I have a Hunter 466 and my starter battery went out. After investigation I found that the previous owner put in a 34DC-48 deep cell battery which I don't think is correct, am I right or wrong? The engine is a 76HP diesel engine, what size starter battery should I replace it with? Thanks for any help.
Replacement Starter Battery
- Thread starter Sailaway466
- Start date
Who manufactured the engine? What does their technical support recommend? What does Hunter technical support recommend? As an example, I have attached a copy of a Yanmar manual that shows in the engine specs that a 12V-120A starter battery is recommended.
I had the same problem when I bought this boat. The previous owner had a deep cycle which was not producing enough cranking amp to start. Took me a while to figure out the problem until I put a tester under load. Check with battery shop and got a god cranking amp battery and solve the problem.
Hope this help.
Hope this help.
Most diesels will start off of surprisingly small batteries. There is a lot more that goes into whether the battery was right or wrong. On my Universal M25 I use a 500CCA Interstate branded start battery (it is only used to start the engine, and can be placed into house service in an emergency.) I charge the house bank directly and use an ACR to charge the start battery.
Engine Starting Loads - Amp Draw Data (by Maine Sail)
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=102027
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=102027
For a dedicated starting battery it is best to use a starting battery. The fact is that starting batteries are designed to produce large amounts of power for short burst with minimum wear. On the other side of the coin they cannot handle repeated deep cycle discharges. Now the smaller engines are easily started by a deep cycle battery with minimum wear and they also offer the convenience of being able to be incorporated into the house bank should the need arise. Now as the engines get larger the need for a starter battery becomes more evident. A deep cycle might be the wrong choice to use for starting your 76HP diesel but might be the right choice for the sailor with a 2 cylinder 18HP auxiliary. Check out the design considerations for the two types of batteries and you will see why one may be better than the other depending on the application.
Start batteries and house batteries are nominally the same chemistry, but.
Start batteries are optimized to provide high currents, and deep cycle batteries are optimized to provide relatively low currents for a long time.
One is power optimized the other is energy optimized. For starting a motor, you will want a start battery. Ah not so important but Cranking amps very important.
As others haves suggested somewhere in you manuals you will likely find a recommended battery.
Start batteries are optimized to provide high currents, and deep cycle batteries are optimized to provide relatively low currents for a long time.
One is power optimized the other is energy optimized. For starting a motor, you will want a start battery. Ah not so important but Cranking amps very important.
As others haves suggested somewhere in you manuals you will likely find a recommended battery.
I will mention this once again....
There is;
NO NEED FOR USING A STARTING BATTERY ON SMALL AUX SAILBOAT DIESELS.
Why?
*These batteries are bottom of the barrel garbage batteries. Cheaply produced with bottom of the barrel components.
*They are 1000% not necessary for this application
*Because they are starting batteries they do very, very poor service when called upon as a reserve or emergency battery where you may need to cycle them
Please do not waste your money on a starting battery or even a dual purpose battery for a sailboat AUX engine....
Any good quality deep cycle battery will start your small diesel without so much as breathing heavy. It will last longer and can be used as an emergency back up battery without damaging it.
But hey don't take my word for it....
"Trojan Battery:
Can I use my deep-cycle battery as a starting battery?
Deep-cycle batteries can be used for engine starting but starting batteries should not be used for deep-cycle applications. A deep-cycle battery may have less cranking amps per pound than a starting battery, but in most cases a deep-cycle battery is still more than adequate for the purpose of starting an engine."
Why waste your hard earned money on a cheap starting battery when you can get ample double duty out of a deep cycle product.....
I have deep cycle batteries starting 300HP + engines and they do so with ease. A group 31 deep cycle like the Trojan SCS225 or US Battery DCXC 31 would be a good starting battery for a 76HP Yanmar. Heck I used to start my 6 cylinder Cummins, in February, with a pair of golf cart batteries.
You can always buy a dual purpose or starting battery but you are really buying a fairly low level battery.
There is;
NO NEED FOR USING A STARTING BATTERY ON SMALL AUX SAILBOAT DIESELS.
Why?
*These batteries are bottom of the barrel garbage batteries. Cheaply produced with bottom of the barrel components.
