Wilsons Sandbox

Hi folks, I'm hoping to get my new sealed battery this evening, and I want to know if you need to go through the same charging ritual with them that you do with the add-water types before you initially install them. Also, does anyone here use air impact drivers to loosen frozen screws, or is that way overkill? Suggestions? (It's the screw on the battery cover.) It is possible to get the batter out without removing the screw, but I don't recommend it. Ralph -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph E. Hanson, Ph.D Room 308 Martin Hall Associate Professor West Virginia University P.I. Reed School of Journalism Morgantown, WV 26506-6010 rhanson@... (304) 293-3505, ext. 5412 http://www.wvu.edu/~journal2 --------------------------------------------------------------------

Ralph, Definitely give your new battery an initial "break in" charge BEFORE using it in your bike. This applies to conventional & maintenance free batteries. Depending on the type of charger you have, 6 - 10 hours (minimum) is best for this setup charge. Be sure to charge your battery at 1.5 amps or less. Go to http://www.yuasabatteries.com/ms_chrgnew.htm & explore the information available there by checking out other links (FAQs, tech info, etc). They even detail a procedure of charge, rest, charge, rest ... that guarantees that you'll give your new or used battery the maximum possible charge. Using this method, my new battery had final reading of 12.82 volts the next day. Yuasa has a superb (free) "Batttery Handbook & Technical Guide" that I found in their "Dealer" section. It's also available by contacting them at yuasausa@... or 1-800-538-3627. The hold down screw gets badly corroded from the battery fumes that are given off in normal battery operation. To prevent this, coat the screw's threads & flat underside with never-seize before installing the screw. Often times, you can free up a frozen bolt by giving the head a light to moderate rap with a hammer. Professor A9 Federal Way, WA. [USA] --- "Ralph E. Hanson" wrote:

> > I'm hoping to get my new sealed battery this evening, and I > want to know if you need to go through the same charging > ritual with them that you do with the add-water types before > you initially install them. > > Also, does anyone here use air impact drivers to loosen frozen > screws, or is that way overkill? Suggestions? (It's the screw > on the battery cover.) > It is possible to get the batter out without removing the screw, > but I don't recommend it.

Hey, Professor. Thanks! Really appreciate the link. I ended up buying a regular ol' Sears battery, but I am waiting with putting it in till I get a Battery Tender over at the local Honda shop.

>The hold down screw gets badly corroded from the battery fumes >that are given off in normal battery operation. To prevent this, >coat the screw's threads & flat underside with never-seize before >installing the screw. Often times, you can free up a frozen bolt >by giving the head a light to moderate rap with a hammer. >

This is good advice. I ended up getting an impact driver over at the auto parts store. That solved my problem quickly and easily. I have a feeling it will be a useful addition. But I had been so hoping for another air tool. Sigh. Sometimes lowtech is best. Ralph Ralph E. Hanson 99 KRL 650 http://www.wvu.edu/~journal2

Ralph, If you're buying the DieHard m/c battery ($35 + tax), it's made by Yuasa for Sears. This is what I recently bought. The DieHard warranty is longer than the standard Yuasa warranty. A nice touch, there was about 1/4" of acid left over after I filled my battery, let it set for an hour & then topped off the acid level before charging my battery. Several listers have said that their mail order batteries did not come with quite enough acid. A bonus tip: Attach a penny near each battery terminal. The penny will help prevent corrosion on the battery terminals. Smearing Vaseline on the each terminal also prevents corrosion. Professor ++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Ralph E. Hanson" wrote:

> Hey, Professor. > > Thanks! Really appreciate the link. I ended up buying a regular ol' Sears > battery, but I am waiting with putting it in till I get a Battery Tender > over at the local Honda shop.

Jim Hyman wrote: [...]

> The hold down screw gets badly corroded from the battery fumes > that are given off in normal battery operation.

[...] Are these the same fumes that are supposed to be vented out the battery vent hose? Maybe relocating the end of the vent hose is a simpler solution. Mister_T