If the battery is buldgeing out, it most likely lost it's charge and
froze... If you want to see a real big bang, put a boost on it while it
is still frozen. ;) Replace it, it is shot anyway.
Scotty

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 16:20:44 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

It is such a nice day, I decided to open up the Ranger and check
things out - you know - just look around the boat, make sure things
are ok - you know, get ready for March 1st when the cover comes off
and the bottom is painted and stuff? :)

Good damn thing I did - the starting battery had a bulge in the side
and looked like it was about to fail. Pulled that sucker out in a
hurry. I've got the trolling motor batteries on slow charge right
now.

Can't figure out what happened to the starting battery - it was
disconnected and was fully charged before I put it away for the
winter. Never seen that happen before.

Oh well, another 45 days until launch day.

I hope.

Later,

Tom

The acid lost its PH, and swelled because of the heat generated, while
doing so.

We replace alot of these in my marina (that I own) in the north, but
not so many in my other two marinas I own in the south.

Cold weather seems to play a part.

On 7 Feb 2005 08:37:41 -0800, "wtf" wrote:

If the battery is buldgeing out, it most likely lost it's charge and
froze... If you want to see a real big bang, put a boost on it while it
is still frozen. ;) Replace it, it is shot anyway.

I have heard of that, but have never experienced it myself.

I imagine it would be a really big bang. :)

Later,

Tom

yup,,

I remember nam,, acid all day long,, it was fun, I still blame some of my
mishaps today on the what happened to me back then,,,









"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 16:20:44 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

It is such a nice day, I decided to open up the Ranger and check
things out - you know - just look around the boat, make sure things
are ok - you know, get ready for March 1st when the cover comes off
and the bottom is painted and stuff? :)

Good damn thing I did - the starting battery had a bulge in the side
and looked like it was about to fail. Pulled that sucker out in a
hurry. I've got the trolling motor batteries on slow charge right
now.

Can't figure out what happened to the starting battery - it was
disconnected and was fully charged before I put it away for the
winter. Never seen that happen before.

Oh well, another 45 days until launch day.

I hope.

Later,

Tom

The acid lost its PH, and swelled because of the heat generated, while
doing so.

We replace alot of these in my marina (that I own) in the north, but
not so many in my other two marinas I own in the south.

Cold weather seems to play a part.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
It is such a nice day, I decided to open up the Ranger and check
things out - you know - just look around the boat, make sure things
are ok - you know, get ready for March 1st when the cover comes off
and the bottom is painted and stuff? :)

Good damn thing I did - the starting battery had a bulge in the side
and looked like it was about to fail. Pulled that sucker out in a
hurry. I've got the trolling motor batteries on slow charge right
now.

Can't figure out what happened to the starting battery - it was
disconnected and was fully charged before I put it away for the
winter. Never seen that happen before.

Sounds like that bat. is shot. Reverse charging, freezing, sometimes
over-charging can cause that "bulge" that you describe. Got a hydrometer?
Check your specific gravity. I'll bet it's not in spec.

From my notes -

MCA "Marine Cranking Amps" tested at 32* F.
CCA "Cold Cranking Amps" tested at 0* F.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lead Antimony Alloy
1270 Full Charge specific gravity.
Charged battery = 1.250 to 1.270 specific gravity.

Room temp. climate adjusting:
80* F. is the norm
Any 10* F. up or down, use the adjustment of .004

You are allowed .040 specific gravity variance between the cells. And there
are other tests.

Best of luck.

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 7 Feb 2005 08:37:41 -0800, "wtf"
wrote:

If the battery is buldgeing out, it most likely lost it's charge and
froze... If you want to see a real big bang, put a boost on it while
it
is still frozen. ;) Replace it, it is shot anyway.

I have heard of that, but have never experienced it myself.

I imagine it would be a really big bang. :)

Later,

Tom

Pretty good one. Driving wreckers once, I put the cables on a frozen
battery, always checked, but this time something I missed. I am a
stickler so I stood in behind the hood, hit the boost, and bang, it
went up. Flash about 3-4 feet, loud as hell, and it blew some of the
air filter and mass air flow sensor ritght out of its wiring and landed
about 20 yards away... If I were to guess, it probably had the power of
real, old time, M-80. Anyway, it is not a myth, they can indeed blow
up. The point is, never put a boost on a bulging battery in the cold.

On another note, sort of related, gas and battery acid do burst into
flames when they meet too. Had a guy drive an old Chevette into the
dealership one day. One guy was looking at the battery cells, another
was checking for fuel pressure to the carb... the key was turned, a
squirt of fuel went into the open battery cell and immediately burst
into flames, flash fire. What happened after that is fuzzy as I don't
burn for anyones Chevette, I was in Shulties parking lot across the
street when they found the fire extinguishers... I sport a bit of a
ponytail, I don't do fire. ;)

Later, Scotty