The Official 450 Express Bridge Owners Club

Hi All,

Thinking about a battery change.

Sticking with lead acids, not sure if I will go flooded again or AGM.

Question, have any of you hauled those beasts out, and how did you do it?

TIA!
 
Forrestkk said:
Hi All,

Thinking about a battery change.

Sticking with lead acids, not sure if I will go flooded again or AGM.

Question, have any of you hauled those beasts out, and how did you do it?

TIA!
Click to expand...
We hauled the two lead acid batteries out when we did the lithium swap in early 21. Two man job. I recall we were both in the engine room and the big battery had two rope handles on each end. Lead man goes up the ladder with arms outstretched carrying one end with the second man lifting and getting it on the deck. We put cardboard down on the deck for protection. It was heavy, but not too bad.
Lith5.jpg
 
Shoyrtt said:
We hauled the two lead acid batteries out when we did the lithium swap in early 21. Two man job. I recall we were both in the engine room and the big battery had two rope handles on each end. Lead man goes up the ladder with arms outstretched carrying one end with the second man lifting and getting it on the deck. We put cardboard down on the deck for protection. It was heavy, but not too bad.
View attachment 145417
Click to expand...

Ok, so it can be done without a crane...awesome. TY!
 
LMBoat said:
I used dock lines tied to each handle and my son and I hauled them out. Definitely a 2 person job.
Click to expand...

Good info.

So, I turned off the charger last. Ight and let it sit. Both Batts at 12.6VDC this morning after letting the top charge dissipate overnight.

Turned on everything DC I could and let it run for 10 mins. Shut it off, both batts still sitting at 12.6 VDC. Short of cranking the engines, they seem fine. Obviously, those pull 300 to 350 AMPs at start so the long pole in the tent.

Has anyone had their battery shut off switches go bad? I did a voltage drop test and it seems like there is some loss through the switch, where there should be almost none.
 
Forrestkk said:
Good info.

So, I turned off the charger last. Ight and let it sit. Both Batts at 12.6VDC this morning after letting the top charge dissipate overnight.

Turned on everything DC I could and let it run for 10 mins. Shut it off, both batts still sitting at 12.6 VDC. Short of cranking the engines, they seem fine. Obviously, those pull 300 to 350 AMPs at start so the long pole in the tent.

Has anyone had their battery shut off switches go bad? I did a voltage drop test and it seems like there is some loss through the switch, where there should be almost none.
Click to expand...
Never tested my battery switches but I do worry about the solenoids if they ever might fail. Wondering if I should replace and hold existing as spares.
 
I know this is old school, but I have had good luck with lead acid 8D's. I get 3-4 years out of them. I've never had a failure, just when the get "slow". (As I type this, I'm thinking it might be time soon...lol) Napa makes (or did make) a Napa brand 8D truck battery that has the same specs as the Deca's I've used in the past, but they were only $240 each (that was a few years ago), about a boat buck cheaper than Deca.

I've seen all the info on Gels, AGM, LiPo etc, but for us, for our boat, and how we use it, old school has been working for us. I will spend money for the good boat stuff, but for batts, I haven't seen the need. FWIW.
 
I know this is old school, but I have had good luck with lead acid 8D's. I get 3-4 years out of them. I've never had a failure, just when the get "slow". (As I type this, I'm thinking it might be time soon...lol) Napa makes (or did make) a Napa brand 8D truck battery that has the same specs as the Deca's I've used in the past, but they were only $240 each (that was a few years ago), about a boat buck cheaper than Deca.

I've seen all the info on Gels, AGM, LiPo etc, but for us, for our boat, and how we use it, old school has been working for us. I will spend money for the good boat stuff, but for batts, I haven't seen the need. FWIW.
 
LMBoat said:
I know this is old school, but I have had good luck with lead acid 8D's. I get 3-4 years out of them. I've never had a failure, just when the get "slow". (As I type this, I'm thinking it might be time soon...lol) Napa makes (or did make) a Napa brand 8D truck battery that has the same specs as the Deca's I've used in the past, but they were only $240 each (that was a few years ago), about a boat buck cheaper than Deca.

