NickMorgan Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 I am sorry, as I am sure this has been asked before, but I am about to replace the battery on my TR3. The old one is 11 years old and just doesn't have enough umph to start the car in this cold weather. I was going to go for a Halford one. They don't list anything for a TR3, but the Herald, Toledo and TR6 all seem to use the same one, so thought I would go for that. Then I looked at another site and the TR3 uses a different battery from the others there! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sidescreen Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Hi Nick, Today I replaced my battery as well, mine was from 2003 and even as weak as yours. I replaced it for a hard rubber battery type "the old style", the battery is a 57 AH. Regards, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sidescreen Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Sorry Nick, Hereby the pictures. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Herald948 Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 Raymond, your battery looks great...and very original; nice! Nick, I think the original TR3 battery was what in the States was sometimes referred to at least here in the US as a "Group 27" size. You can see from Raymond's picture that it's a BIG battery and just about fills the available space. But if originality is less important than keeping the car running, the "Group 24" as used by Heralds and such would work just fine, as would probably almost anything else that fits easily in the space! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NickMorgan Posted January 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 (edited) Thanks guys. Much as I would like to have an original type of battery, I am afraid that the price comes before the look! Raymond, your battery looks great - actually your whole car looks great! The current dead battery came from Halfords and only cost me £37 in 1999. The same spec of battery is available from them now for £45. That seems to be about as cheap as they come. It is interesting that so many cars from the '50s and '60s use the same batteries, but I suppose that most cars of that period used the same lights and dynamos, so maybe it is not so interesting!!! My wife's Morris Traveller, my Herald and the TR all have the same specification of battery. I was just wondering if I needed something a bit beefier to turn over the TR engine. The main specification that seems to be listed this side of the Atlantic is Amp hours. The above batteries are only 35 Amp hours. Edited January 31, 2010 by NickMorgan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sidescreen Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 Hello Nick & Andy, Thank you both for your compliments ! Nick about your battery, the original type of Amps according to the book is 51 AH. Best thing you can do to buy a battery of at least this specifications or more, as you can see on previous forum discussions. Agreed with you concerning the price of my new battery, I paid for exactly the same battery in 2003 € 95,00, now 7 years later € 160,00 !. Minus € 10,00 discount I paid € 150,00. Amazing isn't it, but never the less I treat (or the TR) my self. Good luck with your choice ! Regards, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Remember that your TR was positive earth and, unless you have changed it, will still be so. TR4A (most of them!), TR5 and TR6 will be negative earth, so the terminals will be the other way about. However, a battery capable of starting a TR5/6 should be quite capable of dealing with the smaller engine of your car, so see if you can find a battery of that specification with the terminals the other way round. A TR2/3 which is well-maintained should be very easy to start (my old TR2 could be started on the handle in a winter as cold as that which we have experienced this year, and I could bump start it on a flat road all on my own - and I am a small fellow!), so should not impose a great cranking load for very long. And, if you don't do a great deal of night driving, the dynamo should keep up most of the time. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 Hi Nick, if you go to your local motor factors instead of the High Street guys you should be able to pick up a sensible size battery for £50. By sensible I mean 65-70 amp hours, which is enough to get you a long way in the event of a charging problem - it also has the cranking potential to start a 4-pot TR almost instantly. This link will give you standard battery dimensions and capacities http://www.yuasa-battery.co.uk/automotive/downloads.asp I generally use Professional range 065/075 or 069/072 if that's any help. Cheers, Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NickMorgan Posted February 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 Thanks guys. The battery listed for the TR6 is the smallest car battery that Halfords sell. It is only 35AH. I have bought a slightly larger battery from Halfords, but it is only 41AH. I then discovered that the one that was previously fitted was 60AH. Still can't get the car to start, despite a nice juicy spark. There is also plenty of petrol getting through. Further investigation required ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Richardtr3a Posted February 11, 2010 Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 Lincon Batteries in Leigh on Sea have the correct size and will deliver. The fluid comes seperately. Mine has lasted for at least six years and works in all weather conditions and temperatures. My starting was fantastically improved by an overhauled distributor from the Distributor Doctor. Good luck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tony-qld Posted February 12, 2010 Report Share Posted February 12, 2010 The important rating for a battery is the CCA or cold cranking Amps. Buy the biggest CCA rated battery that you can fit in the battery tray. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted February 12, 2010 Report Share Posted February 12, 2010 Hi Nick, I don't wish to seem rude, but why the heck go to the effort of seeking advice on the Forum, ignore it, and then go and buy something well undersized from Halfords ? One, it doesn't make sense. Two, it makes guys who've made the effort to reply wonder why they bothered. Certainly beats me. Cheers, Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
