batt/

That looks like the $30 wally world motorcycle battery with a fancy sticker on it. Its not even all that light.

Swank Force One
Swank Force One MegaDork
1/30/14 6:48 p.m.

I have the Dynabat in the Escort. No complaints, but there's better options in that price range.

Ranger50
Ranger50 PowerDork
1/30/14 6:52 p.m.
TIGMOTORSPORTS wrote: I was looking at one of these: https://performancedistributors.com/product/dyna-batt/

Rebadged wheelchair battery at twice the price.

bruceman
bruceman Reader
1/31/14 11:04 a.m.

I have been using a small lawn mower battery in my Rx7 that is being daily driven this winter. Have not had to jump start it yet even in bitter cold Michigan mornings. For just $40 it has to be the cheapest light weight battery out there. The battery has been used for at least 2 years prior for autocross.

Bobzilla
Bobzilla PowerDork
3/18/14 9:09 a.m.

Necrothread revival..... found this: http://www.amazon.com/Kinetik-HC600-Watt-Power-Battery/dp/B000LUBQ4I/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Good or bad?

Leafy
Leafy Reader
3/18/14 9:15 a.m.

I ended up ordering the evo 16cell, and some aluminum terminals for it cause the brass ones are berkeleying heavy. Did any of you see the video where they start an integra a ton of times with an RC car battery thats super tiny?

bigev007
bigev007 New Reader
3/18/14 9:20 a.m.

In reply to Bobzilla: Not sure about that last one you posted, but I have the Civic Hybrid battery (in my '09 civic hybrid) and it can both start the car at -15C (it has done so when the "big battery" failed) and survive a double feature at the drive-in in the summer(the inverter doesn't work with the ignition off). I'm debating trying it in my 328 for events this year. Just have to get the radio code first.

Bobzilla
Bobzilla PowerDork
3/18/14 9:34 a.m.

We have it here at work, still weighs 28lbs. on the scale here that I used to weigh my 48lb stock battery.

Leafy
Leafy Reader
3/18/14 9:35 a.m.
Bobzilla wrote: We have it here at work, still weighs 28lbs. on the scale here that I used to weigh my 48lb stock battery.

Isnt that heavier than the $30 wally world special?

Bobzilla
Bobzilla PowerDork
3/18/14 10:14 a.m.

Pretty close to the same.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker MegaDork
3/18/14 10:24 a.m.
jstein77 wrote: Braille 15 lb This is what I've had in my car for the past year.

I have the 11lb in my race car. IIRC it was $130 from Tirerack.

Depending on how stripped down your car is and how much compression your motor makes... I've seen guys using lawn tractor and motorcycle batteries. I tried it - but anything longer than 20 minutes and I had to go on the charger between runs. Apparently injectors and fuel pumps take a lot of juice.

FSP_ZX2
FSP_ZX2 Dork
3/18/14 10:28 a.m.

We've run back-to-back 25 minute sessions at Road America and tons of autocrosses, with 2 drivers on the WM Lawn battery. No issues...have put two in the car since 2008. It's not 'daily driven', but up until last year it was driven to and from events. Now its a pretty much of a trailer queen (mainly due to the FSP upgrades from previous ST setup).

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