I have successfully installed =
the battery
blanket around the battery.
The main problem was the lack =
of space
around the battery, and the lack of access to the side of the battery =
closest to
the Westy's bow.
I did the following:
Removed the passenger seat, removed the rotating =
assembly.
This gave me complete access to the battery.
Covered the circumference of the battery with the =
blanket, and
started "jamming" it down into the thin space between the =
battery and
batterybox. I used a screwdriver to carefully push it all the way
down.
In the areas where it could not go all the way down, =
I just
folded it over the top of the battery. Then, I put the battery cover =
plate back
on, replaced the revolving seat assembly ( the hardest part of the =
entire
process) put the passenger seat back on again.
Finally, I plugged the blanket into the internal =
outlet, and
plugged the Westy electrical hookup through an extension cord directly =
to the
mains!
It worked! And my Westy now =
starts!
BTW: An engine at -20C needs 230% more power to be =
turned
over, yet at battery at the same temperature only has about 18% of its =
normal
power. Thus, the battery blanket was born of necessity.
Marshall Ruskin
84 Westy all bundled up
<snip-----Original
Message-----
snip>
OK, here's a dumb =
idea:
There is an opening just behind the front right tire that goes =
directly into
the battery compartment (there should be a cover plate on it - if it =
has not
rusted off). How about taking some 110 volt heat tape (like ones =
used for
wrapping around basement water pipes to keep them from freezing) and =
wrap
the heat tape around the battery (wont require much room) and then =
run the
plug out the battery box hole and then plug that into the mains??? =
Just a
thought. Malcolm S
Marshall Ruskin wrote:
I =
think a
battery blanket is a good thing, and will help. Do any other =
Cannucks (local
idiom for Canadian) have any opinions or experience with this? Non =
Canadian
opinions are grudgingly (suspiciously) accepted as well.
;)
There are two concerns I =
have:
1. There isn't much free space in the area =
for
the blanket
2. I will have to run an =
extension cord
through the window, I think. Any solution, even magical, to
this?