Battery Recommendations/Starter Overhaul

[thebrookster]

As the topic says, what are folks recommendations for batteries for a GT6?

I have usually picked up the Yuasa batteries from Halfords (advantages of a Trade card), however was wondering if this was still a decent option or if there are other better options out there.

Maybe a false alarm, but I think the one in my GT6 is on the way out. It is of unknown providence (was an old one I had kicking around but cannot for the life of me recall what I had it for).

Cheers,

Phil

Edited October 27 by thebrookster

[Nick Jones]

I like a Halfords 063 myself. Fairly sure  the three and four year ones are same apart from the stickers and the price premium on the 4 year ones to cover their increased warranty risk.

Keeping them fully charged (occasional trickle charge) seems to be the key to long life. My record for a Halfords one is 14 years!

[zetecspit]

Likewise halfords are my go-to. I have tried Bosch, Varta etc over the years, but none have done any better than the Halfords ones. 

063 is a good size/capacity, and well priced as it is widely used.

If you are after something lighter, the 038 would be the original size (no longer sold by Halfords) and I know of a local who has used a different small battery on his 2.5 Vitesse which works nicely (I ought to ask the size/number)

[JohnD]

More important than the make, as long as it's a well known one, is keeping it charged up.  They don't like being ignored!

I have a CTEK 'smart' charger, that I plug in when the car's not being used.   You can get a CTEK battery connector to permanently attach to the battery which makes plugging  in the charger easy, no crocodile clips, and if you forget, it shows the state of the battery by three monitor lights.

John

Edited October 21 by JohnD

[thebrookster]

2 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

I like a Halfords 063 myself.

1 hour ago, zetecspit said:

Likewise halfords are my go-to

Ooo, I like the sound of this, even cheaper 

I think the battery fitted might be a 063 (variant)? Happy enough to stick with the size.

56 minutes ago, JohnD said:

More important than the make, as long as it's a well known one, is keeping it charged up.  They don't like being ignored!

Yup, that's the plan once I finish the garage and get power out there (rather proper power rather than the haphazard extension lead currently installed).

Cheers guys!

[rogerguzzi]

Hello Phil 

                 I have used these people several times and they have lots of choice usually!

Online Battery Solutions for Modern Living | BMS Technologies

Roger

[thebrookster]

Hi Roger,

They would have been cheaper, however I already popped down to Halfords earlier and picked up a new 063. Not the complete bog standard Lead Acid (the 3 year warranty option) but rather the Calcium 4 year version. Difference of £3 between them, figured the extra ampage and CCA would not be amiss given the engine is "tuned" with a high torque starter.

However after installation I found it still didn't work. A couple of judicious taps on the starter produced life, but still a bit sluggish to my mind. So maybe that was the root cause. Battery needed replacing anyway, so no loss in the long run.

Next job, pull a starter out and see if it is "overhaulable" I guess.

[Nick Jones]

Ah…. High torque starter….. which brand? 
 

The best ones are proper OE. Nippon Denso ones which seem to be almost invincible. Some of the (very pricey) aftermarket ones typically sold as “upgrades” for Lucas inertia ones are rather less excellent and short- lived. 
 

Vitesse has a repurposed Toyota ND unit plucked from a scrapyard in 2004 and adapted with a Canleys kit. It’s been excellent. Only a slight wobble in Italy on the 2017 when it temporarily forgot its purpose and needed some percussive maintenance to remind it. That turned out to the copper contacts in the solenoid being almost entirely worn away. These were easily remade from a bit of bus-bar but they are also easy to buy.

Suggest checking these first. You might also want to check whether the main power wire goes direct or via the original solenoid on the bulkhead. The later giving additional opportunities for volt drop and failure.

[thebrookster]

16 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

Ah…. High torque starter….. which brand? 

A good deal of searching later, and I am led to believe it is a "Powerlite RAC101", purchased from Rimmers back in May 2006!

The records file suggests it has been opened and "refurbed" at least twice since then, possibly even rewound on the latter occasion.

So I guess I shall pop her off and see what the situation is, and decide whether it is better to rebuild or replace.

[RogerH]

I've had two of these new fangled motors.   

One was a WOSP and the other a powerlite (I think)

One had the internal contactor burn out within a year

The other had all its bearings fall to pieces - also within a year.

I had them re-built locally about 15 or more years ago.

The one on the car is still going strong as is (I believe) the one I sold on, also 15 or more years ago.

