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Looking around at some of these battery options: lithium, 16v, good ole 12v and all the numbers are getting me confused. For our purposes, I would think the most important metric would be cranking amps, and weight? Does that sound right to those that know more about electricity/batteries?If true, what cranking amps would be required to start a dirt late model?
I've used the yellow top Optima, which is a deep cycle rated at 750cca. I currently use an XS 16-volt, which is listed as 675cca. Both crank/ed good enough.
You might want to look at amp hours, which I by no means can explain. But it appears to be a discharge rate of sorts. The XS I mentioned has an amp hours rating of 50. I didn't see one listed where I looked up the Optima, but it also sounds like those numbers can be confusing based on how it's rated.
Amp hours are the more important thing most any battery has enough cranking amps to crank the engine it's amp hires that matter that's basically a measurement of how much capacity a battery has ie. How long it will last before dying but beware not all amp hour ratings are done the same. Some creative advertising goes on in that department lol
Any good battery will start an engine with a good working starter. Cutting the ignition in after the engine is spinning will save power for ignition during the race. A 16V battery is the best deal for your ignition to work @ it's best...especially with a higher draw box like a MSD 7. But they all work their best, and for 100 lappers with a 16v, or run an alternator...and no one does that in a late model I ever seen. Best practice is to charge the battery all night between events. Search around the net, you'll find info on MSD systems requiring a fully charged battery voltage >12 volts. Example from MSD tech: https://forums.msdperformance.com/sh...ltage-minimums Check your voltage after a race with the car running...you may be surprised what your leaving on the table. A full charged battery reads 12.7 volts.... after the surface charge is removed.