early car: optima battery installation

[jpnovak]

I have been having a few electrical problems that were finally traced to a battery that would not hold much less take a charge. So I took the plunge. A new Optima red for my little car. I purchased the smaller one. (Group 35/75?)

I got home from the store last night and went to install. I thought I took careful measurements so that the battery could be turned on its side and slid into the batt box with the two terminals facing outwards for connection. Much to my dismay, the battery is too wide by about 1/8".

I know others have turned them onthe side for installation. do I have to have the neg. post inside the box and pos. post outside? I don't like this, to much chance for a short. I tried to modify the edge fo the box to get it to slide in, no luck. what about shaving some plastic off the battery. Anyone know how think the casing is on an Optima? thanks for your help.

Jamie

[cds72911]

I do nto have any Optima experience, but what about placing it in the smuggler's box? I've heard some racers like this setup?

Charlie

[SRT356/911]

Charlie is correct about the smugglers box.
To do it you may have to remove the lid and make a battery hold down and/or support the bottom of the battery.
There are other ways of doing it in the smggkers box I am sure, as well as in the front battery areas.

[tobluforu]

Mine's wedged under where the hood latches. Way up front! Used a bayttery mount kit to secure to the floor. Fits great! Some don't like this method because of WHAT could happen in a accident.

[campbellcj]

I put mine on its side in the driver's side box. Didn't notice any problem with potential shorting or position of the terminals. As you know, if the negative post/cable touches the battery box sheet metal, it's not gonna cause a short anyway.

[Scott Chytil]

Here's what mine looks like in the passenger battery box. I bought plastic covers for the terminals that I had to slightly modify to fit over the larger aftermarket cable ends. The clamp holds the battery down very very well. This is in a '72T.



Scott

[Rustbucket]

"Date Registered = 12-28-1999"
"Number of posts = 7"

Wow Scott...you have great restraint!

Anyway, thanks for posting that shot. Looks like a pretty clean installation. (pretty clean trunk too).

Your Avitar looks cool....got anymore pics of that ride?

[Scott Chytil]

I just created my Owners Gallery on the site and put the battery and two shots of the car in it.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/gallery/scottchytil

Scott

[Scott Chytil]

As for the clean trunk comment....This was just after the front pan was replaced. Major rust on the drivers side from battery acid. Couldn't tell it was there just by looking at it, but last winter I'm looking under the car and there is a 6" wide piece of rusted metal hanging down in the front. Apparently it rusted out back into the wheel well too. The body shop guy said it was the best looking example of a rusted out pan that he'd seen.

The heater hoses are laying there because I had to replace the steering shaft because it was bent. Both u-joints on either end were replaced too. Now I'm tearing it back apart because either the replacement shaft is bent a little, or one of the other parts is bent because the steering still binds a bit. But I should save that for a different post.

Scott

[Rustbucket]

Nice car pics.....and, whoa....a 3.2 !!

I'm sure the S bumper will look good, but I like it the way it is.
Especially without a rear tail.



Keep up the good work.

[72SMFI]

Please correct me if I am wrong but I dont think you can use the neg ground post to secure a bat. I think it is just braised

[Scott Chytil]

Hmmm...Hadn't thought of that. I'll take a closer look but you are probably right. Thankfully it hasn't popped off yet.

Scott

[pwd72s]

Another option for those with early cars. Sonnenschien, the German battery manufacturer, makes an exact size replacement for the twin lead/liquid acid batteries in Gel cell. They are more expen$ive than going the optima route, but my last set held in for 7 years. I found mine through a local (Albany, Oregon) battery supply store. They are called the Sonnenschein dryfit #A200, if anybody wishes to check battery stores near their homes.