My billet battery boxes corroding within months.
 

I did question putting my lead acid batteries in aluminum boxes but it seems that everyone uses them. They are already corroding pretty badly on the tops and some on the bases. I break the plastic battery hold-downs. Is there a non metallic battery box that won't break?

If someone made a carbon fiber option that would be perfect.

I have 24 and 27 series - I use to get them painted and sell them as semi custom battery boxes. I quit the painting process as it got to expensive to keep the price down They are black in color and fairly tough plastic. If you want to try them, let me know.

Edit: OP, When you say plastic,you mean these ?

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....L._SL1500_.jpg

Actually mine are a bit more heavy duty than the one in the pic

Sorry about that,I was asking the OP.

I have the plastic Gill battery trays that are grey in my Powerquest and have added a couple more that are black plastic yet extremely similar design from West Marine. They are beefy but if you are beating the crap out of your boat and constantly jumping waves at WOT, then I can see where you might want metal. I am somewhere in between cruiser use and hardcore poker runner FWIW. I get air under the boat every weekend but usually short periods of hard running fun then back to leisurely cruise. Not in and out of the throttle for hours on end bouncing from wave crest to crest.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/attwo...62?recordNum=2

Stainless Marine makes them.
http://www.stainlessmarine.com/produ...4-battery-box/

[QUOTE=SB;4556868]Edit: OP, When you say plastic,you mean these ?

No, these Attwood plastic hold-downs is what my boat came with. I've broken several tops but fortunately a battery never came fully out of the tray. Also these are the new billet boxes that are already corroding. They will be total crap by the end of the season.

http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/x...psgq1ftlk3.jpg
http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/x...psglv9lhlk.jpg

But those are still metal. There will always be a trace of acid on top of a lead-acid battery and a small current flow between the terminals and the hold-down top. It doesn't matter how clean you try to keep the batteries.

I had this style and broke 2 in a short period of time. I don't drive my boat hard either. One broke on the top piece, the other bottom cracked where the stud is. I replaced them with the power coated alum and haven't had any problems since.

I had stainless ones made

I had one for sale in the swap shop here that is at least 10 years old. Have a look at the pictures, you cannot tell it from brand new. It's so old I bought it from Fred at Trick Marine.

I installed Optima specific battery boxes from Trick Marine back in the day. I was extremely displeased with how the aluminum pitted and pushed the powercoat off. I don't know the right answer, but fortunately they were totally hidden on my boat due to my big stereo install. But if I had to look at them all the time, I'd have found a different option, hell even it it was wood!

I call bull**** because you say that you bought it from Trick Marine yet the pictures clearly show that you *received* it as well. Can't be both.

Are you running AGM batteries or wet cell? You might just needed to change your batteries to AGM sealed.

Oh yeah? I've even got the Trick fridge magnet to prove it.

Wet. I've had good luck with them and mine were replaced last year. Sydway said his optima battery boxes corroded too.

I have Eddie Marine Optima battery boxes. Had them for about 9 years or so at this point and they still look good, no pitting that I have noticed. I've also had good luck with the Optima batteries, some folks don't like them but they have been good to me. The red top is as old as the battery boxes, I did put in a new blue top last year finally.

Alum will Always Corrode , regardless of powder coat or anodize , most dont realize anodize is processed in an Acid Electrolyte ,so corrosion is only alittle water away.
The only batteries i know of that wont off gas during charging ,are Odyssey Batteries .

polished billet battery boxes with odyssey batteries 9 years old and look brand new. just put new batteries this season

Lead acid batteries emit hydrogen sulfide when charging or over charging, it will corrode any nearby metal. Good ventilation or different battery technology are about the only options.

If it's that big of an issue I'd try different batteries. Sounds like those batts are making a mess. I used some cheaper polished AL boxes last season, no clear or anything for protection on them. There's some signs of light corrosion on them but I think that's from water getting in through my side intakes (rain) in the boat and sitting on the them. I use optimas and charge them in the boat a couple times a season. I got the hardin / CP billet boxes now that I'm going to mount in a more protected spot.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]567702[/ATTACH]
This pic was near end of season last year. If you look closely you can see the minor spots. I can prob get them out polishing by hand.

I've read mixed reviews of Optimas and decided to stay with trusty old lead-acid batteries when I replaced them last year. The original batteries lasted 10 years. I'd like to go back to a plastic box but stronger. I painted my old ones Merc Racing blue and they looked good but they keep breaking.

We made custom battery boxes for my boat and the first time I tilted it on the trailer the "un-spillable" batteries dumped all the battery acid out all over everything in the engine compartment. I just washed it all out with a garden hose and the battery boxes still look new.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]567722[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]567723[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]567724[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]567725[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]567726[/ATTACH]

I'm surprised you don't have lithium ion batts in there. Or just designed your own.

I started working on Lithium batteries for it but just decided to go ahead and build a miniature nuclear reactor for it.

Hmm. Uranium heavy. But you could abscond the nuclear waste off of Japan and create another Godzilla, that'd be cool. But don't dump it near Russia, you'd create another Putin.

BigSilverCat, those are cool.

Does anyone make a heavy duty non-metallic box? Something with 4 hold-down nuts should work. I'm also not real comfortable with the anodized aluminum tops being so close to the terminals. Of course there will be some current flow across the top of a lead acid battery.
http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/x...psmd57js7k.jpg
http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/x...psgcurnekv.jpg