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Old 04-19-2018, 07:58 AM   #1
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Angry Stolen batteries. Any idea what to substitute?

Stolen batteries. Any idea what to substitute?

It’s a 1989 Chevy C 60 military bus. I know it had dual batteries. The people who stole the batteries cut the cable up near the starter. I think he uses a 00awg Cable. Any help would be appreciated!

It uses it has a 8.2 L fuel pincher diesel.

Lewis

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Old 04-19-2018, 08:20 AM   #2
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Damn. I dealt with this same fun when I picked up my govdeals bus from a School Board lot. Some jerks stole all the govdeals busses battery's and just left the cables to dangle. I hope to put a key lock on my battery door to prevent this in the future.
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Old 04-19-2018, 09:59 AM   #3
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It all sort of depends upon where the battery(s) were located.

If under the hood, most likely a single group 31 battery.

If in a battery compartment located in the skirt of the body along the frame rail it could have had one large 8D, or two/three Group 31 batteries, or two 8D batteries. I have seen some skirt mounted battery boxes that were just that, boxes. In that case changing the size of the battery or number of batteries is not a big deal. Others I have seen have had racks that will only fit a certain size battery. Regardless, choose whichever will fit the best.

For your purposes you don't need much more battery than one high capacity Group 31 or one 8D battery. Most buses have multiple batteries for the reserve capacity. When you have six or more heaters, defrosters, and blowers in addition to crossover lights, interior lights, running lights, headlights, and roof strobe lights it takes a lot of juice to keep them all going. Even with 150+ amp alternators it is hard to generate enough juice at idle to not use more than what is being generated. Since you will be doing very little idling with much more than a few lights you won't need the reserve capacity for that and one battery should be more than enough to get your engine started.

Whichever battery(s) your bus had, make sure you use large enough battery cables to reduce the resistance from the battery(s) to the starter. That starter is going to draw a LOT of amps whenever it is turning.

Also, don't purchase battery(s) strictly on price. When you shop around make sure you are comparing apples to apples. I have seen some Group 31 batteries that have had more cold cranking amps and reserve capacity than some 8D batteries.
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Old 04-19-2018, 02:38 PM   #4
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thanks! That might save me a lot of cash. It had two batteries in there before. That being said it had a large heater in the back and a lot of other items. They were all taken out as we’ve converted this bus. I do know that the wire to the starter is 4/0.

I asked the guy at the battery place whether a single battery at 1000 cca. He seem to think that it might not. I do have four deep cycle batteries inside bus to handle all interior electric.

Thanks again for your information I might just try 1000 amp battery and see if it cranks over OK.
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Old 04-19-2018, 04:09 PM   #5
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1000 CCA sounds a bit small in my book.

1400 CCA sounds a lot better to me.
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Old 04-19-2018, 04:34 PM   #6
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OK, i’ll have to check the dimensions to see if the battery that size would fit. Seems like I might also go with using two batteries lined up in parallel.

Thanks for the feedback.
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Old 04-19-2018, 05:08 PM   #7
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Try talking to your local Chevy dealer. Give them your VIN and they can look up everything.
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Old 04-19-2018, 05:44 PM   #8
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My 86 with the 8.2 has two 8d's at 1185 cranking amps each and I have never had any problems with starting in the cold but we rarely see the extreme cold down here
Good luck
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Old 04-19-2018, 09:18 PM   #9
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Thanks! I'm going to do some measuring. I'm moving to Sw Kansas. Ok think two batteries is going to do the trick.
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Old 04-20-2018, 08:12 AM   #10
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i've got one "heavy duty truck and tractor" battery at 1000 cca, starts my engine just fine. I do plan on buying a second once i hit the road, as i didnt see it necessary to get the second while its stationary and just in conversion mode. It came with two when I bought it, so I plan on doing the same.

oh yeah. its also started it fine in down to -10 degree weather. didnt even try to start the bus in colder than that. so maybe it would too. this was also after a stretch of what was -40 wind chill for a week.


edit: didnt see you had an 8.2 that might change it a bit the. lol.
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Old 04-22-2018, 02:55 AM   #11
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Hello Burlking,

I'm guessing that you're thinking a two battery setup too? IU found some defect pricing on 2 size 31 batteries for less that $100 each. The guy told me they are a very popular size.

