| Bob Watts | -- 02-26-2016 @ 7:46 PM |
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In removing the left hand water pump the temperature probe is proving to be an obstacle. It seems frozen in place. I don't want to damage it. How does it come out? The tube it travels through seems loose in the water pump but not loose enough to slide out. Also I've fried 2 Optima batteries now. 1 in the 36 and 1 in the 32 as I try to bring them back to life. I had both batteries connected in the cars with the ignitions off and hooked up to very nice 6 volt chargers but must the battery be disconnected from the terminals? Having trouble with pics on a mac is there some way to edit them after posting? sorry about that. Thanks! This message was edited by Bob Watts on 2-26-16 @ 7:48 PM
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| TomO | -- 02-27-2016 @ 6:28 AM |
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Welcome to the Forum. I don't know what you mean by "fried 2 Optima batteries". Did they go completely dead while the car was not in use? How long was the car not in use? Are you not able to charge the battery? I will try to explain the limitation of the photo posting on this site. You can only post one photo per post, this can be a new topic or a reply to a topic. You opened a new post for each photo, when you could have just have clicked on REPLY to your original post to add additional photos. You cannot edit your photos after posting them. Tom
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| Bob Watts | -- 02-27-2016 @ 9:52 AM |
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Tom: I ordered 2 new Optima 6 volts from Amazon a couple months ago. I installed one in the 36 5 window and drove it several times on consecutive weekends .I always hooked the battery up to a charger when done and made sure the igniton was off and any lights. Last week the battery was still hooked up to the charger but was in a fault mode and the battery is completely dead. On the 32 Roadster I hooked up the Optima about a week ago and it had been on a different charger until then. As I was trying various things to get the car started I left the battery connected to the charger. Yesterday I went to where the cars are and the battery was completely dead and the charger was in a fault mode. After I hooked up another Optima and actually got it running I noticed that when the car was shut of and the ignition was off the cutout? on the generator was buzzing so I unhooked the positive cable and the buzzing stopped. The 36 was a fine restoration that my Dad bought in the late 90's and I intend to keep forever. The 32 has a fiberglass body and fenders and the rest seems mainly original and we want to sell it as soon as possible. I hope to take it to the Los Angeles Fairplex show in a couple weeks. Thanks! Bob
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| cliftford | -- 02-27-2016 @ 3:34 PM |
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By any chance did you hook it up backwards? negative ground/ instead of positive ground? You might try to recharge the batteries with cables unhooked and see what happens
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| Bob Watts | -- 02-27-2016 @ 8:36 PM |
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Clift: Have I made the amateurish mistake of hooking up the charger backwards? I'm well aware of the positive ground but read somewhere in the forum to hook up a charger pos-pos and neg-neg. Is that incorrect?
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| cliftford | -- 02-27-2016 @ 8:57 PM |
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It sounds like you had the charger hooked up correctly. I would suspect the cutout its self, possibly the buzzing you hear is the. gen trying to turn due to the points sticking or a shorted cutout. These things are hard to diagnose on line. This message was edited by cliftford on 2-27-16 @ 9:06 PM
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| TomO | -- 02-28-2016 @ 8:14 AM |
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You have some sort of drain when you are not using the car. The cutout on one of the cars seems to be a problem. You will need to check the other car for the source of the drain. Hook up a test light between the NEG battery post and the Neg Battery cable, It should not light. If it does, start disconnecting wires until the light goes off. The cutout and brake light switch are the most common causes of draining the battery. Your Optima batteries are likely OK. The smart chargers will not charge them when they are dead, your best bet is to take them to a battery store to have them charged and tested. Tom
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| Bob Watts | -- 02-29-2016 @ 11:02 AM |
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Thanks guys. I put my last good Optima in the 32 Roadster (plastic body and fenders) and drove it around the block and she ran cool and smooth for the half hour or so. I put the dead Optima's on a 10 amp charger with no luck. They just sit at 10 amps never seeming to charge. Tried to charge each for about an hour. The 36 is a different story it runs very smooth but overheated at idle after a 45 minute drive, not enough to boil over but enough to die due to I believe a coil problem which I have written up in another post. I just put new Drake pumps in it and think a radiator job is also in it's near future. I really want to get it sorted out to reliable driver status. Back in the 70's we restored a 30 Model A and we drove it for years with next to no problems as I recall. I was kind of busy though chasing girls and drinking beer while my Dad probably wondered where all the miles were coming from. Thanks!
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| 39 Ken | -- 03-01-2016 @ 4:49 AM |
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I suggest that you go to the Optima website (google is you friend). The Optima has a specific procedure for charging a dead Optima. With a completely discharged Optima, others have hooked up the Optima in parallel with a 12v battery, then charge the 12v. This should bring the Optima back to life. Confirm this procedure with the Optima website or give them a call as I'm only going from a dim memory. Once the Optima is charged, there is no need to charge it or keep it on a maintainer. I have three in use for over twelve years and I've never had to apply a charge other than what the car provides. This includes putting the cars away around November, and not restarting until March. When disconnected, they don't discharge. Tom O has given you good advise.I would caution that if you take it to a battery store, know the procedure before you get there to make sure that they know the correct procedure. These batteries are a really different animal.
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