Choosing new battery??

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I have a 87 Evinrude 90hp vro that has been sitting a while, Got it running and all but now I am in the market for a new battery for the boat. From what I have been seeing and reading it seem like this engine works best with a lead acid battery that is not maintenance free. Can someone elaborate on this. I know it has to do with the regulator or lack thereof but it seems that most still use maintenance free batteries. Any info is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Ron
 

Scott Danforth

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no need to delete a thread. simply post your answer for the next guy.
 
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no need to delete a thread. simply post your answer for the next guy.

Thanks,
Well I found out that with my engine since it has the tilt/trim it has a regulator so I can use all types of batteries. The same engine without the tilt/trim does not have a regulator and they advise to use the older style lead acid battery because they are less susceptible to over charging and you can refile the water/acid in them. I guess this is true with a lot of older engines.
 

JimS123

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You got a lot of bad advice. Any motor anywhere can use any type of battery, as long as the capacity meets the engine's requirements.

Lead acid not maintenance free is the silliest thing I ever heard.

Your initial comment "seeing and reading" was the tip-off. The only other worse comment is "I heard".....LOL.

The standard comment for 99% of the threads on here should be "read the owner's manual".
 
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You got a lot of bad advice. Any motor anywhere can use any type of battery, as long as the capacity meets the engine's requirements.

Lead acid not maintenance free is the silliest thing I ever heard.

Your initial comment "seeing and reading" was the tip-off. The only other worse comment is "I heard".....LOL.

The standard comment for 99% of the threads on here should be "read the owner's manual".

OK, I will just start out saying this.... Do you treat everyone like this? The info I found was from the manual, I can tell you that the info on older engines not using a maintenance free or even an AGM battery is true.
I see you have left many post on this forum but if they are anything like this one I hope you never try to really help anyone.
Thanks for nothing.
 
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MTboatguy

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OK, I will just start out saying this.... Do you treat everyone like this? The info I found was from the manual, I can tell you that the info on older engines not using a maintenance free or even an AGM battery is true.
I see you have left many post on this forum but if they are anything like this one I hope you never try to really help anyone.
Thanks for nothing.

Well beings you are less than activer user, you came to an open forum that has tens of thousands of very knowledgeable people who are not going to coddle you, you got truthful answers from one of the more knowledgeable people on here. It may seem brutal to you, but it was an honest answer to your question. So pull the reins in a bit and take your time here to actually learn instead of calling people names.

I can say after being here many years, you have put a nail in your coffin to getting any of us answering anymore of your questions. This is not a safe room, but it is an honest room that will help you if you willing to actually read and apply the advice that many of us are willing to offer.

By the way, when you start seeing *** in your messages, you have breached the rules of conduct on this system and should rethink your use of language.
 
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ahicks

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After many years of forum use, here as well as others, you do get a little thicker skin learning not to take offense for any reason. Generally people are pretty kind and willing to share their experiences. That's not to say this is a perfect world. Everyone is entitled to a bad day.

There's also an issue regarding interpretation. A lot of different cultures are represented in places like this.....

Bottom line, keep it professional, avoid getting personal (for ANY reason), and you'll do well. Been at this boating thing all my life, and I STILL see something new frequently. That's why they can't get rid of me!
 

Silvertip

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If one pulls the labels off the top of a maintenance free battery you will still find plugs in the holes that can be pried out. Electrolyte had to be added at the time of manufacture so the plugs were needed. However, once a battery refuses to take or hold a charge, it is toast anyway and generally the failure is not for lack of electrolyte. Use either battery -- but it is getting harder to find batteries that are NOT maintenance free.
 
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Well Guys, Sorry if I came back so strong but the post just hit me wrong. I have still been doing research and it still the same. Older engines do not like maintenance free or AGM batteries. Will they work, Yes but they could shorten the life of the battery. My mistake by referring to "lead acid" instead of saying "flooded" battery. I guess it would have been better if I was just able to delete the post. Nothing against any of you and thanks for the info that I did get.
 

MTboatguy

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I have been using a maintenance free on my older engine for 5 years now and it still holds a full charge with no problem at all, in fact it is a group 27 deep cycle and I use it as a starter battery as well as my trolling motor battery. I know a lot of people say don't do that, but most of us that run plows and winches on trucks around here have deep cycle group 27's in our trucks as well.
 

H20Rat

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Well Guys, Sorry if I came back so strong but the post just hit me wrong. I have still been doing research and it still the same. Older engines do not like maintenance free or AGM batteries. Will they work, Yes but they could shorten the life of the battery. My mistake by referring to "lead acid" instead of saying "flooded" battery. I guess it would have been better if I was just able to delete the post. Nothing against any of you and thanks for the info that I did get.

There is nothing about an older engine that will cause it to overcharge a battery, or any other reason it wouldn't work with a sealed battery. If your engine is overcharging and boiling electrolyte out, that is something that needs to be fixed.
 
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A lot of older engines do not have a regulator and battery could be overcharged slightly causing the battery to not last as long as one with a regulator. These are scans from my Evinrude manual showing the warning and also the engine that I have has Tilt/Trim so I have a regulator so battery does not matter. I was just going by what the manual said and wanted to know if anyone really heard about this before. Remember this is a 1987 engine so a lot of engines even then had a regulator.

NoMainFree.jpg



Altrate.jpg
 

bruceb58

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The reason they say to not use a maintenance free or sealed battery with an unregulated alternator is that because of the higher voltage, you will need to add water since it is a flooded lead acid. An AGM that is charged unregulated can off gas and blow it's purge valve.

Saying all of this, a maintenance free flooded lead acid battery is usually in name only. You can almost always get to the filler caps so you could still use that type of battery, just have to pry off the filler caps to add water.
 

lkbum

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Mod EDIT: Content removed.
 
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jbcurt00

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I have found my answer

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