I need new battery. What specs?

[Hendog]

I need a new battery for my 87 Carrera. The original part is quite large and is old technology. I imagine I can replace with a smaller, newer technology battery so long as I meet the specs. What I gather from the old one are two different standards rating: DIN and SAE. The SAE appears to tell me 12 Volts (obvious), 150RC (not sure what this means), and 850 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps).

What is the 150RC?

Also, the battery is 13.5 inches long. The battery pan has a secondary hole for the battery clamp, 3 inches in from the first so I can mount a 10.5 inch battery in there. What have others installed in their cars that meets these specs and dimensions?

TIA

[911pcars]

High CCA rating and lightest weight. Unfortunately, the two are mutually exclusive. Choose one or the other or something inbetween depending on your local ambient temperature.

It's imperative the battery is a sealed-type that won't allow battery acid to corrode the surrounding sheet metal. I know, your sheet metal is galvanized, but the battery acid doesn't care.

This link contains more battery info than you'll ever want to know about, but the info is here:

http://nlectc.org/txtfiles/batteryguide/ba-cont.htm

Others will chime in with their favorite brands.

Sherwood

[wowzer911]

Get an Optima (red top)

[Gunter]

Henri:
Quote:
"Also, the battery is 13.5 inches long. The battery pan has a secondary hole for the battery clamp, 3 inches in from the first so I can mount a 10.5 inch battery in there. What have others installed in their cars that meets these specs and dimensions?"

I am facing the same issue. My battery is the heavy, big monster that came from Weissach. It is sealed and looks like a marine battery.
But, Weissach also has the shorter one to fit the second hole you mention.
See if their price is competitive to other places like Edmonds.
Since it has to be sealed, I wonder if some people just get a marine battery to fit into the tray.
Let us know what type, size and price you end up with, please.

[scottb]

FWIW, if you guys are looking for a good battery at a very good price, go to Costco. They have their "Kirkland" house brand, and IIRC I paid about $50. It's old technology, and it's big, but it fit perfectly and the price was right. I only drive the car on weekends for fun, and don't care about the extra weight, so the Costco battery is perfect for my needs.

[jorian]

Henry,

Try MOPAC. They have the Optima Redtop at a fairly good price. Lordco might have the same/similar battery and PCA guys get a discount

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by wowzer911
Get an Optima (red top)

+1 I don't know if our host sells them, but adaptor plates are available to change over. You'll never regret making the switch...

[Hendog]

Originally posted by Gunter

I am facing the same issue. My battery is the heavy, big monster that came from Weissach. It is sealed and looks like a marine battery.
But, Weissach also has the shorter one to fit the second hole you mention.
See if their price is competitive to other places like Edmonds.
Since it has to be sealed, I wonder if some people just get a marine battery to fit into the tray.
Let us know what type, size and price you end up with, please.

Weisach had a flyer come out in Dec with $123. price on what appeared to be the same battery (I didn't look very close). Mine is not sealed but rather has the six plugs for re-filling with solution. Of course I want a sealed battery to avoid the corrosion issues (I read a lot of posts). The Optima is certainly the battery of choice but will it fit dimensionally? And will the battery posts be the correct orientation? I guess I should just go look for myself. I think Lordco carries the Optima and the PCA gets 30% discount.

[Hendog]

Got a few replies before I was done typing. Thanks for the lead Jorian. Scottb, that may be the way to go since I store the car during the winter. I'll go hunting and see what fits the bill.

[Gunter]

My big battery came from Weissach and is sealed; each cell has a plug with an O-ring.
It lasted since 1999 and I am happy with it except for the weight.
I would go with the same, but smaller size.
Optima red is good but you have to make up an adapter plate and the PRICE! wow!

[2002M3Drew]

The Optima Red in the 75/35 size is around $110 on various internet sites...much cheaper than regualr auto parts retail store prices (I saw same battery for $179 in Autozone). They weigh a ton, though. The "minimum weight" they are rated at is 33lbs, though I think they are more like 38 in reality. My Delco I just tossed was 38.

I just bought a Braille 3121...weighs 21 lbs. Plenty of pulse cranking amps (1380+), CCA also very decent at 550 (better than Odyssey 925). Pricing is steep at $199, but this is a well made battery with a pro-rated three year warranty.

Other options are the Odyssey 925 and the Westco (Miata) battery. The Westco is cheap at less than $100. These are all "regular use" batteries...not racing.

The mounting kits that Rennline sells really make the installation look great, and they require no modifications to the Porsche battery compartment. Also not cheap at $125, but you get what you pay for.

[Wil Ferch]

look whay I say here and in embedded links---->

Battery Replacement in a 86 - Advice Please

- Wil

[afterburn 549]

The little 13 lb PC 680 has not let me dwn yet.... even @ 28 deg

[hytem]

I just replaced the battery in my 82SC with a DEKA, their Porsche battery, rated 700 CCA, sealed, fit in well within a 1/2" . Any good 12V battery with CCA of 700 or more that fits in the well will probably do. Most all car batteries are sealed these days.

[Por_sha911]

Originally posted by Hendog

Is the above photo a "sealed" battery? Does it still need a vent tube? Mine was found dead this morning with a bad cell.

[Wil Ferch]

I disagree on "almost all new batteries nowadays are sealed"....

Sure, they may be "sealed" as to the use of caps and such....having instead a row of plastic with three plugs each...so it looks like you won't need to add water as much compared to the individual "cap" cell design before....BUT... it will still vent and can cause nearby electrical connection corrosion and distress.

It is still not "sealed" in the sense of a dry cell or a recombinant-gas gel cell technology ( Optima) which is truly sealed and non-venting.

- Wil

[afterburn 549]

PC 680- mount it any way you want

[hytem]

"sealed" to me means you don't add water.

[Hendog]

Originally posted by Por_sha911
Is the above photo a "sealed" battery? Does it still need a vent tube? Mine was found dead this morning with a bad cell.

No, the battery in the photo is not a sealed type as Wil Ferch points out. The six plugs do have O rings but that is not an inidcator of a "sealed" battery. It did not have a vent tube attached. I will have to look and see if there is provision for a tube. I will likely replace with the same battery from Weissach ($159 CAD).

Wil, if a battery has no provision for a vent tube how do you go about venting the battery? Does a vented battery have vent nipple to which a tube is attached? Do you have a pic?

[Gunter]

Originally posted by Hendog
No, the battery in the photo is not a sealed type as Wil Ferch points out. The six plugs do have O rings but that is not an inidcator of a "sealed" battery. It did not have a vent tube attached. I will have to look and see if there is provision for a tube. I will likely replace with the same battery from Weissach ($159 CAD).

Wil, if a battery has no provision for a vent tube how do you go about venting the battery? Does a vented battery have vent nipple to which a tube is attached? Do you have a pic?

My big monster from Weissach has a small nipple at the end where you could attach a small hose to vent out by feeding the hose through some of the rubber grommets in the trunk.

Is the replacement from Weissach ($159) the smaller 10.5" or the bigger "boat anchor"??
Please, ask what the weight differences are between the two, I need one pretty soon.
BTW: For anyone that needs to top up their battery, use DESTILLED water.