Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

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Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

April 16, 2015, 07:49:57 pm

My 9 year old Red Tops are tired. I would like to replace them with something else.

I'm very interested in trying an AGM made by Deka (rather than JCI)....but I'm having a hard time finding the right one at a nation wide chain.

So far the only option I have found is the O'Reilly Super Start Platinum. However, it seems to only be available in either a 34R (reversed posts) for $158 or a 34/78 (top and side posts) for $172. $42 for side posts I don't need.
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/SSBQ/34RPLT/03321.oap?year=1979&make=Ford&model=F-150&vi=1121083&ck=Search_C0423_1121083_4440&pt=C0423&ppt=C0005

Anyone know where I can find a Group 34 AGM made by Deka? Or can I use the O'Reilly 34R?

My current Red Tops are connected by this flexible bar with lead terminals. It seems like I could use the 34R, all the cables would just be a couple of inches further in board.

And a pic of one of my Red Tops that I can only guess might have Frozen!?!

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #1 – April 16, 2015, 07:54:45 pm

Next time mine need replacing, I'll be looking into using a single Lifeline 8D AGM, exactly the same as my house batteries.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #2 – April 16, 2015, 08:12:32 pm

Just make sure that the CCA of the battery(ies) you choose met the minimum specs for your engine.

A Cummins C is NOT the same as a Cummins M in terms of battery requirements.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #3 – April 16, 2015, 08:22:31 pm

I have not seen batteries expand like that. I assume as you said they froze, while being discharged. Did you have them in freezing temps and were they not under charge? For engine batteries, we long ago scraped the tired-looking original 3-battery terminal cable and prefer individual (NAPA) Military terminals with short jump cables arched between batteries. When a terminal goes bad, we just swap out the problem terminal with a new one. We think it makes for better battery post connections.
FYI, we still find RedTops work for us. Sam's Club has had good Red Top prices.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #4 – April 16, 2015, 09:03:26 pm

I had some Optima Blue tops in one of my Sprinter vans did a similar thing, it never saw freezing temps.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #5 – April 16, 2015, 09:13:07 pm

I'm not at all sure what caused that to happen, freezing was just a wild guess since it seems to have happened over the winter. Also it was a 9 year old battery, so I got the pervious owners money worth.

I've never really heard anything bad about Deka/Eastern Penn so I would really like to try out their AGMs.

I'm just not sure If I can make the 34R work. Seems to be plenty of slack in the cables.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #6 – April 16, 2015, 09:49:47 pm

Not to rehash which battery brand is better or the best-

When we got our Ol Girl she had 3 yellow top starting batteries that needed to be replaced - long story. We replaced them, based on recommendations from many on this forum, with one Penn Dekka 8a8d AGM that we found from a Penn Dekka distribution center in Tacoma, WA. Since the yellow tops were wired together I only used the main + and - cables and "stored" the unused jumpers.

Last year the two wet cell house batteries were giving me fits, in terms of not being able to or rather not wanting to go through the trouble of maintaining them - my problem, we replaced them with the O'Reilly 8a8d. After reading on this web site that O'Reilly purchases their batteries from Penn I called O'Reilly and asked them who manufactured their 8a8d batteries and they said Penn. Good enough for me. The O'Reilly batteries were about $150.00+/- less than the Dekka brand and were the same batteries.

I did not think about it at the time but when I was at the Tacoma Distribution center I saw thousands of batteries of all sizes and a conveyor line going down the center of the warehouse. As the batteries were coming down the conveyor the workers were putting stickers on them with different names and logos.

We now have AGMs everywhere that I do not have to maintain, a Ultra Trick-L-Charger and a Trimetric 2025 to keep an eye on them not to mention the Magnum 2820 . Ain't life grand.

Thanks again to all of you that have gone before us and left trails here for us to follow.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #7 – April 17, 2015, 12:58:04 pm

I don't think I understand why anyone would use just one 8D battery for cranking. It seems equally or more expensive, certainly less redundant, and seems like less cranking amps. I just don't think that's the best option for me. But that's neither here nor there.

Surely somebody here is using Deka/East Penn AGM start batteries that are some variety of 34. Or if you are using 31s, where did you buy them?

Thanks!

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #8 – April 17, 2015, 01:09:17 pm

Doug,

If you are still on the north side of central Texas, East Penn sells direct at their location in Carrollton. A bit of a drive, but I've heard their prices are competitive.

ETA - quick research shows East Penn also makes West Marine's SeaVolt AGM starting batteries.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #9 – April 17, 2015, 01:27:23 pm

Agree that using a single 8D for cranking an eight liter engine might come up short in cold weather. Want to make sure the battery(s) will continue to do the job as they age. We use three 34 series on our nine liter and have had no problems cranking in the teens almost six years later. Good to have cables/connectors better than required specs. Engine specifications never consider high resistance in cables or connectors on coaches as they get older.

