not sure if I have enough battery to start my ford 4500 diesel

[somanytractors]

I have a 4500 that was froze up, and the starter was froze up too.
It has a 3 cylinder diesel.
I tore it down and replaced the rings, gaskets, etc. And I got the starter working but I'm not sure its working exactly right.
Now it turns over and I get white smoke but I'm pretty sure its not turning near fast enough to start. If I hit it with either it knocks a little and stops turning.
I'm not sure weather to replace the starter with a new one as this one smokes after about 10 seconds or if I just need the right battery. Right now I'm using a battery out of my 1500 ram with 685 cranking amps, plus a slightly smaller battery, plus a battery charger putting out 200 amps.
Is this plenty of battery to spin this thing over, or do I need the right battery?
It's supposed to have an M5 battery.

Thanks
John

 

[DJ54]

I'm seeing 750 cca is the standard battery for it.

You might want to check around for a decent starter/generator shop to rebuild that starter if needed. Way less than a new one, and a good shop will have a 1 year warranty on their rebuild.

 

[RickB]

The OEM battery (BCI group 4DLT) is available in two flavors today. 850cca and 1000cca. Cables must be properly sized and cables and connections must be corrosion free.

 

[Texasmark]

You described.....time for a charge at least and wouldn't hurt to take it to a store and have the CCA tested at 200-300 amperes. These Ford batteres are huge and I can only think of one reason and that is for tractors that sit out in a barn unattended for a year or so and the farmer comes out to use it and expects it to start.

One limiting factor is the fact that the posts are on the same end of the battery.....buttttt if you go to an OTR big truck store they have 925 (give or take 50) CCA sealed batteries in size 31 which is a 27 with a ⅜" stud on either end, centered instead of lead posts to the side....if you don't know what a size 27 is, it's the size of deep cycle batteries used with trolling motors. Ensure that the guy making up the cables makes them to fit the new battery....but OTR truck stores probably don't carry cable building supplies for conventional connections like used on your truck.....may just stock made up cables on that.

While you are there, have them make you up a new set of cables obviously with one longer than your current cables by the distance between the posts on the new battery. I went with 00 gauge which easily carries 2-300 amps and that's what you want. With only 12V available and 10 needed at the starter, you can stand much if any resistance in the cables and terminations.

Edit: Forgot the best part.....price just this summer was $91. They buy them by the skid (pallet).

 

[RickB]

Studs or posts ona group 31 will short against the hood.

 

[Texasmark]

Studs or posts ona group 31 will short against the hood.

Tell that to my 1965 3000. Studs are no higher than on the OEM style battery that takes up the full tray....which was what was in it when I bought it and in my 3910 when I bought it. Plenty of room......course it helps to tie the battery down which could be a problem if you don't on either style...if you do a lot of bouncing.

 

[somanytractors]

Thanks everyone.
It will be a while till I get around to buying a battery for it.
I just wanted to make sure I had enough to start it.
I still have no idea if the tranny, or anything else works in this tractor and it has an automatic clutch of some sort so I'm expecting a problem there, and I'm VERY slow about getting things fixed so it could take 6 months or a year even till I need to actually get a battery for it.

Thanks again for all your help
John

 

[ovrszd]

I'll be odd man out. I think it's your starter. Your description of everything you had hooked up to the battery should be plenty of starting amps. Your mention of the starter smoking after 10 seconds tells me it's bad.

You are right that this engine needs to turn over at a certain speed or higher or it will not want to start. The starter on my 555A was slow and I always had to ether it to get it started. Bought a new starter and now it starts very well. I shopped online and bought a $125 starter. I don't expect it to last as long as an OEM starter but it's 1/3 the cost.

 

[RickB]

Tell that to my 1965 3000. Studs are no higher than on the OEM style battery that takes up the full tray....which was what was in it when I bought it and in my 3910 when I bought it. Plenty of room......course it helps to tie the battery down which could be a problem if you don't on either style...if you do a lot of bouncing.

Your experience differs from mine. Battery dimensions are commonly available for various BCI groups. The OP can determine for himself what fits and does not.

 

[ruffdog]

Now it turns over and I get white smoke but I'm pretty sure its not turning near fast enough to start. If I hit it with either it knocks a little and stops turning.

If you say it might take 6 months to get a battery to start the tractor, I would focus on getting to start first with a borrowed battery. It sounds like there may be $ome issues with why it won't start in the first place.