Battery Location??
- Thread starter Nice Dreams
- Start date
Youngster said:
We have had several new members lately (you included)That i would like to welcome aboard and thank you for all your input.But I'm afraid you guys are frying Freds and everyone elses brains so continue on that way cause there is never to much information.Thanks for all your input.I have but the interior to do to have mine as i want.
tfeverfred
Well-Known Member
Rick said:
I'm fine, Rick. Really I am.
DON'T I LOOK FINE!?
donsrods
Member
I thought I'd throw this out in case anybody is having trouble finding space for a battery in their car. When I built my current T I wanted it to be right on the ground, and have no pickup bed, just a gas tank back there. This created some space problems for me as to where I could hide a battery. There is no room to mount a conventional group 24 or similar battery.
Luckily, I ran across a battery built by Oddysey Batteries. It is a PC680, and measures 3 inches thick x 7 wide x 7 tall, about half the size of a regular battery. But for as little as it is, it has been used in cars with even blown big blocks. I put one in my T and it cranks the 350 Chevy like gangbusters and also has a lot of reserve capacity. For the first 20 times I started and ran my T the alternator wasn't even wired in and the battery kept starting it time after time.
Here are some pictures of how small it is and how it tucked in under my frame in the back. Hope this helps out someone with a similar problem.
Don
Luckily, I ran across a battery built by Oddysey Batteries. It is a PC680, and measures 3 inches thick x 7 wide x 7 tall, about half the size of a regular battery. But for as little as it is, it has been used in cars with even blown big blocks. I put one in my T and it cranks the 350 Chevy like gangbusters and also has a lot of reserve capacity. For the first 20 times I started and ran my T the alternator wasn't even wired in and the battery kept starting it time after time.
Here are some pictures of how small it is and how it tucked in under my frame in the back. Hope this helps out someone with a similar problem.
Don
tfeverfred
Well-Known Member
Youngster said:
I have never heard of them, but I found a website. They sound pretty tough.
http://www.odysseybatteries.com/
donsrods
Member
Another member on Clubhotrod has one in his '32 pickup, and he feels the same way I do about mine.
I had a long conversation with the guy at the factory before I bought mine, and he explained the technology to me. They originally built the Optima Batteries, which are also very good. But the drawback they found was the dead space between the round cylinders on the Optima. They were able to build a smaller battery with as much kick as a larger one.
When I was building my T my Son Dan was skeptical and told me I should make room for two of these, I mean, it just looks so small. But once we started the motor time after time and it cranks so fast, he is now a believer too. The other nice thing is they discharge very slowly when just sitting around.
Don
I had a long conversation with the guy at the factory before I bought mine, and he explained the technology to me. They originally built the Optima Batteries, which are also very good. But the drawback they found was the dead space between the round cylinders on the Optima. They were able to build a smaller battery with as much kick as a larger one.
When I was building my T my Son Dan was skeptical and told me I should make room for two of these, I mean, it just looks so small. But once we started the motor time after time and it cranks so fast, he is now a believer too. The other nice thing is they discharge very slowly when just sitting around.
Don
Mike
Well-Known Member
We used a very small battery in the race car. Not much larger than a motorcycle battery, actually. And we had no cranking issues, whatsoever.
The fellow that sold us batteries and other accessories showed up at Indy on year with a test battery that was t-i-n-y. If I recall, it weighed 6-7 lbs and it sat easily in the palm of my hand. He wanted to try it, to see how it worked, so I tie-wrapped it to the battery that was in the car and moved the cables over. We hooked a digital voltmeter up to it, put the car up on the stand and did a warm-up. Granted, we wouldn't switch on the ignition until the motor was rolling over well, but it spun 16+:1 compression over with no problems. It then powered up a Mallory Comp 250 fuel pump, an MSD 7-series box and an electric water temperature gauge during our 5-6 minute warm-up procedure. Battery voltage dropped from 14 volts to a tick over 12.
Here's a secret to extending battery life. When you put the car away for the winter, make sure the battery is accessible and make a regular practice of hooking up a small load to it and then charging it back up. When we worked in the shop, I would hook up an old heater blower motor to the battery and then after an hour or so, I would hook the charger up to charge it. The battery guy used to grimace, because we were easily getting three seasons on a battery, when other guys were replacing them each year. Some batteries are more sensitive to it, but they all have 'memory', so be sure to cycle them.
