Michael Haseltine wrote: > > This happened on one (I hope only one) of a new set I installed a > year ago. I don't know it I did it or it came from the factory that > way because I noticed it on fitting things and promptly got a new > one, no questions asked from where I purchased it. I noticed it by > way of some brown dribbles down the side that were clearly acid. In > any case, I figured right away that care was called for on > installing, and in a couple of places it was very hard to do because > of tight clearance. I found I could use the removeable handles to > install and slip the handles out afterward.
We found a second Optima in the pack with the same problem. The seal on one end is broken, and it has about half of normal amphour capacity. Now that I've had the lid off, I know there is nothing at the center of each cylindrical cell. I will try drilling six holes in the yellow top at the center of each cell, add water, and see if the battery recovers. If so, I can re-seal the holes and the cracked side seal and see what happens. Another interesting note; the square bottom recess at the POSITIVE terminal end of the battery goes all the way through to the top. You could drill a 1" hole from the bottom right out the top, and it wouldn't hit anything inside the battery or cause a leak. The yellow top and gray bottom are completely sealed together all the way around this square well. This is NOT true for the other square bottom recess at the negative end! An inter-cell jumper runs through this spot. -- Lee A. Hart Ring the bells that still can ring 814 8th Ave. N. Forget your perfect offering Sartell, MN 56377 USA There is a crack in everything leeahart_at_earthlink.net That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