67_gt6 Posted February 12, 2010 Report Share Posted February 12, 2010 (edited) Nick, if you are not going for concours the "correct" battery for your car is the largest battery that will go in the space - take a measuring tape into Halfords or wherever. It is also a useful chance to get one with the terminals the right way round, I've lost count of the number of TRs I've seen with the metal retaining clamp lying just a couple of milimetres in front of the terminals, which is particularly dangerous when you are removing it. I use a 550 CCA in my 4A, when it is fully charged it would start a Sherman tank. Amp Hours are not the key figure when it comes to starting your car. Andy Edited February 12, 2010 by 67_gt6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NickMorgan Posted February 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2010 Hi Nick, I don't wish to seem rude, but why the heck go to the effort of seeking advice on the Forum, ignore it, and then go and buy something well undersized from Halfords ? One, it doesn't make sense. Two, it makes guys who've made the effort to reply wonder why they bothered. Certainly beats me. Cheers, Alec Alec, I asked the question on 30th January. I appreciate the responses that I received, and although I would love to have a period-looking battery like Raymond's I am not in a position to be able to afford something like that. Andy kindly responded but I couldn't find any reference to "Group 27" or "Group 24" batteries in this country. Ian suggested that a battery capable of starting a TR5/6 would be capable of starting my TR3. You suggested I go to my local motor factors, which I would have done a year ago, but they closed and there is no motor factor within 30 miles of here. Other than trying a local garage and possibly feeling obliged to buy a battery that has been sitting on their shelves for a couple of years, I haven't much choice other than Halfords on the outskirts of Edinburgh. I went there, checked which battery is listed for the TR6 (as per Ian's suggestion) and noticed that the only one they had in stock had leaked a bit and had a sticker with "02 08" on the side. So I decided to go for the next size up of battery. Unfortunately, Halfords do not list the AH of their batteries in store and having heard the advice that the guy behind the desk had offered to another customer I didn't think it worth asking him for a battery for a TR3! I thought that I had taken account of the advice that had been offered by the people who had posted by the time I bought my battery. The subsequent advice from Richard and Tony is helpful and I wish I had received it before I bought the battery. Sorry if people are hurt that I didn't take their advice, but it would be impossible to take everyone's advice! I appreciate the help received from the forum as there are no local Triumph groups anywhere near me either - choice of Glasgow or Newcastle, each over two hours away. So, not only do I not have any local motor factors I also don't have any local groups!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Ye gods and little fishes Nick, it sounds like Edinburgh area is undersupplied with sensible outlets for car consumables ! And I thought sensible outlets were getting thin on the ground in the West Country ! Alan Gibb up in Aberdeen is a good man, he's in factoring himself, he could probably point you in the direction of a decent local supplier. He's on the TR register website, see local group details. A wetliner TR engine doen't need a huge amount of cold cranking amps, by the way, it's not particularly high compression . . . and dipping the clutch on starting reduces the load considerably. The virtue of a bloody great battery is that it will keep you going for hours when the dynamo dies, ask me how I know Cheers, Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StevedTR4A Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 Hi all I am in the same position in needing a new battery. I plan to get a 72 AH 680CCA battery but is this overkill? I have a 60AH battery at present but noted the comments " get the largest battery that will fit". thanks Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 Hi all I am in the same position in needing a new battery. I plan to get a 72 AH 680CCA battery but is this overkill? I have a 60AH battery at present but noted the comments " get the largest battery that will fit". thanks Steve Always the best advice "get the biggest one that fits in the hole" Stuart Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Smith Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 Always the best advice "get the biggest one that fits in the hole" Stuart Yeah, the last thing you want is it rattling around in the 'tray'.............. Cheers Andrew (back in from the garage!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StevedTR4A Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 So its the big one then thanks Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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