Small/lightweight/race battery bracket options

[Tremelune]

I recently replaced my battery with an Odyssey PC925, and I'm trying to figure out a way to mount it. I know some people have put them in the smugglers box, but I'm not sure I want to reroute wires, and have a dream that one day I'll put AC in the car...

Before I fab up something or do something stupid with bungie cords, does anyone know of any bolt-in brackets for smaller batteries (besides the Rennline kit—it's pricey and seems like overkill for a bracket with no adjustability)? If this battery works out over the next few years, I may try something even smaller (this little battery spins my 3.6 with gusto, and I don't expect to start this car when it's below freezing).

[James Brown]

well look at that rennline bracket and try to duplicate it with some sheet metal and an old plastic cutting board as a base. should be easy to fabricate. there are several threads on here that people have made.

[r-mm]

Odyssey sells nice brackets for all their batteries, very reasonable, in both bare metal and black powdercoat. Are you asking for something 911 specific or just a bracket?

PS how's that PC925 crank? Nice and strong? I'm about to go this direction for my Alfa (or likely, smaller).

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/accessories/hd_alum.htm

[BFT3.2]

I went with the smaller PC680 and it's been plenty powerful, even on the few sub-freezing days I drove her a couple weeks ago, cranked up no problem.

Tremelune, I know its hard justifying buying the Rennline or Odyssey bracket. I looked at all kinds of home made options and finally said screw it and got the Rennline. I know it's just a battery bracket but it looks clean and does the job.

If I had the skill and tools to make a really nice home made one, I wouldn't of hesitated.

[Arne2]

PO installed a 925 with the Rennline bracket in my car. The bracket is nice, I have to say. Of course, I didn't pay for it myself, came with the car.

The 925 has done fine so far, starts the car fine, going on 5 years now. During the winter months when I have to drive with lights on, defroster and heater blowers going, I generally put a battery tender on it for a couple of days every month or so, just to make sure it's topped up.

[Ayles]

Another vote for the rennline mount. Its easy and fits perfectly.

My 925 battery has been great. Bought new, it sat on my shelf for two years while my car was on jack stands and now that its driveable the battery has performed extremely well.

[Tremelune]

The 925 cranks my 3.6 with no flagging. Battery specs are very conservative from the factory, since these cars were expected to start strongly and repeatedly at 0°F. For cars that don't need to do that, and spend a lot of time on a tender, and don't make many short trips, and start without issue with the turn of the key every time, you can get away with much less.

I wish I'd given the PC680 a shot instead (or the 950, which is apparently lighter, stronger, and less square than the 925), and that's part of why I'm hesitant to buy a bracket for the 925. I don't want to lock myself into a size/brand for this wear item...

While we're on the topic, East Penn Manufacturing makes batteries under the brand Deka. Braille buys a bunch of Deka batteries from East Penn and slaps new stickers on them. If you can find them, Deka batteries are high quality and cheap as they come.

[BFT3.2]

We're all trying to save weight where ever we can, but in the end the weight difference between the two is just over what a gallon of gas weighs. At least you have some extra power available if needed.

[Ayles]

Originally Posted by Tremelune

The 925 cranks my 3.6 with no flagging. Battery specs are very conservative from the factory, since these cars were expected to start strongly and repeatedly at 0°F. For cars that don't need to do that, and spend a lot of time on a tender, and don't make many short trips, and start without issue with the turn of the key every time, you can get away with much less.

I wish I'd given the PC680 a shot instead (or the 950, which is apparently lighter, stronger, and less square than the 925), and that's part of why I'm hesitant to buy a bracket for the 925. I don't want to lock myself into a size/brand for this wear item...

While we're on the topic, East Penn Manufacturing makes batteries under the brand Deka. Braille buys a bunch of Deka batteries from East Penn and slaps new stickers on them. If you can find them, Deka batteries are high quality and cheap as they come.

I wouldnt worry about the bracket, if you change your battery you can sell it for almost what you paid. I had one for a later model 911 and sold it for almost what I paid within minutes of listing it on the forum.

[Techno Duck]

Running the PC925 in my 3.2L and my 951 (with 5.7L V8). The 925 cranks that big lump of a V8 with no issue at all, but the car has the easy life now in the SoCal weather but it did just fine the past two winters up in the North East.

