Lithium battery

[willandrache]

Hi all. Can anyone give me feedback on their experience with lithium battery vs lead acid? I understand the huge weight saving and the extra cost. Are lithium batteries worth it?

[Dimis]

Worth it?
Nah, not really. But I use one.

[Tommy]

I spent many, many hours researching Lithium-Iron-Ion batteries for my Cheetah project. Here are some things I learned. 1) The ones sold by USA companies AND intended to crank cars with big engines are expensive (~$1,000). 2) They require special battery chargers. 3) Less expensive ones were available from China but you have to know enough about Amp-Hours and Cold Cranking Amps to get one that would both start your big block engine and last with all your electrical accessories on while idling in traffic. 4) ALL of them use basic Lithium cells (look sort of like C cells) linked together and controlled by a computer that keeps the cells balanced and controls the flow of current into and out of the battery. The controllers determine whether a battery can provide enough current to start an engine. 5) Manufacturers pack those cells, heat sinks and controllers in a box that looks like a traditional battery just so people are comfortable with how they look.

I was looking at lithium batteries because I wanted big electrial power to fit in a very small space. I couldn't make it work for me, so I went with a conventional battery. Given their cost, I couldn't justify a lithium battery just to save 25 pounds in a street machine.

[Snake2998]

Watching YouTube a motorcycle battery with the right capacitor bank might do the job. I admit I know nothing about this but certainly a big weight saving. If I were desperate for weight saving I would look into it further.

[willandrache]

Thanks Tommy. Just the kind of well researched advice I was looking for ��

[TimG427]

I use a lithium battery in my Scarab replica because the battery is located in the door jamb. I had used a motorcycle battery, but it was only good for a few cranks before failing. The lithium battery cranks over the 377 Chevy engine with 480 horsepower without fail.