 

Roger

[Nick Jones]

4 hours ago, thebrookster said:

The records file suggests it has been opened and "refurbed" at least twice since then, possibly even rewound on the latter occasion.

Total shite then. The genuine ND one I have has had one set of (home-made) contacts in 21 years on the Vitesse (and a bit of a swill out at the same time) and was probably already 15 years old when first fitted.

Still using the OE Lucas on the GT6. It did piss me off quite a lot with sticking Bendix initially but has been flawless since lubing with graphite powder.

[PaulAA]

I stuck an RAC100 on the TR about nine years ago, and it has been (*fumbles for a piece of wood to touch*) faultless. The only difficulty it presented was the absence of a cold start connection for the new loom.

[Nick Jones]

Interesting. What exhaust manifold do you have? Possibly they don’t appreciate being barbecued by a 6-2-1 or 6-3-1 (though my ND has coped)

[PaulAA]

1 hour ago, Nick Jones said:

Interesting. What exhaust manifold do you have? Possibly they don’t appreciate being barbecued by a 6-2-1 or 6-3-1 (though my ND has coped)

6-3-2, and indeed the solenoid has a very intimate relationship with the cyl 6 downpipe.

[Nick Jones]

Bang goes that theory then 

[thebrookster]

Once the temps get slightly more conducive to crawling around the GT6, I'll pop the starter off and see what's what.

Given Nick's misgivings, I'm resigned to possibly needing a "better" version, however figure it's worth pulling apart first even if to delay the inevitable!

[Nick Jones]

Paul seems to be doing ok with his. They aren’t very complex so highly likely that a good clean, some lube and some fresh solenoid contacts will sort it. Therefore well worth investigating IMO.

[zetecspit]

Jeroen the Dutch Dolomite chap (who has extensive experience on all thing automotive electrical) reckons that using quality OE contacts in the aftermarket starters fixes the vast majority of issues. I can't say if oem contacts fit all aftermarket copies, but I wouldn't be surprised. 

[Nick Jones]

There are several different styles, some more complex shapes than others.  The ones in mine were simple and easy to fabricate from copper bus-bar. I just had to google for a picture to confirm what they were supposed to look like as there wasn’t much left!

[rogerguzzi]

Hello All

             I must be Lucky??

I bought and fitted a Powerlite RAC401 in February 2015 from Powerlite them selves as they only a few miles away and have a Trade Counter so I got it a Trade price £118

I have stripped and cleaned it only once I think and may have fitted one new bearing(one of many in my stock??)

I kept the old starter relay as well!!

I recon it has done about 55,000 miles and goodness knows how many Starts but then it does not live by a HOT Exhaust pipe!!!

I think the contacts looed ok after a good clean up etc

Roger

[PaulAA]

22 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

Bang goes that theory then 

Not the easiest place to photograph, but you can just make out the downpipe from cyl 6 enjoying carnal relations with the solenoid.

Paul

[Sprint95m]

On 10/25/2025 at 8:46 AM, zetecspit said:

Jeroen the Dutch Dolomite chap (who has extensive experience on all thing automotive electrical) reckons that using quality OE contacts in the aftermarket starters fixes the vast majority of issues. I can't say if oem contacts fit all aftermarket copies, but I wouldn't be surprised. 

From memory Clive, I think Jeroen suggested getting a Denso starter from a Toyota (any Toyota?) and using it's components.

My experience of Lucas starters is that the starters are fine, it is the solenoids on Dolomite slant fours that give bother.
P6B Rovers used a Lucas 6RA relay in the starter circuit to prevent difficult hot starting. Jeroen called this a bodge but didn't explain why.

 

thanks
Ian

[thebrookster]

Okay, starter is out.

Firstly, it isn't a Powerlite, rather an Edge Reduction gear starter, and yes it uses an inbuilt solenoid.

It's rather dirty, but I'm not seeing anything majorly wrong, unless better eyes see anything?

[thebrookster]

Well, a good dose of electroclean, a rag, some judicious removal and reapplication of grease and a good filing of the copper ring on the solenoid plunger (which was anything but flat, still isn't perfect by any means but is much improved) and we have success.

Spins over with far more enthusiasm and engages every time (so far that is).

So that's a few pennies saved for the time being at least.

[Nick Jones]

Those contacts look rough enough to cause problems and the copper ring on the solenoid shuttle.

That should hold it for a while and now you know what the bits look like the repair kits are available at reasonable cost