- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
I'm going on 16 and it only sorta bothers me now.
General Tech What did you work on Today?
- Thread starter Gravy
- Start date
Talk to me about battery isolators.
I bought and installed this one tonight.
It had a decent enough rating on Amazon, and was about $25. I want all the items in my truck bed (lights, chargers, fridge, etc) to run off of their own battery, so I can quit jump starting myself when I use too much power. This isolator is supposed to cut on at 13.3 volts, and cut off at 12.8. This works great, as it will charge the second battery when the truck is running, and not drain the truck battery when the truck is off.
however, the thing never cuts off. I’ve triple checked the wiring (3 simple wires). The isolator will stay on even when the fuse is pulled from the truck battery line. Obviously it is bad.
what isolators are you guys using? Is there a more simple relay I should be using?
I don’t want to spend too much more on a fancy kit (I’ve seen them for $100+), so I’d just wire it to charge when the key is on if needed… or maybe just a toggle switch inside the truck to separate them. It would be fun to have it automatic like it should be.. but I don’t like to spend money when not needed. 😁
I bought and installed this one tonight.
It had a decent enough rating on Amazon, and was about $25. I want all the items in my truck bed (lights, chargers, fridge, etc) to run off of their own battery, so I can quit jump starting myself when I use too much power. This isolator is supposed to cut on at 13.3 volts, and cut off at 12.8. This works great, as it will charge the second battery when the truck is running, and not drain the truck battery when the truck is off.
however, the thing never cuts off. I’ve triple checked the wiring (3 simple wires). The isolator will stay on even when the fuse is pulled from the truck battery line. Obviously it is bad.
what isolators are you guys using? Is there a more simple relay I should be using?
I don’t want to spend too much more on a fancy kit (I’ve seen them for $100+), so I’d just wire it to charge when the key is on if needed… or maybe just a toggle switch inside the truck to separate them. It would be fun to have it automatic like it should be.. but I don’t like to spend money when not needed. 😁
We use the Cole Hersey ones from NAPA on all of our fleet trucks at the power company to keep the inverter batteries separated from the cranking batteries. They do go out from time to time, but I find it's usually after a crew has been running a big 120V electric grounding rod jack hammer from their 3500W inverter and tripping the breaker due to thermal overloading. The 48525 is 85A continuous rated and the 48530 is 200A continuous.
Tacoma
Et incurventur ante non
- Location
- far enough away
Got this running, oil pressure is a solid 40psi at idle, I'm stoked. I really like this truck.
We built a deck at my brothers house yesterday. It’s a 20’x14’. Knocked almost all of it out in a day. Wood framed and trex decked. Large stair case going all the way down to the basement entrance. Looks great.
I didn’t post a photo though, because no one wants an unsolicited deck pic.
I didn’t post a photo though, because no one wants an unsolicited deck pic.
4x4_Welder
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Twin Falls, ID
I actually welded on my 4x4 today. Final pieces for the under engine crossmember, now I just need to hack out the transmission one and I can mock the engine and trans into it. I may pull the cab off, I need to lift it 1" anyway to get clearance, so I may yank the cab to make dropping the engine in easier. Next will be getting the steering box in place, and figuring out how I'm going to set up the coil perches. I'm running stock XJ coils for now.
- Location
- West Haven, UT
After finding the old, large-cap HEI was only giving the engine a total of 24 degrees ignition advance, I changed out the entire ignition system on the scrambler this weekend. Now using the Holley hyperspark system - distributor (built by MSD), ignition box (re-branded MSD unit) and Holley coil.
It all ties into the Sniper EFI system and 100% computer controlled. I was able to set idle advance and WOT advance. There is lots more possible adjustments if I wish to dig into it.
Got it up and running and used a timing light to verify that the Sniper control was accurate. When installing the distributor, you "phase" the rotor with a clear cap that is provided. I didn't get it out of the garage as the wiring is all apart and a mess. Cleaning that up will be this week's work.
It all ties into the Sniper EFI system and 100% computer controlled. I was able to set idle advance and WOT advance. There is lots more possible adjustments if I wish to dig into it.
Got it up and running and used a timing light to verify that the Sniper control was accurate. When installing the distributor, you "phase" the rotor with a clear cap that is provided. I didn't get it out of the garage as the wiring is all apart and a mess. Cleaning that up will be this week's work.
- Location
- The Land Northward (Bountiful), Utah
Changed some bearings...
The lesson here is sometimes you blast mud into the bearings when you pressure wash.
The lesson here is sometimes you blast mud into the bearings when you pressure wash.
- Location
- Eagle Mountain, Utah
Minus 3 blocks and all the backfill this wall is complete! My back is never going to forgive me for this.
- Location
- West Jordan
Looks great Anthony! I know how much work that is, and if I were your back I'd never forgive you either!
- Location
- West Bountiful, UT
Your back, really, it's not going to forgive you. Backs are like women, they save this stuff up and cherish each one. Years later when you don't even remember any of it, your back will pull out an ancient grudge and get revenge on you for it. And you probably won't know what the he'll happened. Women do the same thing.
- DAA
- DAA
- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
I did it once putting on my underwear. Got one foot through and WAAAAAH thump! That was awkward.
- Location
- West Bountiful, UT
The one foot through the underwear thing, timing is just as bad, when it's a woman dredging up the ancient past and giving you a blast of shit, that seems to come out nowhere.
- DAA
- DAA
Thursty
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Green River
I threw mine out pulling a pizza out of the oven. It was a good thing I was near a counter and was able to hold myself up. Otherwise I would have hit the floor and stayed there. As it was I was able to, eventually, hobble to the couch where I stayed for the next 24 hrs.
Vonski
nothing to see here...
- Location
- Payson, Utah
Making progress on a removable aluminum fairing for the top of the headache rack on the tow rig. Not sure it’s worth the time/effort just to keep bugs off the utv (since it sits pretty high above the cab), but I’m doing it anyway. Also, I’ve got an extra pair of fancy Summit Machine tierods that I’ll repurpose as adjustable support rods. Question is, will it get “trucker approved” by @Hickey ? 🤷♂️
Attachments
- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
It'll probably look cool. No idea if it will make a difference.
DaveB
Long Jeep Fan
- Location
- Holladay, Utah
I am getting tired of appliances breaking..... Over the last year or so I've had to replace the dishwasher, the disposal, the water heater, the microwave and now the washing machine is dead. It is not that old and has one of the fancy electronic control boards in it that looks like it has given up the ghost. I busted out the voltmeter and it looks like the microcontroller in it is missing one of the two power rails. I can't find the part on the parts websites so I will have to either buy a used one on ebay for $175 and hope it works, attempt to fix the board, or buy another washer. Why can't they just keep it simple ? The electronic components on a lot of these boards go obsolete very quickly and you can't get them after a couple of years.
Vonski
nothing to see here...
- Location
- Payson, Utah
…if I added something like this to it, would that improve its effectiveness any? 🤠
Attachments
- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
That would cap your speed at 65 mph and force you to repeatedly perform the "Walmart Cheer" Google that.
The official term for that yellow decal is the "Spark" but some of us refer to it as Satan's Butthole.