So...

Checked the connections to the starter and block. Took them off, burnished
them, the posts/bolts/washers, greased them up and put them back.

Metered all the connections at posts, not lugs (if it ain't at the lug, it's
not necessarily getting where you want it). No resistance; conclusion being
the connections are good. That's at the battery(ies - start and house), the
1-2-all switch, negative and positive busses, and anyplace else there was a
red or black wire which could feed the starter.

Batteries floated for a while, left to rest for an hour (loads still
connected). 6.47 or 6.48 on all 4 6V, 12.8 on the start. Turned over
starter for voltage drop test, attachment points engine ground and starter
positive lug. 4V drop! Following the voltage drop tests, it wouldn't start
immediately; I quit after 5 seconds or so of cranking, cuz my experience is
that it will go in 1 or 2, tops.

Hydrometer test showed all cells within .010, only one .005 up from the
norm, and only a couple .005 down. Adjustments for temp made; showed lower
(adjusted) specific gravity than would be full charge (right on the edge,
but should have been higher), yet apparent voltage was appropriate for full
charge, I'll get another tester and repeat.

Load tested all batteries, passed with flying colors, and no voltage drop to
speak of (less than 0.1) after the test, which was more like a full minute
than the recommended 15 seconds. Meter never moved during the entire test,
once energized Had to be careful about how I handled the tester, it got so
hot.

So, that's where we are right now. When the batteries are floated off, she
starts right up. Yet, with 880AH main, and a 15M-O deep cycle start
battery, seems it also ought to go right away at, say, 80% charge...

More as I know more.

L8R

Skip

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery!
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about in
boats-or *with* boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's
the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."

"Flying Pig" wrote in message
...
So...

Checked the connections to the starter and block. Took them off, burnished
them, the posts/bolts/washers, greased them up and put them back.

Metered all the connections at posts, not lugs (if it ain't at the lug,
it's not necessarily getting where you want it). No resistance;
conclusion being the connections are good. That's at the battery(ies -
start and house), the 1-2-all switch, negative and positive busses, and
anyplace else there was a red or black wire which could feed the starter.

Batteries floated for a while, left to rest for an hour (loads still
connected). 6.47 or 6.48 on all 4 6V, 12.8 on the start. Turned over
starter for voltage drop test, attachment points engine ground and starter
positive lug. 4V drop! Following the voltage drop tests, it wouldn't
start immediately; I quit after 5 seconds or so of cranking, cuz my
experience is that it will go in 1 or 2, tops.

Hydrometer test showed all cells within .010, only one .005 up from the
norm, and only a couple .005 down. Adjustments for temp made; showed
lower (adjusted) specific gravity than would be full charge (right on the
edge, but should have been higher), yet apparent voltage was appropriate
for full charge, I'll get another tester and repeat.

Load tested all batteries, passed with flying colors, and no voltage drop
to speak of (less than 0.1) after the test, which was more like a full
minute than the recommended 15 seconds. Meter never moved during the
entire test, once energized Had to be careful about how I handled the
tester, it got so hot.

So, that's where we are right now. When the batteries are floated off,
she starts right up. Yet, with 880AH main, and a 15M-O deep cycle start
battery, seems it also ought to go right away at, say, 80% charge...

More as I know more.

L8R

Skip

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery!
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half
so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about
in
boats-or *with* boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter,
that's
the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do,
and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."






Check the impedance (resistance) on your battery selector switch.

Wilbur Hubbard

On Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:09:46 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:

"Flying Pig" wrote in message
...
So...

Checked the connections to the starter and block. Took them off, burnished
them, the posts/bolts/washers, greased them up and put them back.

Metered all the connections at posts, not lugs (if it ain't at the lug,
it's not necessarily getting where you want it). No resistance;
conclusion being the connections are good. That's at the battery(ies -
start and house), the 1-2-all switch, negative and positive busses, and
anyplace else there was a red or black wire which could feed the starter.

Batteries floated for a while, left to rest for an hour (loads still
connected). 6.47 or 6.48 on all 4 6V, 12.8 on the start. Turned over
starter for voltage drop test, attachment points engine ground and starter
positive lug. 4V drop! Following the voltage drop tests, it wouldn't
start immediately; I quit after 5 seconds or so of cranking, cuz my
experience is that it will go in 1 or 2, tops.

Hydrometer test showed all cells within .010, only one .005 up from the
norm, and only a couple .005 down. Adjustments for temp made; showed
lower (adjusted) specific gravity than would be full charge (right on the
edge, but should have been higher), yet apparent voltage was appropriate
for full charge, I'll get another tester and repeat.

Load tested all batteries, passed with flying colors, and no voltage drop
to speak of (less than 0.1) after the test, which was more like a full
minute than the recommended 15 seconds. Meter never moved during the
entire test, once energized Had to be careful about how I handled the
tester, it got so hot.

So, that's where we are right now. When the batteries are floated off,
she starts right up. Yet, with 880AH main, and a 15M-O deep cycle start
battery, seems it also ought to go right away at, say, 80% charge...

More as I know more.

L8R

Skip

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery!
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half
so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about
in
boats-or *with* boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter,
that's
the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do,
and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."






