Battery Recommendation

[Tommy]

I think it's time for me to get a new battery as it's not holding charges well. I have a 81 J and it's 12V system

I am interested in buy a sealed battery and what would you guys recommend? Also, if I buy a sealed battery, do I need to get rid of the battery box because the battery won't fit?

Lastly, what's the shelf life of a sealed battery? 

Thanks everyone!

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Tommy said:

I think it's time for me to get a new battery as it's not holding charges well. I have a 81 J and it's 12V system

I am interested in buy a sealed battery and what would you guys recommend? Also, if I buy a sealed battery, do I need to get rid of the battery box because the battery won't fit?

Lastly, what's the shelf life of a sealed battery? 

Thanks everyone!

Hi Tommy,

A Concorde RG35AXC is the way to go, it fits in the battery box with no modifications, other than a weight and balance change.  They last infinitely longer than a Gill brand.

Clarence

[Tommy]

1 minute ago, M20Doc said:

Hi Tommy,

A Concorde RG35AXC is the way to go, it fits in the battery box with no modifications, other than a weight and balance change.  They last infinitely longer than a Gill brand.

Clarence

Thanks Clarence! May I ask what's the difference between A Concorde RG35A and AXC version?

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Tommy said:

Thanks Clarence! May I ask what's the difference between A Concorde RG35A and AXC version?

Tommy,

The AXC has 4 extra amp hours of capacity.

Clarecne

[Tommy]

Excellent! I do fly long XC (5 hours each time) guess those extra amp hours may come handy but there are no difference in terms of charge delivery during cranking, right? 

I had replaced battery before in my car and it doesn't seem to very difficult at all. Can a pilot carry out battery replacement? 

[Mooney in Oz]

Tommy,

+1 on the RG35AXC.  That is all I have ever had in my J in almost 17 years of ownership with an average life of 5 years in between, although I don't wait until I'm marooned somewhere when the time comes to change it out.

Changing the battery is as easy as a car battery change.  Just remember to secure the positive and negative cable clamp onto the correct terminal and away you fly! 

 

[carusoam]

Consider the extra amp hours of capacity as....

• one or two more chances to get the engine started under tough conditions...
• a few more minutes of operation after the charging system has failed...
• like the name says or implies, added capacity.  No net change to ordinary operations. No voltage change...

The costs may be...

• weight and balance affect

 

Victor above is right on... but, in case your previous owner didn’t get it right...

There is some guidance regarding installation... proper order of the fasteners and pieces for the battery posts. Proper cleanliness of the cable connections. Proper use of the battery grease(?).

 

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

-a-

[Tommy]

The shop told me that they have got some on the shelf and the DOM is August 2017. Is that too old for sealed battery? 

Do I have to do weight and balance after battery replacement?? 

[Mooney in Oz]

18 minutes ago, Tommy said:

The shop told me that they have got some on the shelf and the DOM is August 2017. Is that too old for sealed battery? 

Do I have to do weight and balance after battery replacement?? 

No, I think it is typical of a new battery's shelf life age.  At worst you may need to charge it up yourself before install.

As far as W & B, I doubt it as the difference in weight would be within acceptable limits.  This is only my opinion and I could be wrong.  Best you check with your LAME.

[jetdriven]

Obey the torque requirements on the battery terminal bolts because if you exceed them by the slightest of margins they strip out and ruin a 300$ battery.  Clicker torque wrench and 1 finger pull here.

Edited April 2, 2018 by jetdriven

[cbarnes403]

You will need to charge the new battery, follow the instructions they provide.

[jaylw314]

I have a Concord RG-35A that is at least 6 years old.  Having struggled with hard starting last year, I cannot believe how long I was able to (futilely) crank the engine on it.  It must have been a total of 5 minutes of cranking spread out over half an hour.  By the end of it, my left hand was getting tired, but the starter was still going about the same speed.  When I finally gave up and plugged the battery recharger, it said 65% (whatever that means), and only took an hour to recharge.

It kind of put into perspective what 29 Ah means in terms of charge.  That's a LOT of charge, enough to crank the daylights out of your engine.  Even a partially charged battery should have more than enough, unless the internal resistance has actually increased enough with time.  I don't think the extra 4 Ah from the AXC is going to help with cranking, but it will give you that extra margin of time with an alternator failure.

 

[Tommy]

New battery in RG35-AXC! 

I swear the starter cranked with more determination than before especially on the hot start!

Hopefully it will last! 

[MBDiagMan]

I have had great service from the Concorde sealed batteries in my Cessna.  I have only had my Mooney for one year and I saw in the logs where the Gill battery had been replaced every few years.  When the time comes, it will get a Concorde because I love her so much.