*They are 1000% not necessary for this application
*Because they are starting batteries they do very, very poor service when called upon as a reserve or emergency battery where you may need to cycle them
Please do not waste your money on a starting battery or even a dual purpose battery for a sailboat AUX engine....
Any good quality deep cycle battery will start your small diesel without so much as breathing heavy. It will last longer and can be used as an emergency back up battery without damaging it.
But hey don't take my word for it....
"Trojan Battery:
Can I use my deep-cycle battery as a starting battery?
Deep-cycle batteries can be used for engine starting but starting batteries should not be used for deep-cycle applications. A deep-cycle battery may have less cranking amps per pound than a starting battery, but in most cases a deep-cycle battery is still more than adequate for the purpose of starting an engine."
Why waste your hard earned money on a cheap starting battery when you can get ample double duty out of a deep cycle product.....
I have deep cycle batteries starting 300HP + engines and they do so with ease. A group 31 deep cycle like the Trojan SCS225 or US Battery DCXC 31 would be a good starting battery for a 76HP Yanmar. Heck I used to start my 6 cylinder Cummins, in February, with a pair of golf cart batteries.
You can always buy a dual purpose or starting battery but you are really buying a fairly low level battery.
"Diesel" not being the key word. It the size of the engine that it takes to make that 76 hp the OP has.
careful mixing battery technology
My charger doesn't allow mixing different technology. In fact I have one switch to select AGM, Gel, or wet cells. Because our house bank is AGM I replaced the engine battery with AGM. It was more than I wanted to pay ($220.) Other choices would have been to replace the battery and charger$$$ or all 3 batteries $$$$
Ken
My charger doesn't allow mixing different technology. In fact I have one switch to select AGM, Gel, or wet cells. Because our house bank is AGM I replaced the engine battery with AGM. It was more than I wanted to pay ($220.) Other choices would have been to replace the battery and charger$$$ or all 3 batteries $$$$
Ken
There is a relationship between size of engine, cylinder compression and viscosity of lubricant that determines the power required to crank and start these engines. We have engines that start at the first crank and others that require multiple efforts. A starting battery will provide more power and recover faster than a deep cycle to maintain cranking speed through repeated cycles. Sorry there is no black and white (always this, never that), I personally prefer using deep cycles for my boat but can readily understand how some with the bigger engines and residing in colder climates might do better with starting batteries.
The above small battery observation has been my experience. About five years ago, after finally replacing the small decade old small U1 case 12v auxiliary battery from my 2000 Prius "land yacht" with a new one, I decided to experimentally wire the removed one to my 2QM20 boat starter motor. No problem cranking the engine enough to actually start it!
Subsequently I have installed on my boat a new Duracell 300 CCA U1 Lawn and Garden Battery. I maintain its ready state with a 3w solar panel. It is wired it directly to the starter motor. But through a high current rated switch which, except for an occasional readiness test, is always in the off position.
If someday I find that I have messed up and made dead my two group 27 deep cycles, I will disconnect them from the 12v circuit with the 1/2/both/off switch. Then switch on the "wimpy" U1 Duracell directly to the start motor. And I feel reasonably confident that the Yanmar will crank over. Then after I know the Yanmar is likely to continue to run, then re-engage the "dead" group 27 batteries into the 12v circuit so that the alternator will eventually give them enough juice to be again useful.
Sailaway, I will check my boat and get back to you. I have owned mine for almost 12 years and am on my second start battery. I think it is a Gp 27 or 31 but I will check the size and CCA. Even on the coldest days here in Washington State the 76hp Yanmar fires almost instantly. The dedicated start battery in its own well, charged by the built in solar panel, and separated from the house bank has served me very well. I check the water levels each month and make sure the connections are always clean and covered with battery terminal protector.
PS I got married in Titusville and my brother in law lives there to this day.
PS I got married in Titusville and my brother in law lives there to this day.
Sailaway, my start battery is an Ever Start . Part number 24MS-6. Marine cranking amps at 32F 625. Cold cranking amps at 0F 500. Again, I took delivery of the boat in November 2003 and this is the second battery start battery installed. The engine starts first time every time.