Does anyone have experience using a smaller off the shelf battery? My Optima is mounted up front but it's about to give up the ghost and I's like to replace it with something that would allow me to reinstall my steering damper and still fit the spare tire over it. I tried the super small 16Ah battery with my 3.4 and it worked fine but would need to be charged after leaving the doors open for any length of time. It also has to spin over a Northstar so I'm a little skeptical.
I am currently running that model (type 51 auto craft silver 525cca) in a front mount in the convertible. It was done as a temp solution, but seems to have no issues. It only has to crank a duke, though. No signs of weakening after letting it sit for a couple hours playing the radio at the 30th.
Can you fit your spare tire over it? What kind of box are you running? Can't believe the 30th is over, on the bright side it's only 5 years till I miss the 35th.
I am running a Dyna-Batt battery with my LS4/F40 and it works great. The battery is mounted to the underside of the passenger head light bucket area and clears the 88 coupe fascia.
Since this is a non-aero notchie, I can't mount the battery under the headlight like I usually do. This swap also has me more weight conscious than normal and looking for ways to save weight vs. my old SBC/Getrag swap. So both of these items will have me experimenting with a Dyna-Batt battery. The battery has a 7 x 3 x 6.5 foot print and weights only 13.5 lbs... a 20 lb savings from a stock Fiero battery and its small size should allow it to be mounted between the spare tire tub and the radiator and not in the spare tire tub at all. This would provide access for jump starting and require just 4 mounting holes (after I fab up a bracket to hold it).
I might need to keep the blue dingy thing for my headlights because these small batteries don't last nearly as long as a stock sized battery.
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Originally posted by fieroguru:
Then I worked on the battery mount. I fabbed up these brackets to hold the battery, but ended up unbending one of the bolted flanges.
The battery is now mounted under the passenger head light, but the only modification to the sheet metal in that area was to drill seven 1/4" holes and remove the protruding flange from the 1" diameter drain hole on the bottom side. In the first picture you can see that the battery easily clears the bottom of the 88 coupe fascia (notice the 2 bolt air ducting bracket on the other side of the battery).
The mounting bracket holds the battery firm in 3 directions and the batter hold down tab secures it in the 4th direction.
I always use a Miata battery when making my own small battery conversion. Less weight, real car battery, and real car battery warranty.
I looked this up and it's a good physical size and also AGM but only has 375 CCA, what kind of motors have you used it on?
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Originally posted by fieroguru:
I am running a Dyna-Batt battery with my LS4/F40 and it works great. The battery is mounted to the underside of the passenger head light bucket area and clears the 88 coupe fascia.
That's what I used under the spare on my TDC, just looking for something with a little more capacity this time.
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Originally posted by IROCTAFIERO:
Same here. When you coming back down this way?
Actually this is all your fault. Last time I came down there a tire blew out in the middle of nowhere Montana on my way home. Now I can't cross the country without a spare
Can you fit your spare tire over it? What kind of box are you running? Can't believe the 30th is over, on the bright side it's only 5 years till I miss the 35th.
CAN I? Yes. Am I comfortable with it? No. Don't like those top mount posts that close to the wheel of the spare. I have a tray that was made by Whodeanie (same design as Archie and Norm). I can get you pics without a spare in the next day or so.
I consider this a mod of convenience. I would not buy this battery for this car...but it IS working.
[This message has been edited by CowsPatoot (edited 07-01-2013).]
Originally posted by neverendingproject: I looked this up and it's a good physical size and also AGM but only has 375 CCA, what kind of motors have you used it on?
Tons of cars, WRX, STi, Evo, Skyline, Fiero v6, RX7...etc.
The Civic battery isn't as small as I thought so I went with the Miata. I was able to modify the battery box so could keep my steering damper and fit the spare tire over everything with room to spare. As a bonus you can hook up the vent tubes to keep any gas from building up in the front compartment, not that it matters.
