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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Protect battery near dual exh ???

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Protect battery near dual exh ??? -- page: 1 2     Grant 03-09-2014 @ 6:30 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 538 Joined: Oct 2009 Cliftford........yes, the electrical system is still 6 volt. Grant 03-09-2014 @ 6:25 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 538 Joined: Oct 2009 Thanks, guys. Progress is slow on this project because winter has been ridiculously cold and the garage is unheated. Lying on the floor gets cold rather quickly. As stated, I have used a 1950 Ford battery box. After test fitting the box, it was then removed and a flat steel plate was welded in as a vertical barrier to keep the Optima battery firmly in place (it is positioned at the back of the box). Yesterday the box was permanently installed ........ bolted firmly to the frame in four places. Supereal ........ after fabricating and installing some sort of hold-down bracket on top (+ - 3/4 inch wide), which hasn't yet been done, would simply leaving the top of the Optima uncovered provide sufficient ventilation? Or should several holes be drilled in the front and rear vertical steel plates of the battery box ? I chose not to drill any because moisture spraying off the left front tire was a concern. The bottom of the box already has factory original holes for drainage. Today is pipe-wrap day. The product is from Design Engineering Inc. Their package says that this wrap "controls extreme heat", "lowers under hood temps dramatically!", and "increases horsepower". Definitely not cheap.......a 2 inch by 50 foot roll cost $71.19 (but that's just Canadian money). Next will be the wrapped insert which is going to be friction-fitted between the Optima and the left side of the battery box (nearest the exhaust pipe). trjford8 03-08-2014 @ 9:00 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 4234 Joined: Oct 2009 Use a block of wood that is wrapped with the fiberglass header wrap. You can make the wood the correct thickness to wedge the battery tight in the box. cliftford 03-08-2014 @ 6:31 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 2014 Are you running a 6 or 12 volt system? If it is 6, then there is a military ammo box available that the 6v optima will fit in perfectly. Check with a military surplus store. That might open up some new possibilities for locating and securing the battery.Here's another thought:Unlike a lead acid battery,the Optima battery does not have to sit upright. It can be mounted on its side, end, or any other position and still function. This message was edited by cliftford on 3-8-14 @ 5:37 PM supereal 03-08-2014 @ 5:45 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 The Optima in my '47 is housed in a wooden box sized to fit the stock tray and holddown bracket. The battery sits crosswise from corner to corner so the posts emerge thru the top as with the original. The box sides are made of bead board, with the top routed on the outside to resemble the top of the lead-acid type. Painted black, it so closely looks like a "real" battery, that most observers don't know the difference. If you use this method, be sure to include some ventilation holes in the box of the side that can't be seen when in place, as the Optima does produce some gasses when in use. supereal 03-08-2014 @ 5:45 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 The Optima in my '47 is housed in a wooden box sized to fit the stock tray and holddown bracket. The battery sits crosswise from corner to corner so the posts emerge thru the top as with the original. The box sides are made of bead board, with the top routed on the outside to resemble the top of the lead-acid type. Painted black, it so closely looks like a "real" battery, that most observers don't know the difference. If you use this method, be sure to include some ventilation holes in the box of the side that can't be seen when in place, as the Optima does produce some gasses when in use. murphy1936 03-07-2014 @ 9:20 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 191 Joined: Nov 2013 Have optima battery, two questions, no one sells optima hold downs for this battery yet non Model A fords they do, wonder why?, had to fab.my own, second question, what material is used to make your own box? Was going to use wood painted black and run insulation around inside box around battery. Is this ok maybe paint it black? Not too sharp looking though? John41 Super Deluxe 41 woodiewagon46 02-23-2014 @ 8:10 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 705 Joined: Nov 2012 Any speedshop or companies such as Speedway or Summit has a variety of insulation products. How about a piece of fiberglass pipe insulation around the pipe where it get's close to the battery box? Grant 02-22-2014 @ 1:55 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 538 Joined: Oct 2009 Thank you, gentlemen. This is definitely not an "original" car.........it has '39 hydraulic brakes, '39 pedals, a Columbia rear end, a '39 banjo wheel, BLC hot rod headlamps and what is supposed to be a '39 trans. The paint and top were done in 1951, and although both have seen better days they are still pretty nice. That as-found "patina" appearance is exactly what I'm trying to permanently preserve........a '36 roadster from the fifties. If you would like to see photos, take a look at page 55 of the November December V8 Times. For preservation reasons I do not want to cut Henry's stock firewall, even though a relocated battery would certainly be a reasonable and workable solution. And putting a battery onto the rumble seat floor would likely contaminate tools and luggage which have to be in that spot while on long-distance runs (that's what the car is used for). Having been under the '36 again yesterday for a few minutes, I think that the best approach would likely be: 1. get quite a bit of header wrap onto something like eight or ten inches of the left exhaust pipe, possibly held on by stainless rad hose clamps 2. leave some air space (1/4"?) between the wrapped pipe and the outside wall of the battery box so that the 30 mph or 40 mph or 50 mph breeze created by driving helps strip more heat away 3. on the left inner side of the box, which is closest to the pipe, build up more header wrap around a rectangular insert which can be slid into place alongside the left end of the battery (maybe a thin piece of aluminum? or is there a better space-age solid fire-resistant material?). Also, underneath the Optima, perhaps a piece of mud flap or floor mat should be installed to help keep the battery from vibrating on the floor of the '50 battery box? Is that a sensible idea? And what about some sort of flat steel bar installed horizontally from side to side in front of the Optima to hopefully keep it in position without being able to slide forward? I'm trying to make a best-possible installation here so that the battery won't die a miserable death like the last one did. The previous set-up was simply two pieces of angle iron facing each other, with the battery lowered down onto them. No hold-down clamp, no lower steel plate for the battery to sit on, no insulated pipe........just thin air.......no wonder the poor thing died. With the high heat and constantly wiggling around like a Willie dashboard wobblehead from Duck Dynasty, the next battery would be equally doomed. As always your comments and recommendations are much appreciated. cliftford 02-21-2014 @ 8:03 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 2014 It sounds like this is not an original car. Have you thought about relocating the battery under the hood? I've seen it done on a '34. Or how about on the rumble seat area floor?

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