C3 battery question.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 331
Likes: 1
C3 battery question.
I have a 70 LT-1 car that is a bit hard to start after its warm / been running awhile. It starts but it really seems to drag a bit. When its cold it fires right up. I like where the timing is set so I dont really want to retard it if i dont have to. I have an interstate battery with 450 cca. Was thinking about getting a battery with more power.
What are you guys using? A group number would help. Thanks
What are you guys using? A group number would help. Thanks
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,714
Likes: 42
From: Austin Texas
I have headers and no heat shield and had your same issue. I went to Autozone and got a 1000 cranking amp battery. That solved my issue. If the issue is the heat causing resistance then pumping more juice made sense to me.
how old is the battery?
how old is the battery?
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
My starter used to drag on mine also. I wound up just replacing the starter solenoid on mine and it cured my woes. Just another idea to look at.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 331
From: Indy Indiana
a thousand amp battery cures a number of woes...
you can try a newer solenoid, a high torque starter, bigger cables, play with your timing, a heat blanket on your starter.. all of these are incrementals to the plain fact that cars require more amps to start hot than start cold.. and the biggest, baddest battery is the solution.
a 1000 amp battery has always solved my slow cranking when hot problem.
you can try a newer solenoid, a high torque starter, bigger cables, play with your timing, a heat blanket on your starter.. all of these are incrementals to the plain fact that cars require more amps to start hot than start cold.. and the biggest, baddest battery is the solution.
a 1000 amp battery has always solved my slow cranking when hot problem.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
1000 cold cranking amps might be getting a little carried away, but, yeah, 450 cca is a kinda wimpy battery. You should be able to get a 600-800 cca battery without breaking the bank.
Scott
Scott
Racer
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 330
Likes: 44
From: Cincinnati Ohio
Check all your battery cables including the ground between the frame and block. New cables solved similar problems on my cars. Heat soak is a common Chevy problem but poor conductor cables make it worse.
Unk
Unk
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,200
Likes: 3
From: Lehigh county Pennsylvania
I'm fortunate to live within driving distance of the Deka battery plant in Lyon Station, PA. They have a retail sales store on site that sells 'seconds.' They are fresh, new off the assembly line but have cosmetic flaws in the plastic case, although I have never seen any gross eyesores.
Upon recommendation from their longtime sales staff, I purchased a 'second' #9A78DT Absorbed Glass Mat, 785 CCA, group 34/78 for half price. Lots of starting power for my mouse motor but by its design, the AGM battery does not out-gas while charging...which is all the time for me as I have an electric fuel pump and radiator fan.
My second design '69 came with a side terminal battery. This Deka AGM has both side and top terminals. Not needed but since this car sits in winter storage for ~5 months out of the year, those top terminals make an easy connection for the VDC Electronics maintenance trickle charger #12248.
Upon recommendation from their longtime sales staff, I purchased a 'second' #9A78DT Absorbed Glass Mat, 785 CCA, group 34/78 for half price. Lots of starting power for my mouse motor but by its design, the AGM battery does not out-gas while charging...which is all the time for me as I have an electric fuel pump and radiator fan.
My second design '69 came with a side terminal battery. This Deka AGM has both side and top terminals. Not needed but since this car sits in winter storage for ~5 months out of the year, those top terminals make an easy connection for the VDC Electronics maintenance trickle charger #12248.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
a 450 CA battery is a wimp out....wherever and whoever sold it to you at any time period did not do you a favor......You definitely need a higher CA battery but not necessarily a 1000.....those that still use the old back alley mechanic phrase of 'heat soak and the need of a new starter have it all wrong and will only cost you more money and time....as long as it starts under most conditions it works, so lay off any thing starter related and perform the other suggested procedures first
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,362
Likes: 5
From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
your symptoms are classic " bad starter" - two things to remember: if a car has a hot cranking problem, the starter is the first thing to look at... and if the car has a cold cranking problem, the first thing to look at is the battery.