The fellow that sold us batteries and other accessories showed up at Indy on year with a test battery that was t-i-n-y. If I recall, it weighed 6-7 lbs and it sat easily in the palm of my hand. He wanted to try it, to see how it worked, so I tie-wrapped it to the battery that was in the car and moved the cables over. We hooked a digital voltmeter up to it, put the car up on the stand and did a warm-up. Granted, we wouldn't switch on the ignition until the motor was rolling over well, but it spun 16+:1 compression over with no problems. It then powered up a Mallory Comp 250 fuel pump, an MSD 7-series box and an electric water temperature gauge during our 5-6 minute warm-up procedure. Battery voltage dropped from 14 volts to a tick over 12.
Here's a secret to extending battery life. When you put the car away for the winter, make sure the battery is accessible and make a regular practice of hooking up a small load to it and then charging it back up. When we worked in the shop, I would hook up an old heater blower motor to the battery and then after an hour or so, I would hook the charger up to charge it. The battery guy used to grimace, because we were easily getting three seasons on a battery, when other guys were replacing them each year. Some batteries are more sensitive to it, but they all have 'memory', so be sure to cycle them.
engine24355
Member
Hey guys, some great information in this thread. So good it got me thinking about my current battery location. Seems like most everyone mounts the battery under the body to the frame, but mine is mouted in the bed next to my fuel tank. I have seen this before, but not much. Should I be concernted about this due to gas fumes etc? I did not build the car myself, but have been working on it to make it my own. It is an optima battery with a 16 gal. plastic fuel cell. Any advice??
donsrods
Member
Well, as long as your fuel tank is vented outside the bed and you have no sparks being created by something like a bad ground or loose cable, you should be ok. Your Optima doesn't "gas" like wet batteries, so there are no explosive fumes from it to worry about.
Gas fumes can be a real problem, even fueling up a car or boat you can blow yourself up because of static electricity from the gas going through the fill hose. They say you need to keep the metal nozzle in constant contact with the metal fill pipe so no sparks jump across the gap.
My '27 is done like you described, the fuel tank and battery are both under the turtle deck, but there seems to be enough airflow through that area so I don't get a concentration of fumes. I also put the vent hose to the side so the fumes kind of blow away.
One good thing is that the gasoline we buy today doesn't seem to have the same kick it did years ago.
:lol:
Don
Gas fumes can be a real problem, even fueling up a car or boat you can blow yourself up because of static electricity from the gas going through the fill hose. They say you need to keep the metal nozzle in constant contact with the metal fill pipe so no sparks jump across the gap.
My '27 is done like you described, the fuel tank and battery are both under the turtle deck, but there seems to be enough airflow through that area so I don't get a concentration of fumes. I also put the vent hose to the side so the fumes kind of blow away.
One good thing is that the gasoline we buy today doesn't seem to have the same kick it did years ago.
:lol:Don
engine24355
Member
donsrods said:Well, as long as your fuel tank is vented outside the bed and you have no sparks being created by something like a bad ground or loose cable, you should be ok. Your Optima doesn't "gas" like wet batteries, so there are no explosive fumes from it to worry about.
Gas fumes can be a real problem, even fueling up a car or boat you can blow yourself up because of static electricity from the gas going through the fill hose. They say you need to keep the metal nozzle in constant contact with the metal fill pipe so no sparks jump across the gap.
My '27 is done like you described, the fuel tank and battery are both under the turtle deck, but there seems to be enough airflow through that area so I don't get a concentration of fumes. I also put the vent hose to the side so the fumes kind of blow away.
One good thing is that the gasoline we buy today doesn't seem to have the same kick it did years ago.
Don
Thanks for the informaiton Don. My deck lid is not sealed to the bed at all (just sits on top). So, sure it gets some air flow, but not sure how much. Also, I have a polyethylen fuel cell with the aircraft cap. Not too familiar with these, but do not see a vent hose coming out of the cell. Should the cap itself have a vent or do I need to add one? Been considering replacing the whole tank and adding a shut off valve. As stated before, did not build the car, but making it my own and want to make sure it is safe first.
donsrods
Member
Your tank has to be vented somewhere, either by a separate vent tube somewhere on top, or through a vented cap. The tank on my '23 is one of the round Speedway tanks with no separate vent, but the cap does the venting. If your tank was not vented it wouldn't let fuel be drawn out of it, like turning a pop bottle over and the pop gets trapped due to air lock.
Don
Don
engine24355
Member
That was my thought, but have seen the same set up as mine vented even with the same cap. Thinking abou putting in a rollover vent just to be safe. Thanks again for your help.
BTW - Killer rod!! Love the retro style.
BTW - Killer rod!! Love the retro style.
engine24355
Member
RPM said:
Really think this is what mine does. Therefore, will get a vent and install ASAP they are cheap and easy to install. Thanks for the help.
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