P38A Battery - 1997 V8 GEMS

P38 Monkey said:

Point taken. The old battery (wrong size anyway, damaging the cover) was shot and leaking acid so I fitted an 072 as specified by the P38 designers. You are suggesting a 110 AH battery instead of my 75 AH one, which makes sense as it should still fit OK. The first time that this battery lets me down, I'll get a larger one.
There's a super-capacitor jump starter in the boot anyway...

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Motor manufacturers always skimp on the spec, what was Ok ish for a new vehicle may become marginal on a 20 year old vehicle, plus it must be good to have spare capacity IMO. With the MF31-1000 I can leave my P38 for over a month and it will still start although that's not something I do very often as I keep all my car batteries topped up via solar chargers.
Careful jump starting as if not done correctly you can cause damage.

Datatek said:

Motor manufacturers always skimp on the spec, what was Ok ish for a new vehicle may become marginal on a 20 year old vehicle, plus it must be good to have spare capacity IMO. With the MF31-1000 I can leave my P38 for over a month and it will still start although that's not something I do very often as I keep all my car batteries topped up via solar chargers.
Careful jump starting as if not done correctly you can cause damage.

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Wise advice as ever - many thanks.
I have a Sealey super-capacitor jump-starter (E-Start800 Electro-Start), and have used it a couple of times on other people's cars. I have found it to be a lot more "electrically-friendly" than big fat uncontrolled jumper leads. You connect the croc clips to the nearly-flat battery, switch on, it charges up from the low battery in a few minutes, then the engine will start. No sparks...
I think the more you know about electrics, the less you can work out how these things function - but they do...

tomcat59alan said:

When the roll pins went in the clutch release fork I was able to start it in gear and drive it home syncing the revs by ear to change gear, having driven many cars ,wagons and fire engines with non synchro gearboxes, double declutching is second nature.Youngsters are probably wondering what the old fart is talking about

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Series 2a, 1st and second gears...

@tank93, hankook mf31-1000 any day.

Mark Piercy said:

@tank93, hankook mf31-1000 any day.

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Thanks to all for the advice, I think I no which battery to go for now

Mark Piercy said:

Series 2a, 1st and second gears...

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I said youngsters Mark. how's the family, they negative yet?

Mark Piercy said:

Series 2a, 1st and second gears...

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I remember driving a Scammell unit once can't remember how many gears about 10 I guess and neutral only between 1and2 so if you missed a gear or had to stop then you had to go through all of them to be able to select a low gear.

tomcat59alan said:

I said youngsters Mark. how's the family, they negative yet?

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Most of us but not out of the woods yet matey!!

072 works fine on a GEMS V8 if the car electrics are in good order and you upgrade the VR.

romanrob said:

072 works fine on a GEMS V8 if the car electrics are in good order and you upgrade the VR.

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My small but perfectly formed 072 is working fine - the fob receiver is now fitted with a Marty filter (is that what you mean by VR?). Of course the big Hankook battery will last longer if the BeCM decides to stay on - is that "Hankook's Half-Hour"... (ouch!)

P38 Monkey said:

My small but perfectly formed 072 is working fine - the fob receiver is now fitted with a Marty filter (is that what you mean by VR?). Of course the big Hankook battery will last longer if the BeCM decides to stay on - is that "Hankook's Half-Hour"... (ouch!)

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I think VR in this case means Voltage Regulator, to ensure you're charging at 14.7 not 13.8

kermit_rr said:

I think VR in this case means Voltage Regulator, to ensure you're charging at 14.7 not 13.8

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Thanks for the explanation - I'll check the voltage when next out and about.

I had a old erf & foden like that Alan I’ve you missed a gear you start again good old days a double clutch with a Chinese gearbox

pete12345 said:

I had a old erf & foden like that Alan I’ve you missed a gear you start again good old days a double clutch with a Chinese gearbox

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We there a gearbox called a "splitter box"? I think that was tricky if you missed the correct sequence...

To true with the foden twin splitter but go anywhere good old motors

pete12345 said:

To true with the foden twin splitter but go anywhere good old motors

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Until they became daf!!!!

My Wife says "Bigger is Better" so that's the end of the debate.

pete12345 said:

To true with the foden twin splitter but go anywhere good old motors

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Drove a Foden with a triple splitter, good motors but would wear the driver out before the wagon.

A long time ago, I drove an old Albion underfloor gearbox on that took some effort.

I had a 1948 Dodge Power Wagon. What a beast. It was a double clutcher. It had a 10,000 lb pto winch.