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| Replacing battery tray. Coating? (Page 1/2) |
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CSM842M4
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JUN 14, 03:34 PM
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Well, the battery tray in my '86 GT from Rhode Island rusted to pieces (imagine that), so I'm building a replacement to bolt in its place. I've been thinking since I started this venture about how best to coat the tray to keep from having to do this again. The answer I believe I've come up with is to shoot it with truck bed liner, unless anyone here has a better idea...? Thanks in advance - Chris
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cvxjet
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JUN 14, 06:29 PM
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I put mine up front in a fiberglass mounting....Plastic is the only thing that really holds up to battery acid....Why they don't mount all batteries in plastic (Container) trays and then have a drain that hangs away from frames and suspension is beyond me....Even "sealed" batteries leak stuff, and with our batteries exposed to rain in the stock location, any acid residue on the top will wash down onto.....THE METAL FRAME! (Even my CA car)
I put a plastic sheet over the battery when it was in the stock location to keep most of the rain off.....
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Fiero Thomas
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JUN 14, 08:42 PM
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Kitskaboodle
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JUN 14, 09:08 PM
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I know only about an older school approach. I brush on Duro navel jelly, let it sit for a while, re-apply again, rinse off completely, let it dry, then paint the whole battery tray area with Rustoleum and a brush. Please note that I used (and hope they still sell) the kind of Rustoleum primer that has FISH OIL in it. It used to be kind of a reddish brown color. And man, does it take a long time to dry between coats! Another tip is to NOT let the battery sit directly on top of the metal tray. Put a plastic liner or thin piece of plywood on the battery tray first!
Thanks, Kit
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pmbrunelle
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JUN 14, 10:52 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by cvxjet:
I put mine up front in a fiberglass mounting....Plastic is the only thing that really holds up to battery acid....Why they don't mount all batteries in plastic (Container) trays and then have a drain that hangs away from frames and suspension is beyond me....Even "sealed" batteries leak stuff, and with our batteries exposed to rain in the stock location, any acid residue on the top will wash down onto.....THE METAL FRAME! (Even my CA car)
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None of these things you're proposing helps to sell new cars, therefore it is illogical to include them in the design of the car.
Nevertheless, a tray with a drain (and hose going to the ground) is exactly what I implemented for my Fiero:
http://www.fiero.nl/forum/F.../HTML/142133.html#p8
Since making a plastic tray is going to be complicated for most folks, I would suggest using an Optima-style battery that doesn't leak acid.
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ltlfrari
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JUN 16, 12:06 PM
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I added an ‘acid neutralizing mat’ under my batterey a few years ago. got off of ebay. Maybe time to go look how well it's holding up but at worst it cannot have hurt any! ------------------
Anything I might say is probably worth what you paid for it, so treat it accordingly!
Dave
www.ltlfrari.com
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Mickey_Moose
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JUN 17, 05:35 PM
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For anyone that has replaced the tray(s) - how did you attach it to the car as the original was spot welded into place. Did you just screw it in or rivets or???
I bought a new tray several years ago, but the original is still in pretty good shape. It was just something I noted that would have to be taken care of in the future (also the fact that the tray is in 2 pieces). 
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robymon
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JUN 18, 10:41 AM
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Other options are powder coat and roofing tar.
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pmbrunelle
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JUN 18, 12:45 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Mickey_Moose:
For anyone that has replaced the tray(s) - how did you attach it to the car as the original was spot welded into place. Did you just screw it in or rivets or???
I bought a new tray several years ago, but the original is still in pretty good shape. It was just something I noted that would have to be taken care of in the future (also the fact that the tray is in 2 pieces). |
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I (mostly) replaced the rows of spot welds with rows of rivnuts. I wanted my battery tray to be removable.
Rivnuts install just like pop-rivets, but they leave a female thread in which a bolt can be threaded.
Pic:
https://www.fieromontreal.c...86.msg35404#msg35404
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CSM842M4
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JUN 18, 09:26 PM
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Thanks to all for the ideas. At this point, the factory tray is beyond salvaging - the little that remains after I cut away the rusted bits wouldn't hold a battery to save its life. The replacement tray is in the works, but it's for a lead/acid battery. I like the idea of an Optima battery; maybe when the current unit shoots craps... Toward that end, I'm curious, pmbrunelle - is your riv-nut installation holding up?
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