• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Red Cap Batteries

Hemibird

Active Member
Local time
9:57 PM
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
44
Reaction score
14
Location
Connecticut
Does anybody know if Antique Batteries/Jim's Battery Service is still in business? The phone number still works, but the mailbox is always full. E-mails get bounced.

Or … does anybody know where to get another battery? Mine crapped out after 3 years. Acting like a dead cell. Shows full charge but won't turn over the engine. Pulled the Optima from my 68 RR(Driver) and it works, so it's not the car.

Did a search and didn't find another thread.
 
I believe Jims closed a while back.
 
Stevens Performance has capped batteries available.
 
I believe Jims closed a while back.
Well … The Shipping Label on the box says 02/20/17 … and I know someone who got a battery last Winter/Spring. But … having no response .. It looks like they may be closed. So much for the 4 year warrantee. :-(
 
Gut your battery case from the bottom and stick an Odyssey PC925 in through the bottom of it and never look back. Heck, if you've only had it 3 years is your battery already an AGM.??? ie caps are for show and you don't fill it? If so you can probably get the case lid off and change out the AGM that's inside.
superbirdcleanup2019part2 289.JPG
superbirdcleanup2019part2 301.JPG
superbirdcleanup2019part2 313.JPG
 
Gut your battery case from the bottom and stick an Odyssey PC925 in through the bottom of it and never look back. Heck, if you've only had it 3 years is your battery already an AGM.??? ie caps are for show and you don't fill it? If so you can probably get the case lid off and change out the AGM that's inside.
View attachment 932755 View attachment 932756 View attachment 932757
Mine took a crap too. I have a AGM inside too I think. That's what I think I will try. How do you get the case apart?
 
I show the entire process in my Superbird / Talladega or Bust thread Mike. It was a 30 year old script battery that froze on me and split in half. I still have another "fresh" one on the shelf that was dry charged 30 years ago and I'll do the same with it in time.

Post #127 on... https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...or-bust-1970-super-bird-cleanup.173290/page-7

I have one of the 24 series Yellow caps in my Bee that's an AGM. I'll have to take a good look at it to see if I can tell if the top was snapped on or bonded.
 
I show the entire process in my Superbird / Talladega or Bust thread Mike. It was a 30 year old script battery that froze on me and split in half. I still have another "fresh" one on the shelf that was dry charged 30 years ago and I'll do the same with it in time.

Post #127 on... https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...or-bust-1970-super-bird-cleanup.173290/page-7

I have one of the 24 series Yellow caps in my Bee that's an AGM. I'll have to take a good look at it to see if I can tell if the top was snapped on or bonded.
Any information would be great and thanks for the link.
I will have to look at mine closer. It is sitting on the 2 amp trickle right now. I left the dome lights on over a few days and it killed it. Many times they will not come back. I have a smart charger that works for those batteries but to no avail. If the top doesn't snap off, I might be able to cut the bottom out and replace the battery.
 
That's the problem with "smart chargers" they are stupid! If a battery is dead they won't work at all as they need to sense voltage to turn them on. I prefer an old garage charger, but if I have to use the smart I use some jumper cables from the dead battery to a good one so the smart charger starts working and a few minutes into that you can take the boost battery off and the charger will carry on. AGM's should be charged with a high voltage. Going out to the shop to grab a beer out of the pop machine to make doing Corp tax returns a bit smoother.. lol.. I'll have a good look at the Yellow cap in the Bee.
 
Any information would be great and thanks for the link.
I will have to look at mine closer. It is sitting on the 2 amp trickle right now. I left the dome lights on over a few days and it killed it. Many times they will not come back. I have a smart charger that works for those batteries but to no avail. If the top doesn't snap off, I might be able to cut the bottom out and replace the battery.
Use a standard battery charger, the stupid one.
 
Use a standard battery charger, the stupid one.
I have tried both. I started with the standard one on 10 a. Then the smart charger and now the trickle. It's dead. It only loads to 180 some cranking amps regardless what charger I put on it.
 
The last one I bought from Jim lasted less than two years. The one before lasted 6 years. When these things are dead you have to really cook it to get it to work, but your results may vary. I experimented with cutting the bottom out and it was very easy. Threw an Odyssey battery in it and it cost less.
 
The last one I bought from Jim lasted less than two years. The one before lasted 6 years. When these things are dead you have to really cook it to get it to work, but your results may vary. I experimented with cutting the bottom out and it was very easy. Threw an Odyssey battery in it and it cost less.
That's what I plan to do. The case is perfect. I think it has a Optima AGM type in it.
 
That's what I plan to do. The case is perfect. I think it has a Optima AGM type in it.
Mine had two batteries sandwiched in there. Pull the caps off, you can't get to the cables from the bottom after you cut it. Small ratchet and extensions though the filler holes.
 
I just looked inside my 24 series Yellow cap. Through the two end caps I can see it has an Odyssey inside with cables running up to the posts. Appears it was hooked up to the top plate and then the battery lowered into the case that had liquid epoxy in the bottom to bond the battery in place. Lid seems to be bonded down as well, so as chtampa states it looks like a bottom entry like I did with my old acid battery.
 
Since I have 2 "Red-Cap" carcasses in the garage now, I think I'm going to attempt a "Heart Transplant" on one of them as some of you have done/suggested. Just out of curiosity … what did you use to cut the bottom out of the battery? AND … Did you seal it back up … or did you use just the Plexiglass/Lexan and screw it on?
 
Since I have 2 "Red-Cap" carcasses in the garage now, I think I'm going to attempt a "Heart Transplant" one one of them as some of you have done/suggested. Just out of curiosity … what did you use to cut the bottom out of the battery? AND … Did you seal it back up … or did you use just the Plexiglass/Lexan and screw it on?
I show the entire process in my link in post #10. Was a bit easier with a battery that was split in half from freezing, but the end result is the same. No need to "seal" the bottom of the case, the Odyssey battery is totally sealed.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top