Jump Starting Equipment

[John C.]

I don't know about the low batteries and lugging the alternator stuff. I do know what I've been told by the people who repair and rebuild alternators that the two things that kill them early are jump starting with the battery leads reversed and slipping drive belts. Apparently the heat from slipping drive belts goes right into the rotor affecting the lubed for life bearings and sometimes the coating on the windings.

As a habit I don't just pull the leads off a battery as soon as the machine starts. I let it stay on for a minute or two to make sure I don't get a spark when I disconnect because of a difference in voltage between the jump unit and the unit being jumped.

 

[Delmer]

This is what I was thinking of, at 1042 Rotor Rpm (less than 500 engine RPM) this 60 amp alternator will put out 33Amps. Pretty level output and my guess is that it will heat up the components faster at the low speed.

I am referring to when the thing is jump started, and the battery is 10 or 11 or maybe 12 volts if you are lucky. The alternator will be operating way outside its rating no matter what you do. It is operating at full field so the RPM is the limiting factor. The current will be high and raising RPM will make it higher fast.

Once it starts regulating at 14 volts then you are correct but if the battery got ran flat it can take a while to get there.

I don't own a heavy duty enough set of jumper cables that I ever have to worry about that, if the jumped battery doesn't contribute enough, just wait another five minutes. Of course with my own stuff I put the charger on it... but you want a jump, no problem, your battery and alternator.

I'll see if I have the appropriate DC amp meter to do some tests. I know I can find a few batteries that will do the trick.

 

[Birken Vogt]

The reason this subject was dear to my heart is I was getting ready to leave a job the other day and the service truck would not start. Found less than 9 volts on the battery.

Very shallow downhill and about 6' to roll before fence/cliff. I tried bump starting the normally sluggish starting Ford 351W engine in 3' of slow roll in 1st gear and what do you know, it started. I got out of there and checked voltage, still 9V.

Drove it about 10 miles like that but did not have enough power to climb a hill any more, thinking electric fuel pump. Found a shady spot and changed out the battery with a new battery I carry for customer sale. Livened up right after that but still no alternator of course.

Picked one up on the way in. Took a different truck. Put the old battery on trickle charge but even after half a day it was not real full.

Installed new battery, new alternator and fired it up, noted the much higher charging rate at higher RPM so let it idle about half an hour and crossed my fingers that I would not fry the new alternator on my way to the next job, now it has been a couple of days and everything seems to have stabilized fine.

Not enough room in my schedule for mechanical breakdowns.

 

[JS300]

Finally getting the tractor back today. The Engine ECU, Tractor ECU, and the Digital Dash Panel had to be replaced hope that stuff fixed it.

 

[4x4ford]

Had lightning strike a 2 year old peterbilt 579 insurance said total bill was just slightly north of 25000 for all the computers and crap it took out

 

[JS300]

I got the bill Monday. Just shy of $5,000. I was told they had a guy in several years ago that ran into a hot wire used for cattle and it wiped his computers. That stuff sure is nice until it goes haywire.

 

[digger_hunter]

Hey guys, have any of your tried one of thes enew super capacitor jump starters on heavy equipment? All the relatively cheaper ones are all 12v but i am wondering if hooking these upto one of the dead bateries would do or do wondering if a better way would be to connect 2 seperate 12v supercap starters so one for each battery in a 24v system?

 

[John C.]

I had the twenty four volt unit for years. They work great and are a lot cheaper that two 12 volt units.

 

[digger_hunter]

Hi John

Thanks for the reply. I’ve been using a Schumacher 12/24 with the built in batteries for over 5 years now. But that’s units had it now cuz one my guys managed to misuse it somehow!

So thinking of getting one of the new supercap batteryless ones. Which one do you use because so far I haven’t been able to find any 24v supercap ones on amazon etc. I found a couple on the internet butvprettt pricey around 1000 usd.hence the reason I was considering a couple of 12v units. Schumacher make a 800A 12v unit which is supposedly pretty good.

 

[John C.]

I had a 24 volt unit that was probably batteries as it was kind of heavy. It cost $500 from the Napa store and it lasted for years. Bounced around in a pickup, never leaked fluid and I've jumped D9 and D10 sized units three or four times a day. I could charge it by plugging it into the cigarette lighter or with the supplied charger in any 110 volt socket. The company I was working for bought two more of them and still use them today and got rid of their roll around jumper carts.

I don't know about the capacitor ones yet. I'm guessing that they are pretty light. Still I think it would have to go a long way before it was better than the 24 volt battery units I've been working with for years.