How to unseal cells on a NOS Y55 Delco Battery

[169indy]

Originally Posted by Ralph Spears

you punch out the plugs with the DELCO EYE put the delco eye in there and hit it with your clenched fist I worked at a Chevrolet dealer in the sixties that is how we did it. that is why the eye is pointed on the end to punch out the plug and the pieces fall into the battery and stay there.

The Delco "EYE" Optic member is 'Pointed' for the purpose of Level Indication.


The tip is pointed to create an angle of incidence, promoting ambient light entering to produce retuned light via specular reflection, resulting in a useful function i.e. ,,,,,
is how you observe the Fluid 'filled Level'.

The Fact it is a Sharp pointed Tool was just a Great *& Smart use of what is on hand.
Car Co. are Lazy and I doubt they would add a manufacturing feature at cost just for a Tool purpose when the "Physics" of Light would not produce the desired effect with a Flat optic. a Pointed TIP is a "180 degree deflection" (Reflecting Prism) so as to, return to the Source & is the most effective & cheap design to reflect (i.e. Piping the MOST light back to observer).

That got me to Thinking well, Why does this thing - GLOW at Proper Fluid Level and appear Dark when fluid level is LOW (i.e. Not touching the Pointed optic Tip?)

This gets into Total internal Reflection and Lensing:

Well When:

The Eye Optic is Dry;[Boundry of AIR] Insufficient critical angle to reflect Light back to observer = DARK

The Eye Optic is Wet; [Boundary of Electrolyte] Sufficient critical angle to reflect Light back to observer = GLOW

Reason for Edge "GLOWING" is the Point is a Poor Lens at best. Manufacturing a proper lens was much more costly and therefore not constructed as such resulting in a "EYE" glow vs proper concentration of light return for a indicator, so they captured the 'Eye' appearance and marketed it as such- brilliant use of a short coming feature. Hey is does the Job.




all in good fun and info.

submitted respectfully,

I used to "Play" with Naval Submarine Periscopes if you catch my drift.



REF: Modern TECHNICAL PHYSICS
BEISER
ISBN 0-8053-0682-X
CH25 Light