Replica Battery Box

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Replica Battery Box

Postby GaryM2 » Fri Jul 28, 2017 5:04 pm

Has anyone used a replica battery box? I see some for sale on the Harley Hummer website. I'm considering a replica box for my 1957 Sportster.

The way they take the picture, you can't see the top. Is there a top cover with replica battery acid filler screws, or any top cover at all?

https://harleyhummer.com/products/66001-47-red

http://www.harleyhummerclub.org/restore/chapter71/

Thoughts anyone, on using this?
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Re: Replica Battery Box

Postby starcain » Fri Jul 28, 2017 7:46 pm

Gary, the battery boxes on the Harley Hummer website look pretty good. I actually started doing that back in the early 90's when you couldn't find the H-3 batteries anymore. I cored out a later Harley H-3 battery to take a 6N6-3B acid battery. I used to buy Dorcey 6N6-3B batteries at Meijer's for 8 or 9 bucks. Various company's have made that size 6 volt battery and are still available today. They are a 6V 6Ah battery. I've had Dorcey, Exide and interstate. I picked up 9 of the interstates at a swap meet probably 20 years ago and am still using them today. They have always worked good for me with no issues at all. I just ran the vent tube down into the original case. I never got any overflow but if I had it would have been contained in the outside case. I of course
cored out my original battery to fit the new battery. If I was going to do the same thing today I would go with one of the cases on the Hummer site. They look pretty good but you may still have to do some minor modifications to get the small battery to fit inside. Picture is of the battery I use today on my 1953 KK. Good luck. Stan
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Re: Replica Battery Box

Postby Magneto Sportster » Fri Jul 28, 2017 9:08 pm

Hi, the battery boxes sold on the Hummer website do not have a top. You don't see the top anyway because the top plate of the battery hold-down system covers the top of the battery. I have used them and they are pretty nice, but I had a problem with the terminal coming loose and losing connection, so I modified it a bit.

-Magneto Sportster
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Re: Replica Battery Box

Postby wz507 » Fri Jul 28, 2017 9:46 pm

GaryM2 wrote:Has anyone used a replica battery box? I see some for sale on the Harley Hummer website. I'm considering a replica box for my 1957 Sportster.

The way they take the picture, you can't see the top. Is there a top cover with replica battery acid filler screws, or any top cover at all?

https://harleyhummer.com/products/66001-47-red

http://www.harleyhummerclub.org/restore/chapter71/

Thoughts anyone, on using this?


Stan, thanks for the battery info, as having more available options provides another degree of freedom in battery selection. Also like the sturdy supported wiring you did. 12 ga wire?

I just bought this battery shell at the AMCA meet in Wauseon. The images below were shot on a 1 inch grid to provide some sense of scale. I’d not seen this particular battery shell, or for that matter any battery shell previously, but a friend commented that this shell was relatively thin walled, thus providing more interior space to fit a battery into than another example he was familiar with.

LR battery Shell exterior.jpg
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LR Battery shell interior.jpg
LR Battery shell interior.jpg (53.37 KiB) Viewed 27210 times

Regarding what battery to put into the shell, the suggestion was made that a Shorai lithium technology battery in either 6V (18 ah) or 12 V (from 7 to 14 ah) might be suitable. The available battery voltage, ah rating, and pole locations are provided at the link below. I have no first-hand information regarding successes or failures using lithium technology with a conventional HD generator/regulator system, but I know they are fussy about low voltage and the 12V lithiums don't like charging voltages much under 13.1 V.

http://shoraipower.com/battery-specifications

With respect to fit of a given battery in this shell I put together a small table of dimensions that I consider to be realistic internal dimensions of this shell as well as the dimensions of the Shorai Case Size #2 (113 mm) batteries from their website. The subject battery would obviously have to be positioned on end in the case, but I understand that either an AGM or Li technology battery may be mounted in any orientation since they contain no liquid electrolyte. Does anybody know of an AGM battery that fits this box?