The PC680 pretty capable and would have been fine i bet, it routinely started my 951 with 10w40 oil in the north east winters. Before the engine swap it started the 2.5L i4 turbo with 20w50 oil in the winter...it was slow to crank but always worked. The car used to sit a week or two at a time also inbetween starts. That battery lasted 6 years of that abuse and is now in my buddies Evo haha. With that said for a street car i think the 925 is probably a better choice.

I have the RL bracket in my 3.2 (bought during Black Friday) and i made a custom bracket in my 951. The bracket i made in the 951 cost probably $25 in material but it was like 4 hours of my time. I used an aluminum plate as the base and hole sawed it (speed holes). Fun project but like i said that was 4 hours standing infront of my drill press. Ive seen some really well done hold downs using cutting boards, much easier material to work with.

This was the setup in my track car before i switched to the PC925. What's nice is the 680 and 925 are fairly similar in dimensions so it fit in my mount perfectly.





Getting the full size battery out of my 3.2L was a relief. Not sure if the PO had the correct size battery but that thing barely fit and required taking the evaporator fan out. That battery was the same size as my '03 540i which has a bit more electronic stuff to run... .

[Tremelune]

I'm in the middle of a stereo install, and it seemed like a good time to finally remove my killswitch as well as mount my battery properly (it was being held in with a tie down strap for a while). I plan to duplicate this solution:

My Odyssey PC925 install

I bought a 12" x 12" x 1/4" sheet of HPDE (though ABS plastic would work just as well), some assorted metric T-nuts, and got to measuring' and cutting'.

The quarter-inch sheet fits the stock mount very well, particularly if you lift it up past the little lip in front. No wiggling. I plan to put a layer of foam/CCF under as a guard against chafing and rattles, but I suspect it doesn't need it.

[OffCamber00]

I am using a motorized wheelchair battery w/ the same physical size and specs as the Odyssey PC680. The battery was $40 and is on its 5th year. I have it mounted in the smuggler's box in an Aluminum bracket which was made for the Odyssey that i found on ebay for $20.

[Tremelune]

I would certainly appreciate links or model numbers. Cheapest PC680 I found was still about $100, and the only bracket I'm aware of for it is the Rennline solution from $100-140.

The Quality Power bracket I bought for my PC925 was about $40 with shipping...At that point, it's not much worth rigging up something custom/clever.

I have a future dream of using my smugglers box for AC components, so I'd rather keep the battery where it is.

[Pehlen]

I installed a PC925 relocated to the smugglers box. Finally removed the rest of the AC system, and removed the center console while I was in there. My first attempt at creating a carbon fiber part, also (new low profile center console cover.

I used the Rennline relocation kit. Pricey, but easy, high quality and looks super.

I'll post pictures



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Pehlen]

Pics

Remote power off pull


Rennline parts


Rennline battery relocate kit to smugglers box


Amp is now where the battery was


Carbon fiber low profile center console

[joe payne]

I have a PC 680 in my car for years. I disconnect it when I'm not driving and it's usually good to go. The only time it gets a bit weak is when temps get below 50 degrees. I have power windows and sunroof. If I turn up my stereo too much it will clip because it requires too much power. The only amp I use is the Kenwood sub under the seat.

[Tremelune]

I wound up buying a mount tray from Quality Power, which was dumb, because it's just a marked up version of Odyssey's mount tray that was pointed out by James Brown in the first response of the thread...Oh well. They actually sent me a steel tray, and when I notified them, they just sent me the aluminum mount gratis, so kudos to them regardless.

I added some closed cell foam to the inside to ensure a snug fit and maybe prevent rattles. Also a shot of the T-nuts hammered into the base. I probably should have put some foam on the bottom as well to protect the paint underneath, but this thing is very snug installed, and does not budge a millimeter.

[Cajundaddy]

Lots of AGM battery brackets available with a google search. I used the Odyssey bracket for a PC680 which was around $24 when I got it.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=odyssey+925+battery+hold+down&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aodyssey+925+battery+hold+down

The trick with small AGM batteries: Never let them go flat and use an AGM compatible charger/maintainer to keep it healthy. My 1st one lasted 5 years and I got complacent with my 2nd one, let it go flat twice, and recycled the useless carcass after 1.5 yrs due to my negligence.

[Snitzler]

PCM925 in a 1988 3.2 The infamous cutting board from Walmart. Works and looks great, lots of grunt. Also like the way the terminals are away from the body. +1 using a battery maintainer and watching the voltage. I left the interior light on and drained the battery below what the charger would deal with. There is a procedure to bring the battery back.