Old age

hazelhoff

hazelhoff

Senior Member
Just 70 years of age, but my body is failing, probably some of you are familiar with this situation …
Now, now do I pull the battery out of my model A, given low muscle power and a bad back ?
Any tricks available amongst you people ?
 
LiPo batteries are half the weight and twice the capacity. The prices are coming down. I recently bought two at Walmart for about the same price as a lead-acid battery. The strap that Russell suggested will help, but if needed get someone to help get it out. As far as getting older is concerned, exercise helps a lot. You will need protein in your diet to build back muscle strength. I use the protein supplements because I have a mostly meat free diet. I use a back brace when doing heavy construction work.
 
Thanks Guys, just ordered a strap !
As for health … neuropathy is tearing me down along with long COVID. Not much left to exercise.
 
Well, not a strap really ….
 

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An offset box wrench works for a handle, slip one end over a battery post position over the middle of the battery, and lift away ! Watched a man load junk batteries using the wrench trick into his stainless steel truck bed , don’t follow a truck that has anything to do with batteries as his truck bed was not leak proof .
 
I am not too sure about hazel's device the strap works great for me and i have changed over to Optimas.

Hazel I am sorry to hear about your problem. Getting old is not for sissies. I can tell you that firsthand.
 
I use a similar type "grabber" device if room permits but the strap works, but I use it with caution holding the weight of the battery by terminals !
 
"Just 70 years of age, but my body is failing, probably some of you are familiar with this situation …"

Paraphrasing Mark Twain: "Growing old isn't so bad when you consider the alternative."

If it's any consolation, most of us on this discussion board are older than you ! :)

Marshall
 
I use the battery strap JayJay pointed to above from Amazon. I've had mine for several years. It works great.
Rusty Nelson
 
Big hammer said:
An offset box wrench works for a handle, slip one end over a battery post position over the middle of the battery, and lift away ! Watched a man load junk batteries using the wrench trick into his stainless steel truck bed , don’t follow a truck that has anything to do with batteries as his truck bed was not leak proof .
Click to expand...

I try not to get near batteries with wrenches that will reach from terminal to terminal. Once is all it took! I think you can still read "Craftsman" on the palm of that hand...the wrench got blistering hot almost instantly and I reflexively grabbed it.

Also, don't wear your favorite blue jean jacket when carrying a lead-acid battery. After the next washing, it looked like I'd been having an argument with a chainsaw. :D
 
Trapdoor2 said:
I try not to get near batteries with wrenches that will reach from terminal to terminal. Once is all it took! I think you can still read "Craftsman" on the palm of that hand...the wrench got blistering hot almost instantly and I reflexively grabbed it.

Also, don't wear your favorite blue jean jacket when carrying a lead-acid battery. After the next washing, it looked like I'd been having an argument with a chainsaw. :D
Click to expand...

Many years ago, a guy I knew was wearing a watch with a gold band while working on a car (and who should have known better)... you can imagine the results when it arced between the battery and ground. Please don't wear jewelry when working on a car.
 
I have a battery strap that was my granddad's. I hope I live long enough to have a grandchild that is interested.
 
About 60 years ago in my high school shop class we made similar straps using fan belts. We were told to find a used fan belt so I asked my dad if he could get one from the mill where he worked. He came home with a new unused one, said they would't miss it. My teacher wasn't happy, to put it mildly, and said "I didnt want you guys to go out and steal one !!!". I still use it often and smile every time.
 
At work we had two types. A strap which grabbed the battery by the posts which I thought was a really bad choice. It caused the posts to leak. Then there is one like you posted a photo of that grabbed the battery from the sides. We had 400 vehicles in the yard and at our peak, and we stocked batteries for them, probably about twenty of them. That tool that grabbed them from the sides was there before I got there and It was there the 30-years I was. It has my vote.

I had a stroke two or three years ago. I had just ordered a brand-new 6V Optima battery for my Model A roadster when I had the stroke. It's still sitting on the running board waiting for me to install it. I have one of those vintage Sun battery-charging system testers, it still shows it has a full charge when I put a load on it after sitting for three-years. I highly recommend an Optima battery for cars that sit. I have not done a thing out in the garage since my stroke and I'm only 64. The garage is 90' long and full of hot rods and collector Fords. I had big plans for all of them, now I forget I have the cars until I see them in the garage.
 
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Y-Blockhead said:
Many years ago, a guy I knew was wearing a watch with a gold band while working on a car (and who should have known better)... you can imagine the results when it arced between the battery and ground. Please don't wear jewelry when working on a car.
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience as a young man working for our local parks department. I was in the process of pulling the dip stick while checking the oil level on an almost brand new commercial riding mower. The manufacturer had omitted to put a rubber boot over the positive post on the back of the solenoid and my metal watch band touched it at the same time the other side of the watch grounded against the engine.
I burnt the tips of three of the fingers on my opposite hand from trying to get the watch off. It had welded itself together. I can't un see the smoke coming off my wrist and the sizeable piece skin that stayed with the watch band.

The manufacturer of the mowers did a recall to add the rubber boots after learning what had happened to me.

I survived but the watch didn't.
 
1crosscut said:
I had a similar experience as a young man working for our local parks department. I was in the process of pulling the dip stick while checking the oil level on an almost brand new commercial riding mower. The manufacturer had omitted to put a rubber boot over the positive post on the back of the solenoid and my metal watch band touched it at the same time the other side of the watch grounded against the engine.
I burnt the tips of three of the fingers on my opposite hand from trying to get the watch off. It had welded itself together. I can't un see the smoke coming off my wrist and the sizeable piece skin that stayed with the watch band.

The manufacturer of the mowers did a recall to add the rubber boots after learning what had happened to me.

I survived but the watch didn't.
Click to expand...

Jeez dave. Sorry to hear that!
 
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