Odyssey PC680 battery Holder Suggestion

[Esel Mann]

Back when I bought my 911, it came with an Optima battery plus accompanying plexiglass Optima battery base holder.

A few years back, I decided to replace the heavier battery with an Odyssey PC680. I also desired to do so in the stock battery location. I was aware of certain aftermarket options out there but was not pleased with them for one or more reasons. So I went to the local office supply megastore and picked up a simple storage bin.

I cut out an opening for the bin top to permit the battery to slide in. I also drilled holes in the bottom to permit zip-tying the bin to the plexiglass tray.

Here's a picture of the simple bin modified and attached to the plexiglass Optima battery holder base:



Here's a picture of it in the 911:




Back when I did this I had intended to carry it a step further. For example foam potting to keep the battery in place from sideways forces, holes for zipties to hold the battery in the bin for vertical forces, new base to make it even lighter. Well that never got done as I got busy with life.


That PC680 battery from a few years ago doesn't hold charge very well so I picked up a new one. Since I needed to swap in out (plus add in a disconnect), and since I have some time, I decided to fart around with this idea some more. The current storage bin is quite large in relation to the battery. So before carrying forward I picked up a smaller bin which more closely fits the battery form factor.

Here's a picture of the newer simple bin modified and attached to the plexiglass battery holder base:



Here's a picture of it in the 911:



I ran out of beefy zipties so I used some smaller ones simply for the time being. I plan to swap those out. Then I plan on using the old battery to pot the storage bin with foam. It will be interesting to try to figure out how to account for the foam expansion as it cures. The optima battery plexiglass base is surprisingly heavy. So my next step once the container is squared away is to try to come up with a lighter but still sturdy base.

The nice thing about this is: (a) no additional conductive material in close proximity to the terminals, (b) very light weight.

[Wiese]

Great! This is ingenuous. I wanted to also go with the PC680, but was hesitating as I didn't want to spent another $150 on a mounting base. This looks like a great option.

Do you find the PC680 works well for everyday driving from Spring to Fall?

Thanks,
Kay

[Lukesportsman]

Obviously not an issue for you, but for any newbie racing dreamers out there: I don't see this passing official scrutiny of an sanctioning body.

Now kudos to you for an ingenious approach to a personal challenge. I'd just like to see something like a strip or tie down to withstand an accident level g force.

[mpetry]

My battery holder has and will pass tech at DE events.



cheap and easy to make, mounts to stock holes in front compartment.

[Ramathorn]

Originally Posted by Lukesportsman

Obviously not an issue for you, but for any newbie racing dreamers out there: I don't see this passing official scrutiny of an sanctioning body.

Now kudos to you for an ingenious approach to a personal challenge. I'd just like to see something like a strip or tie down to withstand an accident level g force.

Agreed............ Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

I guess it looks clean and pretty but, i dont know how the hell thats gonna be secured in hit a bump and battery goes up event on the street or even a visual tech inspection. I mounted my pc680 in the same location but, used just a generic battery tie down posts from oriely's and a sheet of abs plastic thats 1/4" think. dosent look like much but its secure and DOES pass inspection.

[proffighter]

Here is mine, bought a decade back from FVD (way overpriced I remember):

[mean_in_green]

It might not be conductive but... it's not secure enough.

Don't take it the wrong way!

[proffighter]

if you mean the rubber strap, then I can tell you it's tight like hell, needs two hands to stretch and fit

[mean_in_green]

I wasn't very clear: yours looks good, I was commenting on the one in a plastic box.

[Esel Mann]

Wiese,

I have found the battery itself ample for my needs. So much so that I bought the replacement last week (to replace same battery but 4 years old).

It's downsides of course:

- It has little capacity so cold starting in cold weather may possibly be a problem. As a data point, the lowest temperature I've used it in is around 40F with no cold start issues. Caveat, my '84 is DME controlled EFI and starts up very quickly. CIS or carbed motors can sometimes require more cranks to fire up.

