Battery Box

[sturmtyger380]

I got my battery box done and installed last weekend before the snow this week. After not being started for 4 months, I primed the carb and she fired right up.

[Cal_Gary]

Lookin' good, Sturmtyger! BTW, I like WWII German armor so your forum name caught my eye as soon as you registered.
Gary

[TOM R]

looks great, need to clean and install ours but the aftermarket batts we have are to big to fit

[N1VSM]

looks great, need to clean and install ours but the aftermarket batts we have are to big to fit

If you take out the 4 bolts on the floor inside the battery box (thanks sturmtyger for the great picture!), you can remove the battery hold-down, and then rebolt the box to the floor. I stuck 2 group 24 batteries in and they just barely fit. I also rigged up a tie-down so that when I turtle my rig the batteries won't short out on the box cover.

[Tom @ Snake River]

It helps greatly to stick a chunk of conveyor belting in the bottom of the battery box, just some kind of material for the battery acid to sit on instead of down on the fresh paint and metal. Tom

[TOM R]

ok thanks we will try it

[N1VSM]

Don't forget to post pics of the final product.

[ELBUFO]

Now that your box is all perdy, go to the hardware store and get a couple of rattle cans of appliance epoxy paint I have found it in white and black. mask off the box about 4" from the bottom lightly sand and hose'er down. Epoxy resists acid way better than enamel or lacquer. If you must have a nice green box, re-shoot it. Even when the acid eats the green, it will still have to get through the epoxy before it lunches on the metal. We did this a lot during my days in vehicle maintenance in the AF. If you have trouble coming up with the converyer belt, stall mat (horses etc.) would work. The best maintenance however is inspect and clean often...John

[peter e mark]

That sure is a great picture . You all speak of battery acid damage. Will I damned eternally to "Restoration Hell "if I use jell batteries, Like the Ultima 1000 amp red tops?

[TOM R]

if they fit use em they seem to last longer from what i've seen

[TOM R]

ok we are back to workin on this batt box since it is warm today and dad got some smaller batteries, so on the bottom of the box itself one of the large holes had what looked like a rubber grommet on it , are there supposed to be these rubber grommets on all the holes on the bottom of the main batt box between it and the floor?

[Cal_Gary]

I think those are rubber drain tubes an inch or so long-don't know where to get any (and I need 'em too).
Gary

[TOM R]

thanks gary, there was only 1 on the box and there is so little left i thought it was a grommet to dampen vibration or something

[N1VSM]

I think those are rubber drain tubes an inch or so long-don't know where to get any (and I need 'em too).
Gary

There is one drain tube. In the pic that started this thread, you see that in the bottom of the battery tray, there is an indented "X". In one of the arms of the "X" is a hole - in the upper-right in the picture. When the tray is in the box correctly, you'll see that there is a hole in the cab directly under the hole in the tray. I made a drain out of copper tube (sorry - don't remember the dimensions! - but it was about 3" long). Use something to flare one end of the tube. That way you can slip it down through both holes, and it won't fall all the way out. The fun part is figuring out how to tack it down so that the acid from your exploding battery doesn't seep around the edge. Don't remember how I did that either. I see the drain as more of a water drain for when you go playing in the mud.

[TOM R]

ok thanks, so i figured then that the 4 big holes on the floor under the box get grommets to isolate the batt box from vibration?