Your thoughts?

-Lewis
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Old 04-22-2018, 07:07 AM   #12
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Group 31's are $79 brand new at Rural King.
I've been using them for years.
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Old 04-22-2018, 11:18 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach View Post
It all sort of depends upon where the battery(s) were located.

If under the hood, most likely a single group 31 battery.

If in a battery compartment located in the skirt of the body along the frame rail it could have had one large 8D, or two/three Group 31 batteries, or two 8D batteries. I have seen some skirt mounted battery boxes that were just that, boxes. In that case changing the size of the battery or number of batteries is not a big deal. Others I have seen have had racks that will only fit a certain size battery. Regardless, choose whichever will fit the best.

For your purposes you don't need much more battery than one high capacity Group 31 or one 8D battery. Most buses have multiple batteries for the reserve capacity. When you have six or more heaters, defrosters, and blowers in addition to crossover lights, interior lights, running lights, headlights, and roof strobe lights it takes a lot of juice to keep them all going. Even with 150+ amp alternators it is hard to generate enough juice at idle to not use more than what is being generated. Since you will be doing very little idling with much more than a few lights you won't need the reserve capacity for that and one battery should be more than enough to get your engine started.

Whichever battery(s) your bus had, make sure you use large enough battery cables to reduce the resistance from the battery(s) to the starter. That starter is going to draw a LOT of amps whenever it is turning.

Also, don't purchase battery(s) strictly on price. When you shop around make sure you are comparing apples to apples. I have seen some Group 31 batteries that have had more cold cranking amps and reserve capacity than some 8D batteries.
When buses have multiple batteries do they go in the same compartment and are they wired together somehow so the alternator charges them both?
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Old 04-22-2018, 11:38 AM   #14
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When buses have multiple batteries do they go in the same compartment and are they wired together somehow so the alternator charges them both?
Yes. They are wired in parallel to make one big 12V battery that is charged by the alternator in the normal manner.

Some might have another battery to drive a wheelchair lift. That will be somewhere close to the lift.
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Old 04-22-2018, 04:57 PM   #15
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Quote:
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Yes. They are wired in parallel to make one big 12V battery that is charged by the alternator in the normal manner.

Some might have another battery to drive a wheelchair lift. That will be somewhere close to the lift.
Twigg hit the nail on the head, but if your not familiar, parallel is + to + and - to -. That makes the two batteries appear to be one big 12v battery to the bus. I think there were a few buses that were 24V, which in that case they would be + to - between the two batteries (series), but I don't believe 24V was very common in buses (except maybe the military).
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Old 04-23-2018, 10:19 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tigerman67 View Post
Twigg hit the nail on the head, but if your not familiar, parallel is + to + and - to -. That makes the two batteries appear to be one big 12v battery to the bus. I think there were a few buses that were 24V, which in that case they would be + to - between the two batteries (series), but I don't believe 24V was very common in buses (except maybe the military).
Well I learned something new today! Assuming my battery compartment pullout can handle the weight (and I have no idea how to verify that) is there a down side to chucking another battery in there? Seems like good insurance against it not starting and or being able to run something on that power for pretty cheap.
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Old 04-23-2018, 10:36 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2martins View Post
Well I learned something new today! Assuming my battery compartment pullout can handle the weight (and I have no idea how to verify that) is there a down side to chucking another battery in there? Seems like good insurance against it not starting and or being able to run something on that power for pretty cheap.
Don't just add a battery to one of unknown age and condition.

When you are ready to replace the battery you have, buy two and do it then.
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Old 04-23-2018, 01:55 PM   #18
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Yes, I believe they were in parallel. I've got to hook up all the wiring to the bus as well as they just went on a cutting rampage and just cut everything to get the batteries. I'm going to put 4/0 wires so it will all match what goes to the starter.

Lewis.
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