When I charge my tm battery it gets very hot. It does not seem to hold a charge as well as it used to. Is it bad or is that normal? Thanx.

How "hot"?

It should get warm but not what I'd classify "hot".

Have you checked the fluid level?  If a cell is down and plate exposed you need to add distilled water.  Though if that is the case, depending on how long its been like that you may have done irreversible damage.

Also make sure your clips are firmly attached to the bat posts when charging.  I had a week spring clip on one of mine that caused heat issues but it was right at the + post cause it wasn't making good contact.

You can take the bat to advance auto or autozone or similar store or mech and have them test it.  They can tell you if it has any life left in it or if its time to replace.

Thanks Hot Rod. It gets very hot to the touch, where my starter battery is just warm. I think it my have a shorted plate. I will take it to get tested.

Fully charge your battery, then check the sp with a hydrometer. If it's low a battery tech can adjust it up (stronger). Then have it load tested. That's where a high current draw is made while watching the voltage drop. A weak battery's voltage will drop under load. A tech needs to do this and evaluate it.

I don't know where to find a tech (I used to be one), so buying a new battery may be easier.

A too large a charger for the battery will cause over heating too.

My charger takes 12+ hours/charge for a half discharged condition and never gets even slightly warm (slow rate of charge)

If its getting hot it could be over charging or the battery could be bad or both. What kind of charger are you using?