- It has mounting challenges. Off the shelf mounting for this battery tends to be expensive and involve a lot of metal. I'm not a fan of all that metal around battery terminals. This is part of the reason I decided to fart around with alternative enclosures.


Also note that the PC680 is their smallest battery. Odyssey has a range of batteries so it is possible to get something say slightly larger with more capacity than the PC680 but still wind up lighter than a traditional battery.

[mean_in_green]

The off the shelf bracket options for Odyssey do seem overpriced.

Something like this* is no more difficult or expensive than a plastic box with cable ties though (put the tabs on the other sides and you could use the original bolt mounting too).

* No kitchen chopping boards or other plastic parts were harmed during the making of this battery bracket

[Esel Mann]

Thanks all for the comments! Much appreciated!

I agree that in its current form as shown, it has some undesirable qualities. I am using it more or less to (a) help visualize one of a few possible end solutions swirling in my mind and (b) identify problems/challenges upfront.

To visualize the direction I'm trying to take this particular version, take a look at Proffighter's. It's basically what I'm envisioning for this version but using plastic (or carbon fiber maybe?) instead of metal so that it is lighter and non-conductive.

Unlike electronic design (for which I have all the tools, test equipment, and assembly equipment), I am bupkiss on the mechanical side. So hopefully I will not be banished to Ban Island for trying to use readily available materials for conceptualization.

[Esel Mann]

Mean in the Green,

Big problem (for me), that requires welding skillz (not to mention a weld unit)!

The mechanical guys never let the electrical engineers near welding equipment for some reason. They would only let us use the Dremel tool

Question, with the bracket holder you fabbed up, does that get attached to some sort of base plate or does one drill into the tub and then bolt in?

[Elombard]

Dang Mean in Green that is simple and easy...but I dont weld. You should turn the tabs and market that!

One note on the 84 (at least) there is only one hole for stock bolt down the other end slides into a catch, hence the plate with a hole in one end. (not sure if that is a good description).

[mean_in_green]

Originally Posted by Esel Mann

...Question, with the bracket holder you fabbed up, does that get attached to some sort of base plate or does one drill into the tub and then bolt in?

Take your point on the welding thing Esel but you could ghetto weld couldn't you?

After I tidied it up a bit I put a couple of rivnuts in the floor next to the fuel tank to match up with the tabs and just bolted it up (mainly 'cause I wanted to try out a new Rivnut setting tool) but just as easy would be to put the tabs on the other sides and line it up with the factory bolt hole (as per mpetry's interpretation a few posts back up on this thread). It would then hook under the tab at the other end.

[Cory M]

I've got the the sheetmetal one that Odyssey sells, mounted in the smugglers box. It works fine but is a bit of a pain to reach the hardware when removing battery. These look nice and the bolts are easy to reach from the top:

Odyssey Battery Hold Down

[911-32]

I made my own as well. A plastic cutting board for the base and scraps of aluminium for the rest. Bolts into the car using the factory threaded hole. I have since made the hold down better/wider as well. The plastic box simply will not hold a battery in a decent accident.

[not_hans_stuck]

Not to hijack the thread, but how do you guys like these batteries? Will they start a high compression motor? Any issues at all? They seem too good to be true.

H

[Andy911sc]

I really like the idea of these smaller batteries. I know it's on my list once mine dies. I hate trying to fight the big battery in place all the time and then trying to get a wrench in there on the negative to remove it whenever I do any work on the car. Big PITA.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by not_hans_stuck

Not to hijack the thread, but how do you guys like these batteries? Will they start a high compression motor? Any issues at all? They seem too good to be true.

H

They work well on a 911 but if you have a stereo and amps get something bigger.

High compression motor... Do you have a stock starter motor? If you do it may struggle to kick it over.
I know they work well with the aftermarket lightweight starter motors. (Toyota internals)