"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
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"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