LR battery shell dimensions.jpg
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Edit - I Googled Stan's battery number above and AGM, and they do make such a beast.

https://www.amazon.com/Motobatt-MBT6N6-Motorcycle-Battery-Replaces/dp/B007V620AE
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Re: Replica Battery Box

Postby wz507 » Fri Jul 28, 2017 10:10 pm

I was looking at size specifications for the 6N6-3B battery and the dimensions I see specified vary widely, where some would fit the shell I have and others would be too wide. So beware - not all 6N6-3B batteries are sized the same and depending on the battery shell employed, may or may not fit.
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Re: Replica Battery Box

Postby chuckthebeatertruck » Mon Jul 31, 2017 3:41 pm

I can't speak to the battery box; but I can to the current crop of Lithium batteries.

The attraction seems to be size and weight -- you can get a lot more "punch" in a smaller package. However, these benefits are offset by the cost of the batteries and other compromises.

Here's what I know and how I learned it.

Until recently, I built custom dive lights on the side -- this hit its zenith about five years ago when HID lights were nearly 2 grand and good LEDs were in the 1500 range (they are MUCH cheaper now).

The cost of the lights was tied up in the heads (HID systems were stupidly expensive -- early hi-po CREEs were bad too and needed a massive heat sink) but more in the Li batteries. Simply put -- the HID systems ate up a ton of power and the LED systems needed a stable source of juice or they blinked out suddenly.

Well, before charging guys two nuts for battery packs/special chargers and telling guys trusting their life to my work that all was well, I had to learn a whole bunch about the batteries and TEST the systems myself. So, I did . . .

The biggest draw back for frequent use is their limited cycle rate -- an issue compounded by frequent temperature changes and unstable changing loads (you know -- a motor bike). After a couple hundred cycles; they start degrading and the drop becomes exponential until one day you have a battery that either overheats trying to charge or just plain doesn't hold a charge. This also happens to lead/acid batteries -- they just do it more gradually and barf out the vent vs lighting on fire (in extreme cases).

Our bikes put out a paltry charge above and beyond what the system needs -- and Li batteries don't like "minimum" input.

At this stage, I don't know anyone who's gotten more than about 4 years out of Li battery, less on e-start bikes, and everyone I know who has run one has complained about having to replace one under warranty or that the battery "just died without warning."

I have confidence the tech will continue to improve and the price will drop over the next 3-5 years. Until then, I just don't see the advantage of Li over a good SLA or AGM battery, which are much cheaper and known to work just fine.
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Re: Replica Battery Box

Postby fiftysevenXL » Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:19 pm

This is a little off-topic but after reviewing the link to the Hummer site and the battery info on this site, I decided to post this in case anyone is interested.
The battery with the "extra line of text" is the only style I know of that was used from 1952 thru late 1958? The first appearance of the later style (like the
shell wz507 got at Wauseon) was in a 1959 magazine ad for Harley batteries. These are date coded on the bottom and "extra text" cases I have are date
coded 52,54,56 and 57. A couple of the second style batteries have shown up on eBay over the years with 59 bottom codes and orange paint; I have a 61
coded case with orange paint and a 64 dated case with green paint and the part number on the opposite side from the orange ones. I have attached photos
of the various styles and the '59 ad. I also have 2 of the latest ('66-up?) batteries with different style tags; one bottom dated 71 and the other 76/77. If anyone
is interestd in these let me know and I will post them also. As far as I know, no one is reproducing the early "extra text line" battery. As always,comments
and additional info welcomed.
Roger
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Re: Replica Battery Box

Postby fiftysevenXL » Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:23 pm

second style battery
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Re: Replica Battery Box

Postby fiftysevenXL » Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:26 pm

more second style
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batt5.JPG
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Re: Replica Battery Box

Postby fiftysevenXL » Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:29 pm

I decided to just go ahead and post the latest style battery labels. I may have some more battery photos but wil have do some more looking in my files.
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