EverydayDiesel

anyone use the blue tops? im thinking about getting that one since its only a few more bucks and it has a 31 group battery that were suppose to run

Ace

300cca makes a big difference at 0deg.F. Even more so if you cycle the grid heaters before cranking. I would not trust anything less than a 1000cca battery (or two Optimas) in the cold very far from home.

JMHO.

SOOT4BRAINS

My truck had a single yellow top when i bought it and its date coded as only being 7 months old, but it could not keep up with that big starter. Even tho they have good cca the deep cycle batteries are not meant for starters! They are meant to be charge slowly and be discharged at a slow to moderate rate. Not meant to be discharged by a ginormous diesel starter! Espescially when its cold. (by the way mine quit in the fall and I live in Phoenix, AZ so its not cold out when I start the truck, and truck has always been in Phoenix.) I ponied up and bought 2 Optima redtop batteries and made my own custom battery tray. I also cleaned up under the battery tray where the old lead acid batteries had leaked and painted it with paint to match the rest of the truck. Its the cleanest area under the hood now lol. These twin Optima redtops are the BEST. The thing cranks so fast. And they will never leak. There are 2 different kinds of redtops. 1 is 670 cca and 800 ca and the other is 800 cca and 1000ca. I have the bigger ones, so its 1600 cca. Its kinda pricey, but it works great and I would definately recomend doing this. Have optimas in all 3 of my muscle cars too. Love them!

BTM

I've had my truck since 5/01. It still has the same Interstate battery when I bought it. Rich