Optima battery selection
 

I have a 130A 3G alternator and the following electrical loads:

- Weldon 2025A fuel pump ~25 amps
- Lincoln Mark 8 fan ~35 amps
- MSD 6AL ~20 amps
- Low impedance injector driver ~15 amps
- misc. (headlights, brake lights, ect.) ~?? amps

Which Optima battery should I run? The red top or the yellow top (deep cycle)? The car is a weekend cruiser/racer only. Thanks.

I was thinking about the same thing myself. I am going with the red top this year. I was told by Summit a while back that the yellow top was not intended for race cars w/ alternators. So I guess the red top is the way to go.

Part # 34/78----Red top

Hope this helps.

Yeah, I've always thought that deep cycle batteries were intended for trolling motors on boats and cars with high power stereos or hydraulics. But Optima's website implied that cars with high accessory loads would benefit from them as well.

BTW - the red tops are a lot cheaper than the yellow tops :)

Anyone on here running an Optima battery???

I have an Optima yellow top. I abuse the hell out of it and it still works fine. A few friends have had the red top and they have had problems with them.

I got my yellow top here locally for around $140.

Andy

Yeah Red Top is the way to go.

I have seen them as low as $79.00 but mostly $90 or so. Dont pay any more than that.

They work great, no vent needed, no mess. Especially good for sitting for long periods of time. I think they have full replacement for 3 years. I have used one racing over about 5 years. I will mount it in the Cobra when I get the billit mount.

What kind of problems have they had with them?

They didnt last very long.

Andy

Red Optima
 

I've had a Red Optima for over a year with a Powermaster 140 amp alternator with no probs.
750 rpm idle with fogs and air on turning the supercharger and a .2 amp overvoltage on the ammeter!

Yellow tops are designed to go long periods of time with usage and NO charging i.e. deep cycling. I would not use it in a situation where you are constantly charging it. Red top gets my vote.

I planned on going red top with the new 331 setup.

I have a red top and the stock tie down doesnt hold it in place, does anyone make an aftermarket one that fits an optima?

Red top here, no problems so far.

My brother just replaced his red top. It had been in the car almost 10 years

I've hard the yellow top for 3 years now and have never had a dead battery even after blaring the stereo for 2-3 hours w/o the car running. Simply a great battery.