Optima battery in 911 SC

[delaneyd]

Does anyone have any pics of an Optima Gel Battery mounted in a 911 ? I purchased one today and it is alot smaller then the original battery , therefor I am looking for some mounting ideas. Thanks for the help!!!

[Wil Ferch]

I got this from an exchange with Alan DuBoff at Rennlist some time ago.
--Wil Ferch

Fri, 24 Mar 2000 06:36:37 -0800

Author: Alan DuBoff

Subject: Upgrading to Optima w/template for mounting plate

Body: I have seen a few pieces of information on the Optima battery,
and I think these batteries are really good. They don't leak,
and they won't gather corrosion around the battery terminals
either.

This is something that anyone on the list can do, even if you
are not the type of person that likes to change their own oil,
you can still perform this easy upgrade to an Optima battery.

I have created a template to produce a plate for a '74-'89 911
to mount the Optima battery. This is for a standard 800U or 800S,
I don't know about the other models. Sorry, I don't know how to
get one in another style car, the classics need to mount the
Optima on it's side so it will fit I've read, and I don't know
about the 964s or 993s. I bought a plate from AJ-USA as I didn't
want to reinvent the wheel, but when I saw what I got for $31,
it seemed a little high...

For starters, you can try and print the bitmap (it's in
Windows Bitmap format since most folks use it...I use Unix/Linux,
and can probably create some other format files, but I can't get
them to print out the proper dimensions. These bitmaps will print
in either Adobe Photoshop, or the Image program that ships with
Windows NT 4.0 (I have no idea about Windows 98 or Windows 2000,
I use Unix/Linux most all the time).

If you print the optima_sizes.bmp out and the sizes don't match,
you will not be able to use the template. The other template which
is named optima.jpg is just cleaner with no dimensions and less
clutter..

You can make a plate out of anything, one person on the list told
me they created one with plastic, and I think plexiglass (my
reccomendation, as it's pretty easy to cut and drill) would work
fine, or even plywood, pressboard, or you can use aluminum like
the AJ-USA plate I purchased. While aluminum works well, it's not
easy for most DIY folks to fabricate in their garage typically.

You should use stainless steel flathead bolts with nyloc nuts.
You can get them at your local hardware store (I like to buy from
West Marine, since boating folks use a lot of stainless and they
have a good selection).

NOTE: if you do use aluminum with stainless bolts, it wouldn't hurt
to add a dab of alumilastic or similar that can be gotten at most
any marine chandlery, I got myself into the habit of using it as the
two metals can cause electrolisys of such...here is a pic of it:

http://www.SoftOrchestra.com/porsche/optima/alumilastic.jpg

1/4" bolts that are 1 1/2" long should be fine. Countersink the bottom
side of the plate, so the heads will sit flat.

The plate should be 12 inches long (305cm). and 6 5/8 inches
wide (168 cm).

I am using .bmp as it is fairly common and should print out from a
variety of graphics programs, but check the sizes. You will need to
save these files, use shift-lmb in Netscape.

http://www.SoftOrchestra.com/porsche/optima/optima_sizes.bmp
http://www.SoftOrchestra.com/porsche/optima/optima.bmp

Line the template up on one edge.

Here is a picture of the AJ-USA plate:

http://www.SoftOrchestra.com/porsche/optima/ajusa_mount_plate.jpg

Here is a picture of the Optima battery next to the mounting plate:

http://www.SoftOrchestra.com/porsche/optima/optima_and_mount_plate.jpg

The Optima battery mounted to the plate:

http://www.SoftOrchestra.com/porsche/optima/optima_mounted.jpg

The old battery. Note that mine was not attached to the mounting
bracket anyway, but it looks like it was holding it in place anyway:

http://www.SoftOrchestra.com/porsche/optima/old_battery.jpg

A new ground strap was needed that was just a couple inches longer.
My local auto parts store (Winchester Auto in the SF Bay area) had
a 9 inch ground strap for $4. Here it is next to the old one:

http://www.SoftOrchestra.com/porsche/optima/new_9inch_ground_strap.jpg

Here is the new Optima battery installed:

http://www.SoftOrchestra.com/porsche/optima/new_battery.jpg

And of course, back in stealth mode, hiding in the trunk:

http://www.SoftOrchestra.com/porsche/optima/back_in_stealth_mode.jpg

--

Alan DuBoff
Software Orchestration, Inc.

[Randy Webb]

So who knows how to mount one in a '73??

[kstylianos]

Whats the Optima model # that folks use in their SC/Carrera?

[fintstone]

I would recommend a RedTop I really like mine Seems to have much more power than a regular battery, never seems to run down, and doesn't leak! ...Best price I could find was PepBoys. If you rarely drive it, you should probably get the Deepcycle or YellowTop
From the Optima Website: http://www.optimabatteries.com
In any vehicle or equipment that will use the battery only for Starting, Lighting, & Ignition requirements and has a properly working alternator, the OPTIMA Red Top™ Starting Battery will perform extremely well, often providing up to two times longer life than conventional batteries. If the vehicle has few or no after-market accessories and uses a stock or upgraded alternator, the OPTIMA Red Top Starting Battery is the appropriate choice.
Remember, it is possible for the customer to have a completely discharged Red Top OPTIMA that will not start their engine; the advantages of the Red Top are that it can accept a rapid recharge and it will recover from discharge many more times.

To provide the customer the best OPTIMA solution, it is, necessary to consider both the application and the charging system before recommending the correct OPTIMA. For example, if your customer has a Ford Expedition with an after-market alarm system, which OPTIMA would you recommend? If the customer drives the car every day, the Red Top would be the correct choice, since the amperage drain will be nominal and the battery would be recharged on a daily basis. However, if the customer stores the vehicle for a long period of time with the alarm system engaged, you should recommend the OPTIMA Yellow Top, since the amperage drain over several weeks would damage a Red Top and reduce its life.

[RoninLB]

the Yellow Top deep cycle didn't last a year for me because I use a trickle charger.. it slowly lowers the battery voltage if not used properly, which I didn't

[ohecht]

There are multiple red tops now, but the AJUSA installation lit worked great for my 800U.

I remember reading the the "life" or "warranty" of batteries is simply how much space they build into the case for lead particles to settle at the bottom before the pile gets high enough to short out the plates. So, traditional batteries with widely different warranties are usually identical (the article said only 2 or 3 places in the US actually built car batteries), excepts for the dimensions of the case.

I have Optimas in all 3 vehicles, and I simply never worry about the batteries at all any more.

Olivier