Bringing old, old, old, old, old battery back to life?

[jackhartjr]

Hi folks, this may go on top of the list of "STUPIDIST QUESTION OF THE YEAR!"
The big old 8-D's (I think thats what they call them) have been siting in the bus down in sunny Florida not hooked up to anything for at least 25 years.  Talking to Kyle (Yeah buddy, I am throwing you under the bus!) LOL he said he has heard that in some caes they can be brought back to life.
Now it has nothing to do with my being cheap and savin' money and all that...however...as an experiment...can they be brough back...and if so how?
Anty and all advice taken to Hart!
Jack

[Barn Owl]

not hooked up to anything for at least 25 years...............some caes they can be brought back to life

Unfortunately that would be called recycling.

I am not a believer in being able to bring batteries back from the dead. Sometimes you can get them to take a breath or two but they will eventually force you to get news ones. You can only reverse so much damage (sulfation). Even a well maintained battery dies a little everyday and will expire after a period of time a natural death. A battery starts to die the day it was made (born); how it is maintained, and used, determines how long that takes. Wow!...Just like us   

Laryn

[Jerry Liebler]

Jack,
    Can it be brought back to life?  Well maybe!  Clean it up, fill it up with distilled water, hook it up to a charger and a pulser and wait.  Restoration takes a long time, probably several months for an 8D.
Here is the info on the pulsers http://p198.ezboard.com/fleadacidbatterydesulfationfrm1
To really get a working pulser you'll have to build one, the commercial units are all frauds.
If it was a good working battery when left it will most likely recover.  While the sitting time was much shorter, I recovered 4 ea. L16s that had sat for over a year and at the start of the process only were good for about 2 AH and now are over 400AH but it took 4 months.  If you want more info send me an off board email.
Regards
Jerry 4107 1120

[NJT5047]

Jack, how soon do you need some 8ds?  I'm going to buy two new batteries for my bus this spring...maybe March.  I'll let you have my batteries, which still work fine, but they are 5 years old, as long as you give me two cores.  The battery guys are getting serious about those cores!  And I really hate giving them decent batteries too!
These are Interstate 8ds.   Always had the water levels above the plates and distilled water only.   
These batteries are working, but you can see the voltage drop off a little quicker than it did prior to this year.   
Let me know and I'll contact you when I pull them. 
I also have available the two batteries that were in the bus when I bought it.  I kept them charged for a long time.  They've been sitting for a year now without charging them.  Those batteries would charge up and crank the bus (5 years ago) but they would self discharge in a couple months...with nothing hooked to them.  That ain't normal.  Still, they would likely be chargeable.   
No charge for any of the above...as long as I end up with cores.   I'm in Monroe, NC.  Not to far from you.
If you can wait max of two months, the batteries in my bus now would make you a very useable set.   I oughta get some GC batteries and just lose the 8ds...but, they fit, the wiring is all in place...and they'll crank the H outa the bus if the 31s die (never have..yet) for some reason. 
Let me know if you want the batteries and I'll contact you in March. 
I you want the old NJT batteries, they're yours anytime.  Bring you old ones.
BTW, the original NJT batts are side post units...the Interstates are top post.  I'm using side post adaptors, and will have to keep the adaptors for the next battery set.   You're probably using top post anyway?
704 650 0235

Best, JR

   

[NJT 5573]

Jack, JR's got it right keeping fresh batteries in his bus.

Our local Schucks sells 8Ds with a 7 year warranty for $160. (Exide)

If you have electronics like DDEC or ATEC, low voltage situations can cost you a fortune.

Batterys are so damn heavy I don't think its cost effective to haul around one that is much less than 100%, not to mention the negatives of low/dead battery situations.

[jjrbus]

 I am much cheaper than most people I have met and after some experimentaion in my youth have decided that the most economical route with a dead battery is to replace it. I also replace questionalble batterys. Battery problems at home in the garage are one thing on the road they can quickly get expensive!!
Now if you want to play around and experiment and save a few $$$$$ check the archives for changeing to group 31 batteries.

[ulaff]

I may be way off base here but I thought as long as the plates weren't sulfated too bad you could replace the acid and bring an old battery back? I seem to remember my dad doing something like that when I was a kid ( I had knocked one of his trolling motor batteries over and dumped it out) maybe it's just old age playing trick's on my mind

[gumpy]

This would be a perfect candidate to test out EDTH. I've heard great things about it, but have not brought myself to test it myself. Would be cool to try it out on these 25 year old batteries.

[Dallas]

This would be a perfect candidate to test out EDTH. I've heard great things about it, but have not brought myself to test it myself. Would be cool to try it out on these 25 year old batteries.

Craig,

I think you mean EDTA and I'm a great believer in it. It kept my grpoup 31 house batteries going for 8 years in 2 trucks and 2 coaches. I finally bit the bullet and bought a pair of marine deep cycle batteries after the group 31 posts started leaking.

I've brought back batteries that had been laying out in the shed for years with EDTA. It does have it's limitations, but for what it costs, it's worth a try.

Dallas

[Brian Diehl]

Where do you find EDTH?

[jackhartjr]

What is EDTH?
Jack

[gumpy]

Craig,

I think you mean EDTA and I'm a great believer in it. It kept my grpoup 31 house batteries going for 8 years in 2 trucks and 2 coaches. I finally bit the bullet and bought a pair of marine deep cycle batteries after the group 31 posts started leaking.

I've brought back batteries that had been laying out in the shed for years with EDTA. It does have it's limitations, but for what it costs, it's worth a try.

Dallas

Yep, you're right. EDTA. I haven't looked into for some time.

There's a place in Utah that sells it. Do a google on it.

[Hartley]

EDTA ....Food Preservative...

Some say it works.. Some don't..

I can nurse a stock battery until it don't work no more..
You can spend hundreds of dollars trying to resurrect batteries but stop and think about the cost of the power to run the long term recovery project, the electronics to do the recovery and all the time wasted.....

Buy new batteries and keep them charged and filled.. When they die, Replace them...
Cheaper in the long run and less headaches in the short run...

Dave....

[Sojourner]

Tetrasodium EDTA:
http://www.bostick-sullivan.com/cart/home.php?cat=77

Reviving Batteries:
http://www.alton-moore.net/batteries.html

FWIW

Sojourn for Christ, Jerry