Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 14:27:31 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: battery compartment
In-Reply-To: <089b01cb1f97$249f8d30$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Thanks Scott, that's the clamp I have, and I think I visualize now how it works with the PROPER battery. Just got back from visiting my mechanic, whom I respect a great deal. He stated that the Rube Goldberg way I shimmed the too small battery in and used the PROPER clamp, but over the top of this battery (no way it is holding this one by running down the side, won't work) is fine. The whole setup appears to me to be very solid, the clamp fits tightly against the batter and the battery seems really not at all capable of moving. My mechanic said it is tighter and less likely to move than the majority of them. So, I now have the positive post covered in a way that I don't believe it could contact the lid at all, albeit with rubber (three thicknesses).
I'm going to use it as is and get some more good out of this battery, but will replace it with a proper sized one when it needs replacing.
What is your complaint about Diehard batteries? Used to (years ago) be all I used. In recent years, believing most of them to be all the same, I've more price shopped. I believe I have a Pep Boys battery in my Honda. Of course, my Prius has the original battery from Toyota.
BTW, you said you get a good, long life battery, probably 60 months. All the FLAPs around here claim their batteries are good for ten years, three years full free replacement, after that prorated. But, what do I know? Not much, as all these posts have shown.
Thanks for all your help.
Leaving for Spokane tomorrow, lots still to do.
David
---- Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> Whoops !
> I take that all back about the L shapped battery hold-down bracket if it's a
> WESTY with screw-down metal battery cover. !
>
> In any case the thread used is ....
> M 8 X 1.25.
>
> For a screw-down battery cover , the bracket fits within and under the
> battery cover.
> ( the L shapped one is for a hinged non-westy battery cover )
>
> the kind for a Westy screw-down batt. cover is flatter, not L shaped in
> side view at all.
> more flat with a wiggle.
> about 1/4 inch thick, about 4 inches long, fits down alongside the battery ,
> and pushes against the lower lip of the battery, and is held by bolt at the
> top.
> it's all a pretty tight fit too.
> kinda fiddly.
>
> Sorry of the misinformation !
>
> Scott
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@COX.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 7:01 AM
> Subject: Re: battery compartment
>
>
> > ---- "Jack R." <jack007@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
> >> Does anyone have the "screw size" of the "Stock Hold downs"?
> >
> > 3/8 x 18, one inch long, fit the bolt hole of my battery box. However, it
> > seems from correspondence I had this morning from Scott Daniel of
> > Turbovans that my box may be different from some others. At least the
> > clamp he pictured for me is not the same as the clamp I have, and would
> > not fit on the bolt hole of my box to engage the battery in any way. I'm
> > really perplexed. I'm wondering if late models vanagons have a different
> > battery retention setup from older ones, but I have seen so few vanagons,
> > and seen the battery box on exactly one (and that one seemingly not set up
> > properly, having the wrong battery size in it), that I really don't trust
> > anything about the battery box on it to be right, now. David
> >
> >>
> >> I've lost my original screws, and have some not so good ones in place.
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> >> Of
> >> Edward Maglott
> >> Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 9:10 PM
> >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >> Subject: Re: battery compartment
> >>
> >> Of my two vans I have 1 or two covers and neither are in use in my
> >> working van. One of the covers has a huge arc mark where it touched
> >> positive. Both of my batteries are secured with the stock hold downs
> >> thought! I hope not having the covers in place will not kill me as I
> >> sleep in my van.
> >>
> >> Edward
> >>
> >> At 12:42 PM 7/8/2010, Dave Mcneely wrote:
> >> >As we all know, the battery compartment of the vanagon is under the
> >> >passenger seat. It is covered with a metal lid. What do you folks
> >> >do to insure that this lid never contacts the battery
> >> >terminals? The thing has screws to fasten it in place, but seems
> >> >capable of coming loose and becoming a conductor. I considered a
> >> >pad made of an old inner tube, or something similar.
> >> >
> >> >Thanks, David McNeely
> >> No virus found in this incoming message.
> >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> >> Version: 9.0.830 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2990 - Release Date: 07/08/10
> >> 14:36:00
> >
> > --
> > David McNeely
>
--
David McNeely
| 