Check the impedance (resistance) on your battery selector switch.

Wilbur Hubbard


Impedance is a measurement used with alternating current, i.e.:

Impedance:
(Symbol Z) A measure of the total opposition to current flow in an
alternating current circuit, made up of two components, ohmic
resistance and reactance, and usually represented in complex notation
as Z = R + iX, where R is the ohmic resistance and X is the reactance.
Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

"Bruce in Bangkok" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:09:46 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:

"Flying Pig" wrote in message
...
So...

Checked the connections to the starter and block. Took them off,
burnished
them, the posts/bolts/washers, greased them up and put them back.

Metered all the connections at posts, not lugs (if it ain't at the lug,
it's not necessarily getting where you want it). No resistance;
conclusion being the connections are good. That's at the battery(ies -
start and house), the 1-2-all switch, negative and positive busses, and
anyplace else there was a red or black wire which could feed the
starter.

Batteries floated for a while, left to rest for an hour (loads still
connected). 6.47 or 6.48 on all 4 6V, 12.8 on the start. Turned over
starter for voltage drop test, attachment points engine ground and
starter
positive lug. 4V drop! Following the voltage drop tests, it wouldn't
start immediately; I quit after 5 seconds or so of cranking, cuz my
experience is that it will go in 1 or 2, tops.

Hydrometer test showed all cells within .010, only one .005 up from the
norm, and only a couple .005 down. Adjustments for temp made; showed
lower (adjusted) specific gravity than would be full charge (right on
the
edge, but should have been higher), yet apparent voltage was appropriate
for full charge, I'll get another tester and repeat.

Load tested all batteries, passed with flying colors, and no voltage
drop
to speak of (less than 0.1) after the test, which was more like a full
minute than the recommended 15 seconds. Meter never moved during the
entire test, once energized Had to be careful about how I handled the
tester, it got so hot.

So, that's where we are right now. When the batteries are floated off,
she starts right up. Yet, with 880AH main, and a 15M-O deep cycle start
battery, seems it also ought to go right away at, say, 80% charge...

More as I know more.

L8R

Skip

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery!
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half
so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing
about
in
boats-or *with* boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter,
that's
the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never
get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do,
and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."






Check the impedance (resistance) on your battery selector switch.

Wilbur Hubbard


Impedance is a measurement used with alternating current, i.e.:

Impedance:
(Symbol Z) A measure of the total opposition to current flow in an
alternating current circuit, made up of two components, ohmic
resistance and reactance, and usually represented in complex notation
as Z = R + iX, where R is the ohmic resistance and X is the reactance.
Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)



Considering all the crap and miles of wiring Skippy has installed, including
heavy duty inverters, in his boat it wouldn't surprise me a bit if his
battery selector switch's impedance can be measured. But, you are correct.
Resistance is the correct term for DC current.


Wilbur Hubbard

On Tue, 26 Oct 2010 17:12:01 -0400, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

So...

Checked the connections to the starter and block. Took them off, burnished
them, the posts/bolts/washers, greased them up and put them back.

Metered all the connections at posts, not lugs (if it ain't at the lug, it's
not necessarily getting where you want it). No resistance; conclusion being
the connections are good. That's at the battery(ies - start and house), the
1-2-all switch, negative and positive busses, and anyplace else there was a
red or black wire which could feed the starter.

Batteries floated for a while, left to rest for an hour (loads still
connected). 6.47 or 6.48 on all 4 6V, 12.8 on the start. Turned over
starter for voltage drop test, attachment points engine ground and starter
positive lug. 4V drop! Following the voltage drop tests, it wouldn't start
immediately; I quit after 5 seconds or so of cranking, cuz my experience is
that it will go in 1 or 2, tops.


According to Trojan 6.37/12.73 is the fully charged Open Circuit
voltage.

Operating the starter causes system voltage to drop by 4 volts, i.e.,
from 12.73 to 8.73 (I assume during the cranking period) and after
this test the engine wouldn't start (again I assume because of low
cranking speed, not fuel starvation).

You do not state how much battery capacity is connected to the starter
but if you were connecting to the house battery bank and this voltage
drop occurred then your house batteries are knackered.

If you have a single battery connected to the starting circuit then I
would have to ask "WHY?". The proper set-up is with a switch allowing
the starter to be connected to either the house or starting batteries.
The house batteries are used normally but if they fail then you can
switch to your fully charged starting batteries to start the engine
(and hopefully charge your house batteries).

Hydrometer test showed all cells within .010, only one .005 up from the
norm, and only a couple .005 down. Adjustments for temp made; showed lower
(adjusted) specific gravity than would be full charge (right on the edge,
but should have been higher), yet apparent voltage was appropriate for full
charge, I'll get another tester and repeat.

Load tested all batteries, passed with flying colors, and no voltage drop to
speak of (less than 0.1) after the test, which was more like a full minute
than the recommended 15 seconds. Meter never moved during the entire test,
once energized Had to be careful about how I handled the tester, it got so
hot.

So, that's where we are right now. When the batteries are floated off, she
starts right up. Yet, with 880AH main, and a 15M-O deep cycle start
battery, seems it also ought to go right away at, say, 80% charge...

More as I know more.

L8R

Skip
Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)