Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2015 20:49:21 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Finding the PERFECT starter battery!
In-Reply-To: <559C6A74.1020606@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
A true group 48 is taller than the group 41 or 42. About 9/16" or 14mm. It will not fit in the stock under seat battery compartments. Especially the sealed Westy box. There are some labeled as 48 but are the 41 dimensions!
The group 41 is the battery that belongs and is very common in VW and Audi products. Get a battery strap. The type that attach and lock onto the posts. For the campers, slide the seal all the way and rotate the base 180 degrees. With the strap the battery will easily lift out and can be easily installed. When shopping look for a battery that does not have the attached handle. Exide! That makes it easier. Be careful if you must use pliers, channels locks, vice grips etc. to remove and install the battery. The bending force can damage the post connection inside and if you short something out that arc flash and welded mess can be quite injurious. If you're lucky the resulting explosion may only leave you blinded. Things can get even worse when a battery goes up. Be sure the battery cables are installed properly and the plastic cover goes over the positive terminal before closing the lid. As for correct assembly, 87 and later the screw for the two red wires gets installed with the head underneath. Many place it on top for convienience. The head is now too tall and it can work through the plastic cover or if the cover is left off it can short out on the metal cover.
Seen it!
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott )
Sent: Tuesday, July 7, 2015 8:10 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Finding the PERFECT starter battery!
Fwiw ..
I just get a '48' which is a stock diesel vanagon battery with usually about 600 CCA's ..
they fit and work just fine.
the ones I use are from Knecht's Au
to Parts and are outright replacement for 2 years I think..
which is very handy.
some of my vans sit a lot ( now with battery-maintainer solar charges on many of them - not expensive from HF ) and when a battery isn't too happy ..
I just charge it up ....take it down there..they test it on their pretty smart battery tester and give me a new one.
On 7/7/2015 7:19 AM, PB wrote:
> Looking for a new starter battery that will fit perfectly without any
> mods. Does anyone know that actual dimensions of the starter battery
> compartment? Searched all over The Samba and this list archives and
> couldn't find it. Found lots of other very useful info, though!
>
> Pep Boys website is the only one that lets me look up the battery by
> group #. It's also very conveniently located and my favorite place to
> buy batteries. My choices are below:
>
> http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9073724/854/ *11.25" x 7" x 7"
> (approx)*
>
> http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9074039/00854 *9.5" x 6.875" x *
> *6.875**" (exact) (hard to find size)*
>
> http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/672432/00854 *11" x 7" x 7.5"
> (approx)*
>
> *http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9929968/00854
> <http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9929968/00854> 11" x 7" x 7"
> (approx)*
>
> *Bosch Battery Brochure
> <http://www.worldpac.com/pdfs/Bosch%206%20Page%20Brochure%20-%20June%2
> 020%202011.pdf>
> (PDF)*
>
>
> All but the second from the top are Bosch with a 3 year replacement
> and have more than enough CCA. (I don't have any plans to camp in
> snow,
> anyway!) Not concerned about any of the prices of the above batteries.
> I'd rather have too small than too big - I just want the best fit possible!
>
> Patti
> 90 Westy Automatic
> Sunny (Lost Angeles) California
>
