Date:         Sun, 3 Jun 2007 20:52:33 EDT
Reply-To:     Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeff Oxroad <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Main battery tight fit
Comments: To: mjhart853@YAHOO.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

The battery is definately a tight fit, but... One thing I mention in case you
don't know--although you probably do-- If you have swivel seats in your Westy
it is best, and I think necessary, to turn the passenger seat 180 degrees (so
it is facing rearward) to get the battery in and out.

The other thing raises a question if you already are aware of the above. I
can't figure out why you would have to bend anything to get the battery out if
it is the proper sized battery. This especially raises a question of why you're
the first one to have to bend something on this vehicle to remove the battery
since 1987. One can assume there have been two and likely many more battery
changes in that time. So something's not quite adding up.

I should also add an old-school battery carrier strap can help in the
removal. This can be obtained at most auto parts stores and slips over each battery
terminal to give you a grab handle to pull the battery out if your battery does
not have a handle incorporated from the factory.

I have used a Sears Diehard and Interstate batteries over the years.
Currently I have the Interstate MegaTron Plus, MTP-91 with 700 CCA and 875 CA, which I
understand is the bigger of the two group 41 or group 42 batteries. It is a
tight fit as they all have been. But, that becomes an issue very rarely as it
rarely has to be removed. In fact once every three years or so. But again it's
a tight fit, not an impossible fit. So again I'll go back to, if you have to
bend some sheet metal with the proper sized battery something other than the
battery is the issue.

I'm not clear if the mounting of the jump seat bracket has decreased the
battery box space. But again, getting the battery out BEFORE you mounted the
jumpseat bracket should not cause too much difficulty.

As for Auxiliary batteries: I see Gowesty.com sells the DRY CELL cell Odyssey
brand batteries another listee has brought up and they can viewed with size
etc. listed at the GoWesty site. Seems to me they recommend the Odyssey for the
aux. battery box under the driver's seat (not necessarily for the main
battery box under the passenger--that's not to say it would not work as a main, I
Dunno).

And in saying all this, I'm not doubting there is some issue that caused you
to have to bend some sheet metal, but I think we need to investigate further
what the cause might be.

Best,
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA




In a message dated 6/2/2007 12:25:06 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
mjhart853@YAHOO.COM writes:

Getting the battery out was a PITA - very tight fit, especially front to back
(had to bend back the back lip of the battery box and bend the cables as far
forward as possible).





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