How often to run the engine in a Centurion?

[Malcolm Towrie]

Waaay off topic, here, but Terry, you mentioned batteries. What a problem that is for us. Something like 80 running vehicles get parked in the fall for their long winters nap. We don't have a program to look after those ~ 150 batteries because it's a thankless, and very time-consuming job. So come spring we have our fair share of dead batteries, some of which can be recovered, some not. It upsets me, but not enough that I'll volunteer to run the program!

And, in my opinion, running a battery program is quite skilled. You need to be physically strong, know enough about batteries to be able to connect and disconnect them without melting wrenches and battery posts, know how to carbon pile load test, take SG measurements, effective ways of charging them, new technologies that can restore a sulphated battery, and most important know when a battery is toast and further effort is futile.

What do others do?

Malcolm

[Jonathan Moore]

Malcolm,

Very good question, I trickle charge about 10 batteries but they don't really like it, so I will be very interested to hear what other people do.

Jon

[Lynn Eades]

Malcolm, most automotive batteries these days are calcium batteries which apparently don't work very well with a generator. I just thought i'd throw that in to complicate things for you

[Malcolm Towrie]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Malcolm, most automotive batteries these days are calcium batteries which apparently don't work very well with a generator. I just thought i'd throw that in to complicate things for you

Good grief. I didn't know that, Lynn!

Here's a quick explanation for others in my state of ignorance.

"What is a “Calcium” battery?

A Calcium battery is a still a lead acid battery; they are usually sealed maintenance free. Calcium replaces antimony in the plates of the battery to give it some advantages including improved resistance to corrosion, no excessive gassing, less water usage and lower self discharge. Silver is another additive used by some manufacturers, the addition of silver enables the battery to be more resilient to high temperatures.

Calcium batteries require a higher charge voltage than conventional batteries. If used in a deep cycle situation it is advisable to use a charger designed for calcium batteries of has a calcium charging mode to get the maximum life out of the battery."

Malcolm

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Towrie

Waaay off topic, here, but Terry, you mentioned batteries. What a problem that is for us. Something like 80 running vehicles get parked in the fall for their long winters nap. We don't have a program to look after those ~ 150 batteries because it's a thankless, and very time-consuming job. So come spring we have our fair share of dead batteries, some of which can be recovered, some not. It upsets me, but not enough that I'll volunteer to run the program!

And, in my opinion, running a battery program is quite skilled. You need to be physically strong, know enough about batteries to be able to connect and disconnect them without melting wrenches and battery posts, know how to carbon pile load test, take SG measurements, effective ways of charging them, new technologies that can restore a sulphated battery, and most important know when a battery is toast and further effort is futile.

What do others do?

Malcolm

I'm glad you spoke up about that part of the collection. I had the pleasure of a visit in May, to survey the V100 in comparison to the other V100 in Canada. (Nice machine, well restored, but it needs to run more often.) I saw the pile of batteries in the side shed.

It occurred to me that if the current crop of volunteers are skilled wrench pullers, restorers and troubleshooters, but as you frankly admit are not battery techs, maybe the collection needs to partner with an outside company to get a better routine in place. Not telling you your business, but thinking out loud. Imagine someone who knows exactly the things you mention and will do it for a tax receipt.

The collection where I kibbitz, burn gas and break things, has a facility not unlike Oshawa's but not as crowded. The crew chief has a monthly run up routine. Fuel doesn't go into most vehicles' fuel tanks, but is fed into the line with portable tanks. And, from what I've seen, a battery tender is wheeled around on some regular sequence.

[Malcolm Towrie]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

I had the pleasure of a visit in May, to survey the V100 in comparison to the other V100 in Canada. (Nice machine, well restored, but it needs to run more often.)

It occurred to me that if the current crop of volunteers are skilled wrench pullers, restorers and troubleshooters, but as you frankly admit are not battery techs, maybe the collection needs to partner with an outside company to get a better routine in place. Not telling you your business, but thinking out loud. Imagine someone who knows exactly the things you mention and will do it for a tax receipt.

Terry, the V100 has dodgy plugs. It was running very badly in May and sometime after that I tested, cleaned, and regapped the plugs. It then started well and ran smoothly. But when I saw it running again recently (as you say, it gets run rarely), it was running rough again. It needs 8 new plugs. (And the clutch needs bled.)

Not a bad idea about getting a third party involved. I can't see anyone doing it for a tax receipt, though! A cost benefit analysis is required!

Malcolm

[eddy8men]

over winter i used a 12v ctek battery charger on my cromwell. it worked well but would only do one battery at a time (the 24v version was 5x more expensive)

[jdmcm]

Malcolm

We have been running our centurion at least once a week, we try to get it fired up and run it around the property for 30-40 min (best chore ever) Fortunately Rick had all the fluids topped up and the coolant was good to -25c when it arrived, which if we ever see -25c here on the west coast I'm going to buy one of those stupid Donald Trump hats and move to Arizona, but I digress. As the shop is jammed full the Centurion has to live outside and in the interest of easy starting we keep a C-tek battery charger on each battery, a small thermostatically controlled electric heater in the fighting compartment keeps the moisture away, especially the "sweats" you get having the tank tarped in this humid climate, and finally two Temro heater magnets attached to the radiator header tank, this keeps the coolant warm and boy does it make the tank easy to start. I was going to add one to the oil tank but currently it is just too oily in the engine bay to be safe, perhaps once we get a chance to steam it all clean.

John

IMG_20190223_165718_hdr.jpg

IMG_20190223_165652.jpg

[MartinCummins]

No actual experience, but I remember my father in a garage in Llandudno, North Wales, UK, having to go around all those customers who had had their cars mothballed for the duration of WW2, take off the heads, and hammer down the pistons with a baulk of timber. Condensation was the problem!

MartinCummins.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Martin


Your comment on stories your father told you is a wonderful example of stories lost in time. Probably also spoke of rubber drives and having to mount tires on cars stored with the tires removed.



"No actual experience, but I remember my father in a garage in Llandudno, North Wales, UK, having to go around all those customers who had had their cars mothballed for the duration of WW2, take off the heads, and hammer down the pistons with a baulk of timber. Condensation was the problem!

MartinCummins."


I kind of doubt that we would see today's mechanics making house calls like that.


Thanks for sharing.


Cheers Phil