Battery Problems

D

dblong

New member
Hello Bellanca flyer's, I have a couple of questions for you Bellanca experts. I'm looking for a better battery for my 1947 Cruisair with the lyc 435 engine. I'm now using a Gill G-35s, but the battery doesn't have enough battery power to start the plane after it's 8 months old. I have tried charging it a couple of times, but it doesn't seem last too long. I also checked if anything was draining it while parked and didn't find anything and the generator is working as it should.

I also wanted to know if there a STC for a geared alternator to replace that heavy generator. I see there a lighter starter for her, but mine working fine. Maybe I should change the starter to a lower current one from B & C Specialty due to the battery located near the tail of the aircraft. Always enjoy and Appreciate you guys helping with these question. Darrell
 
I've heard the concord has more cold cranking amps. changing the aluminum rod that carries the juice forward to copper could help, but so would just cleaning all the connections. The relay is located just fore of the battery and on my old 14-19, it could be disassembled and all the interior contacts cleaned of corrosion to improve the flow of juice.
 
As an owner of a 14-19 with an O-435 I hate to break the news, but I know of no STC for an alternator, a light weight starter, or just about anything you can think of that other Lycomings have. We've got an engine that was orphaned long ago, alas.

The O-435-11 and some of the other O-435s can take aftermarket alternators but the O-435-A series has a completely different accesssory package all its own. I've yet to see a Bellanca with an O-435 model other than the A.

In 14-19s most of the battery problems arose due to aluminum wire, which was used to save weight but which loses conductivity over time. Mine not only has copper wire but it also had the battery relocated from the tail to the baggage compartment. I don't know the arrangement in your Cruisair.

Jonathan
 
You might check into a Jasco Alternator.

I seem to recall hearing about one being put in a 14-19, so there may be paperwork on that installation.

Dave
 
As I said, the Jasco alternator may apply to many O-435s, but not to the O-435-A1 or A2. Until we know which sort of O-435 Darrell has, it's hard to say.

Generators are more dependable than alternators. The problem is amps. People I know have managed to boost the amperage of the original generators by having the armature rewound. Yeah, generators are heavy. They produce limited juice at idle, much as venturis do. These are not airplanes suited for IFR ops in 0-0 conditions, and no matter what you add, they are not modern airplanes.

Still, the Howard Stark principles apply. You can update the avionics as well. These were fine "blind flying" aircraft in their day and the only difference between then and now is workload. You can do anything in these brilliant machines though they're more intolerant of ice than constant chord wing aircraft and aircraft equipped with anti-ice or de-ice devices.

Besides, unless you're thin, the surest way to reduce the aircraft's weight is to reduce your own. Many a blubbery soul has spent all sorts of dough to shave five pounds of aircraft empty weight. Who amongst us could not lose twenty pounds...or more :)

Jonathan
 
Hi Bellanca fliers, well you guy's were right about having an aluminum cable that runs from the battery. I'll have to change it to a copper one during my next annual. Any advise on what gage or size cable I should use?

Jonathan, I have the Lyc 435-C engine. It was installed as a new engine a few years before I brought her from a guy name Buddy in Texas. She flew a little slow on the way home (125 mph), but when I got her home I had the mags checked and found that they were put in wrong (one tooth off). I had them both rebuilt and installed correctly and she now fly at 150-160 mph at 2450 rpm, She a great little plane to have and fly, hope to install the electric motor for the landing gear next and to make it to the Bellanca fly-in in June.

Thank's to all the guys who write to the forum. I have learned a lot of information about the maintenance and up-keep of my 14-13-2.
 
Unless you can find "approved data" from some other place, you probably ought to look at Sections 5,6,and 7 of AC 43-13-1B Chg 1.
 
The "A" designation of the O-435 signifies automotive accessories. The "C" stands for commercial. Give Jasco a call.

Jonathan
 
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