Battery Size...

[Paul Dietrich 19]

I am in need of a new battery for my 1975 C 161. As most of you know these models have a rather huge, is size, batteries. My old battery is a 300 C.C.A. battery. I found a battery that fits the battery box perfectly that is a automotive battery that has 500 C.C.A. Question, will the added 200 C.C.A. cause any problems with the starter.?????? Thanks for your reply's in advance.....

[ebinmaine 67,497]

No worries. You're good.

In fact, it will likely make winter starting a lot easier.

 

While you're in there messing with the electrical system it would be a great idea to replace and upgrade the cables and clean all your grounds.

[RandyLittrell 3,877]

What Eric said, the CCA of a battery is just what it is capable of, the starter or what ever it is powering determines the amount of amps it draws. Bigger CCA batteries just have to work easier the bigger they are. I always buy the largest CCA battery that will fit. 

 

Cleaning the connections will help it work easier as well. 

 

 

Randy

[953 nut 55,229]

               Cold Cranking Amps of a battery is a bit like a well  water pump, mine is rated at eight gallons per minute but if I open a faucet just a little I just get a little water.

In general you can expect a 500 CCA battery to last much longer than a 300 CCA so you will get your money's worth out of it.

[squonk 41,118]

An electrical system will only flow the amount of current that the appliance (starter) will consume. If a starter draws 100 amps and the cables and connections are good, that's what comes out. The rest in a battery  does nothing. If you have a 500 amp battery, a 100 amp starter and 50 amp cables, You cables become colorful fuses. 

 

Story is if your cables are original 1975 cables and you're spending the extra cash for a 500 amp battery, spend a little more on new cables. They may look good on the outside, but underneath the rubber/plastic they may be shot.

[WHX?? 48,815]

No it will not. As they say go big or go home. Only thing is if it has the older round posts you may have to change out cables? 

Most of us do stick with with ones in the 230-330 CCA range just because of the cost. When you have a dozen tractors to keep batteries in. 

  If this is a winter worker a little extra CCA does not hurt for those very cold morning blows. 

[Skipper 1,788]

You can get batteries with car type poles, if that's what you want, in auto parts stores etc, like you are on to. The smaller car batteries that fit perfectly, are far superior to the lawn and garden stuff. I use high grade (if that's the right word) car batteries in my machines. I have zero issues in winter time and they last a much longer time, compared to the smaller LG ones. A tip if you want to get good stuff, and save some $$. Go to the car scrap yard. They often have piles of batteries, and you can often find almost new batteries that were installed just before the car crashed. Then you have a good "real" battery, for like 10-20 buck or so. Just a thought.  You would also be able to find beefy cables there too, with the right battery terminals on.

 

If CCA baffles you, then look at it this way. Water in a bucker 1 foot deep, and water in a bath tub 1 foot deep. Same pressure. All good. But when you start letting it out thru a 2" pipe, to turn your little watermill in the backyard, then the bucket gets emptied a whole lot faster....................  CCA= The volume behind the voltage. You could hook up the battery pack from a ferry if you wanted to, as long as it is 12 volt.

 

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by Skipper

[WHX?? 48,815]

Good analogy on the CCA Tom 

[Pullstart 62,877]

I think by using the CCA analogies above I’m going to play it safe and twin turbo my lawn mower…. Just in case.