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I successfully converted a battery to alum. I took a battery that wasn't able to start a car after a charge. I dumped out the acid and filtered it with a coffee filter. I rinsed the battery out with water. I put the acid back in, gave it a charge, and still didn't get it to start a car. I dumped out the acid again, rinsed it again. I then mixed a 1.9oz container of Alum (aluminum sulfate; spice section of grocery store for $2.97) with 32oz of distilled water. I had to heat the water for 30 seconds in the microwave to dissolve it completely. I put the mixture in the battery. I had to put an additional ~20oz distilled water to fill the battery. After this, it only showed 11.48v. I charged it. After charging it still only showed 12.02v. After sitting overnight, it showed 11.98v. First, I put it on my 84 Dodge van with a 360 V8. It wouldn't turn over, but I kept trying. After that little( uhmmm huge) load, it read 11.54v. I then took it to a Geo Metro, plopped it in, and though it has been sitting for a week, it turned over fairly well and started. This is the original battery from my first Geo (the one I converted) that the owner strongly recommended I replace way back then. It is a 450cca battery (I didn't know they made them that small!) that is dated '04. While it can now be used to start a car, I wonder about the efficiency. I imagine the alternator would keep trying to charge it since it registers lower voltage. Mileage would probably suffer....
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