I've seen all the info on Gels, AGM, LiPo etc, but for us, for our boat, and how we use it, old school has been working for us. I will spend money for the good boat stuff, but for batts, I haven't seen the need. FWIW.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I am going flooded lead acids as well. Mine are coming up on 3 years old. When I got my boat, the previous owner hadn't been watering them and the port batt was low (could see the cells). NAPA has a few options around $240 to $280, O'Reilly does as well and the manufacturer is East Penn, so Deka.

With my new Victron charger the batts use a lot less water than with the pro-marine that died.

Of note, we don't anchor/moor like some folks here. That hits lead acids batteries hard when you can't run the generator.
 
Painted the bottom of the side window frames again. I think this is a yearly maintenance item.
49819551-A87A-4648-B6CB-3630B6851A89.jpeg


And I got tired of looking at the rusty gate at my marina. My wife says I have issues. ;)
597C2565-12CA-4688-BFAC-2F4948CF77C3.jpeg
 
LMBoat said:
What paint did you use? How did you do it?

Looks Great!
Click to expand...
I scuff it with 800 grit to get the bad paint off and get it down to the aluminum. I then smooth it out with 1000 and 2000. I should probably primer it, but I'm not sure what to use. Clean with a little acetone and mask 4-5" of the fiberglass under the window and maybe 1" above. I use a small cigar sized brush and use this paint that I picked up at my local WM. The paint is a good match to the factory white.
If you get any paint on the rubber seal, let it dry. You can peel/pick it off and then use a q-tip with some acetone get it clean.
SeaRay450WindowFramePaint.jpeg
 
Shoyrtt said:
I scuff it with 800 grit to get the bad paint off and get it down to the aluminum. I then smooth it out with 1000 and 2000. I should probably primer it, but I'm not sure what to use. Clean with a little acetone and mask 4-5" of the fiberglass under the window and maybe 1" above. I use a small cigar sized brush and use this paint that I picked up at my local WM. The paint is a good match to the factory white.
If you get any paint on the rubber seal, let it dry. You can peel/pick it off and then use a q-tip with some acetone get it clean.
View attachment 145532
Click to expand...
I noticed mine needs same due to chipping & peeling, so, making a note of this. Not terrible yet but on my list. Primer makes sense but I wouldn't know what to use either, maybe a Rust-Oleum product?
 
Thanks for the info. Did you sand by hand? Dremel, oscillating tool, etc? I need to do this as well. It looks very good.
 
I did mine with the same paint Jim used (on his recommendation), but anywhere there was any peeling/chipping/corrosion I sanded down to metal and used rustoleum brush on oil based primer. Mine is hanging tough after nearly a year.

The sanding was a pain, both for the first coat, but between coats. Once it is dry, that stuff is rock hard.
 
Keeping the Admiral happy. :eek:
10C61C15-C60C-423D-A6CE-813C2F1D6EAF.jpeg
A0653618-FBFB-4215-9E4A-568BEE446AD0.jpeg

I did make the job slightly easier. I picked up a kneeling pad at Home Depot that fits perfectly in the sump recess. The knees felt pretty good for a change. :)
 
Shoyrtt said:
Keeping the Admiral happy. :eek:
View attachment 145812 View attachment 145811
I did make the job slightly easier. I picked up a kneeling pad at Home Depot that fits perfectly in the sump recess. The knees felt pretty good for a change. :)
Click to expand...
Man that looks good, mine no way. In fact, sometimes when we arrive, pump won't activate, but as soon as we go out it gets jostled enough for the float to activate. Meanwhile, the overflow runs gray water to a sump below the 3rd SR steps, an alarmed "fwd bilge pump". Sump is ahead of the fwd ER firewall next to, or just below the potable tank.
 
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