Pierce

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #10 – April 17, 2015, 03:09:13 pm

Michelle,

You seem to have indirectly provided all the answers. Thank you! I thought I was calling the Carrollton branch of East Penn, but instead I ended up talking to a very knowledgeable guy in customer care. He was able to provide me the part number that I needed for a Group 34 O'Reilly battery. I'm generally an O'Reilly kind of guy so I'm going to get the batteries thru them. There's one in almost every town which to me is a huge plus.

Why the employees at the Sun City O'Reilly couldn't find this battery in their system I don't know but it's not the first time that this one location has been less than stellar.

So here is some info, if you would like to use an Eastern Penn AGM start battery. Hopefully this will save someone some time.

O'Reilly Super Start Platinum AGM- Part number 34PLT (currently $152.99+core)
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA): 775 CCA
Cranking Amps (CA): 955 CA
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/SSBQ/34PLT.oap?year=1979&make=Ford&model=F-150&vi=1121083&ck=Search_34plt_1121083_4440&keyword=34plt

Napa Legend Premium AGM - Part number 9834 (currently $149+core)
For some reason the specs are lower according to Napa's website.
Battery Cold Cranking Amps @ 0 Degrees F : 700
Battery Cranking Amps @ 32 Degrees F : 875
NAPA AUTO PARTS

This same battery should be available at Batteries Plus as well but I didn't get a part number.

The other option is to do like I did and call them at (610) 682-6361, tell them where you are and they can help you find near by locations. The "search for a location" feature on their website doesn't seem to provide all of the locations.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #11 – April 19, 2015, 03:21:02 am

We have a single DEKA 8A8D AGM for the starting battery, and it's been fine in all the weather we've encountered.

Just checked the spec for CCA (cold cranking Amps) and it's 1,450, which seems to me like it should be OK to start an ISC 8.3L.

Deka 8A8D (8A8DM) AGM Battery

We previously had two red tops, and they were worthless after two years, and wouldn't start without the boost switch on.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #12 – April 19, 2015, 01:08:54 pm

Dave,
I also put the single 8D AGM in for the starting battery. I liked the cable simplification... On question for you though, without the boost on, ours starts but doesn't spin like the proverbial top. With boost on, it does. Is yours similar? I haven't addressed all the cabling for the start battery set up and was thinking that it might be a good thing to revisit in the interest of optimizing the start system while minimizing the stress on the various systems that are voltage dependent.
Don

Quote from: Dave Katsuki – April 19, 2015, 03:21:02 am

We have a single DEKA 8A8D AGM for the starting battery, and it's been fine in all the weather we've encountered.

Just checked the spec for CCA (cold cranking Amps) and it's 1,450, which seems to me like it should be OK to start an ISC 8.3L.

Deka 8A8D (8A8DM) AGM Battery

We previously had two red tops, and they were worthless after two years, and wouldn't start without the boost switch on.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #13 – April 22, 2015, 03:13:19 am

Don,
Ours starts and starts quite readily, but does start faster when the boost switch is on. I've been thinking for a while that the starter might be asking for replacement with a geared version (I think there was a thread about that a while back. Not an issue now, since ours works, and I have plenty of other things to spend money on

. I did run a direct ground from the cable junction behind the battery to the frame of the Allison, and that made for faster cranking.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #14 – April 22, 2015, 06:06:34 am

Last year I replaced our 2 Red Tops ( 4.5 years old) with 2 Duralast Platinum AGM from Autozone. 750 cold cranking amps from each and added an ECO charger recommended by Harvey Nelson and Keith Risch ( MOT). Spins real good and Harvey says he has been using the same start batteries for 7 years with the ECO charger. Hope I get those results too.

Cya down the road.

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #15 – April 23, 2015, 10:54:21 pm

I picked up 3 O'Reilly Super Start Platinum AGM batteries and installed them. Started the coach today and WOW! It's never spun like that before.

Definitely very pleased with them, fingers crossed they last a while.

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Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

April 16, 2015, 07:49:57 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #1 – April 16, 2015, 07:54:45 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #2 – April 16, 2015, 08:12:32 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #3 – April 16, 2015, 08:22:31 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #4 – April 16, 2015, 09:03:26 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #5 – April 16, 2015, 09:13:07 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #6 – April 16, 2015, 09:49:47 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #7 – April 17, 2015, 12:58:04 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #8 – April 17, 2015, 01:09:17 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #9 – April 17, 2015, 01:27:23 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #10 – April 17, 2015, 03:09:13 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #11 – April 19, 2015, 03:21:02 am

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #12 – April 19, 2015, 01:08:54 pm

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #13 – April 22, 2015, 03:13:19 am

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #14 – April 22, 2015, 06:06:34 am

Re: Deka/Eastern Penn AGM start batteries?

Reply #15 – April 23, 2015, 10:54:21 pm

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