I have two big 8D batteries (1550cca) each for a CAT 3126.
Is there a reccommeded battery charger for them?
My trusty Sears jobby doesn't seem to get them charged.

On Wed, 19 Jul 2006 20:26:47 -0400, "Jim and Becky"
wrote:

I have two big 8D batteries (1550cca) each for a CAT 3126.
Is there a reccommeded battery charger for them?
My trusty Sears jobby doesn't seem to get them charged.


Some of the best chargers these days come with an inverter attached,
which can be a really handy thing if you do a lot of cruising on the
hook as opposed to being docked. Take a look at the Xantrex ProSine
units. I've had one of their 2 kw sine wave inverter/chargers for
about a year and like it a lot. It also has a 3 stage 100 amp charger
built in.

On Wed, 19 Jul 2006 20:26:47 -0400, "Jim and Becky"
wrote:

I have two big 8D batteries (1550cca) each for a CAT 3126.
Is there a reccommeded battery charger for them?
My trusty Sears jobby doesn't seem to get them charged.


Are they used as house batteries too? If they are I'd use at least a
50A 3 step charger. And perhaps look at an inverter with a built in
100A+ charger.

Sounds strange that a charger is not keeping them charged. What output is
your charger and is it still outputting?

I believe that they recommend a charging amp of 10% not to exceed 25% of you
battery's holding power (with 8D at ~ 240 amp hours). So a 50 amp charger
should be more then enough.

Do you have any leaks. Perhaps a bad alternator on the engine could be
draining off the charge without you knowing it.

"Jim and Becky" wrote in message
...
I have two big 8D batteries (1550cca) each for a CAT 3126.
Is there a reccommeded battery charger for them?
My trusty Sears jobby doesn't seem to get them charged.

Jim and Becky wrote:
I have two big 8D batteries (1550cca) each for a CAT 3126.
Is there a reccommeded battery charger for them?
My trusty Sears jobby doesn't seem to get them charged.

Either the batteries are bad, there is a constant drain on the
batteries, or the charger is bad.. Look, I keep 980 CCA batteries on
our bulldozers topped off with a 1 amp trickle charger... Your Sears
cheapie should boil th electrolyte right out of those batteries... Time
to get out a VOM and do some sleuthing... Get someone to help if you
are not familiar wiht electricity...

cheers ... denny

Hell I just got the boat in the water last week. I haven't run the engine
(3126 Cat) for more than a couple minutes so far. One battery is a month
old, the other was bought in November but connected at both terminals all
winter.
I've never charged either of them so too early to tell if I've got a short
or something.

Is it common knowledge that this engine requries a walloping amount of juice
to turn it over?
I've come from the gas V-8 world where a single car type battery worked
fine.

"Denny" wrote in message
ps.com...

Jim and Becky wrote:
I have two big 8D batteries (1550cca) each for a CAT 3126.
Is there a reccommeded battery charger for them?
My trusty Sears jobby doesn't seem to get them charged.

Either the batteries are bad, there is a constant drain on the
batteries, or the charger is bad.. Look, I keep 980 CCA batteries on
our bulldozers topped off with a 1 amp trickle charger... Your Sears
cheapie should boil th electrolyte right out of those batteries... Time
to get out a VOM and do some sleuthing... Get someone to help if you
are not familiar wiht electricity...

cheers ... denny

On Thu, 20 Jul 2006 21:45:05 -0400, "Jim and Becky"
wrote:

Is it common knowledge that this engine requries a walloping amount of juice
to turn it over?

Starting currents on any big diesel are very high for a number of
reasons. A single 8D is a bare minimum and two is certainly better.

Jim and Becky wrote:
Hell I just got the boat in the water last week. I haven't run the engine
(3126 Cat) for more than a couple minutes so far. One battery is a month
old, the other was bought in November but connected at both terminals all
winter.
I've never charged either of them so too early to tell if I've got a short
or something.

Is it common knowledge that this engine requries a walloping amount of juice
to turn it over?
I've come from the gas V-8 world where a single car type battery worked
fine.

"Denny" wrote in message
ps.com...

Jim and Becky wrote:
I have two big 8D batteries (1550cca) each for a CAT 3126.
Is there a reccommeded battery charger for them?
My trusty Sears jobby doesn't seem to get them charged.

Either the batteries are bad, there is a constant drain on the
batteries, or the charger is bad.. Look, I keep 980 CCA batteries on
our bulldozers topped off with a 1 amp trickle charger... Your Sears
cheapie should boil th electrolyte right out of those batteries... Time
to get out a VOM and do some sleuthing... Get someone to help if you
are not familiar wiht electricity...

cheers ... denny


Jim,

I've got two Cat 3208's (375 hp) and two 8D's (one per engine, with
switches), they turn the engines over just fine, takes no more than
about a three second push of the start buttons. I suspect two 8D's are
more than enought for your engines. My buddy has 8V92's (735 hp) in one
of his boats, he has four 8D's, plenty of power. For you, that would be
overkill.

John