wz507 wrote: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.
There are several manufacturers of both the battery shells and the 6N6-3B battery, and their products vary in exact dimensions. So depending on which ones you get, you may need to sand down the inside of the shell so the 6N6-3B battery will fit. I got my shell from Duane Taylor (
[email protected] - only $96 ), and a Yuasa 6N6-3B battery. I will need to sand down the inside of the shell for the battery to fit. Duane also sells a smaller lead-acid battery, marked "Mfg for Wisco, Racine WI 53403" and "JA-8". Where actually made - who knows? For a kick-start bike that's seldom driven at night, this might be just the ticket. I have one of these batteries, and will probably use it when I get my 54 KH done. Duane's shells do not have the top with filler plugs. Both Hummers and K/XL have covers over the battery, so no one will notice.
Stan's photo of his cored-out original battery shows the lead terminals going through the case. The shells I have seen are not like this. The terminal is only on the outside, and is attached to the case by a sheetmetal screw. Steel screw going into a soft lead terminal? Be gentle with those terminals !
Over on the Hummer Club site, there's a recommendation for using the "gel-cell" batteries used in emergency Exit lights and Power-wheels toy cars. My experience with these is that they work fine in Hummers, which most people use for short trips in the daytime. I don't think these are suitable for a K/XL that is used for long trips or at night. I suspect these batteries were not designed for vibration and potholes, and they seem to die suddenly. Perhaps the ones marketed for Power-wheels are better than the ones marketed for Exit signs? I have used the Exit sign batteries in my Henderson, but the Hen has magneto ignition, battery only for lights, and I don't drive it at night, so if the battery dies suddenly, no big deal. I use two of them in parallel, with quick connectors, so I can bypass one if one dies suddenly.
On the "extra line of text" batteries, I've seen 'em both ways. Perhaps Harley had two different suppliers? Or one supplier with two different molds? We see so few originals, it's hard to tell for sure. The approximate dates on our Technical page come from noted Hummer restorer Mutt, who observed them on many original Hummers. Still, an otherwise original bike might have had a replacement Harley battery installed many years ago, so it's really hard to be absolutely certain.