Firewall and Battery Carrier & Clamp

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:48 pm

It's time to refurb my firewall and make a battery clamp
Here's the engine side:

Battery side:

I will drill out the rivits holding the asbestos sheet. Should I just degrease it and refit? Or can I paint it as Stefan did his?

Then the thorny question of a battery clamp - I have none at present. I see Stefan welded studs onto the firewall, where mine has the slots.
Tubal Cain mentions a carrier in:
http://www.fordsontractorpages.nl/ubb/F ... 01171.html
How are folk fixing their batteries, or do they just 'let 'em swing'?

Advice appreciated!
Ben

Tubal Cain · Post by **Tubal Cain** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 2:45 pm

I would be inclined to leave the asbestos in place and clean it up as best you can, it appears to have been painted previously. You may well find that if you attempt to remove the asbestos if will break and what purpose will removing it serve?

I think that the asbestos is intended to insulate the battery from the heat of the engine rather than as a firewall. The Super Dexta has a bulkhead which is half the size of the one shown.

As regards the battery I do feel that it should be secured, just how that is done I'm not sure as I have never seen the original arrangement. The one which I posted previously was a tray which held the battery in position.

I assume that you have resolved the problem with the reconditioned engine, or have I missed a few posts?

Gerald

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 3:13 pm

Tubal Cain wrote:I would be inclined to leave the asbestos in place and clean it up as best you can, it appears to have been painted previously. You may well find that if you attempt to remove the asbestos if will break and what purpose will removing it serve?

Good point. I'll try cleaning it up in place.

Tubal Cain wrote:As regards the battery I do feel that it should be secured, just how that is done I'm not sure as I have never seen the original arrangement. The one which I posted previously was a tray which held the battery in position.

A clamping arrangement with rods & top frame is shown in the parts list. Unfortunately the photos/diagrams from your old post are broken. Please could you post them up again? Was your clamp of your design to fit a modern battery?

Tubal Cain wrote:I assume that you have resolved the problem with the reconditioned engine, or have I missed a few posts?

My rebuilt engine is sitting in the garage awaiting installation. With your advice, I have positioned it at the TDC. The rest of my tractor is now in bits! I'll post some pics.
Many thanks,
Ben

Jerry Coles · Post by **Jerry Coles** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 10:35 pm

Hi all
My Dexta batery sits quite happily on a cushion of dense foam that goes from the firewall, under the battery and up the tank bulkhead plate. The battery dosn't move and is cushioned from engine vibration which can cause break up of the plate lead compound.
With modern battteries I was think of making a toolbox to fill up the rest of the space above the battery, allowing of course space for the battery to breathe. At least the toolbox would be out of sight for most light fingered opportunists.

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 10:14 pm

Jerry Coles wrote:My Dexta battery sits quite happily on a cushion of dense foam that goes from the firewall, under the battery and up the tank bulkhead plate. The battery dosn't move.

Jerry, do you clamp it at all, or does it just sit under self weight? What about working on slopes or rough ground?
Thanks,
Ben

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 10:41 pm

The following details of a homemade battery carrier and clamp are from the old website, with acknowledgements to their author Tubal Cain. The carrier is shown below.

The hole ‘A’ allows the carrier to be bolted to the tractor by means of the bolt for the front fuel tank support. In fact all three of the fixing bolts for the fuel tank front support could be utilised to secure it. Note that the carrier does not have a bottom, ie it is a strap rather than a tray. However it serves to prevent the battery from sliding about.
The holes “B” are for the hook bolts, the ends of which pass through the holes in the carrier and the slotted holes in the bulkhead, and secure the top clamp, shown below.

The length of the hook bolts will have to be found by trial and error. Earlier Dextas have two bolts welded to the bulkhead (see Stefan's website) and the spacing is different to later models.

The parts manual suggests that the battery sits on rubber pads.

It may well be easier to make the carrier from flat bar, with pieces welded at right angles along each side. But make absolutely certain that the clamp cannot come into contact with the terminal posts.

The hook bolts can be ¼” or 6mm threaded rod with a suitable hook at one end and fitted with wing nuts.

Regarding the dimensions of the carrier and clamp, these should suit the chosen battery, which must of course fit into the space available under the bonnet. A suitable battery for a standard Dexta might be:
74 Amp hours
680 Cold cranking Amps
Length 278mm (10.95”)
Width 175mm ( 6.89”)
Height 190mm ( 7.5”)
A typical UK example is Halfords HCB096: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165762

Any comments or info on how you're fixing your battery appreciated.
All the best,
Ben.

Bill Cox · Post by **Bill Cox** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 1:17 am

We have lots of water here in south Louisiana and lots of boats. Lots of boats means lots of old plastic battery boxes lying around. I put my battery in one and used a rubber bungee cord to strap it down. I am using a box that does not have holes in the bottom so that if the battery leaks the acid will not harm the tractor. The following photo is the kind of box I am using, but I am not using the top. In fact, the one I found didn't have a top. If I had to buy a new one they cost between $8 and $12. The way I have it strapped would be left to right in this picture, not front to back as shown with the nylon strap. It is strapped port to starboard on the tractor.

Here is another idea from Attwood Marine products

$9.24 small - $11.16 large
Heavy-duty, non-corrosive black plastic
Includes adjustable-height crossbar and
two retaining bolts

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:12 am

Bill Cox wrote:I put my battery in one and used a rubber bungee cord to strap it down.

Bill,
How long is your box? What do you attach the bungee to?
Good ideas and cheap! Looks like the items in your photos are available in UK from http://www.chandleryworld.co.uk/acatalo ... ories.html
Ben

GERRY · Post by **GERRY** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 1:06 pm

i am useing the battery tray out of an old seris 3 landrover for my dexta, its made out of plastic with pipe at the bottom which can let any unwanted fluid water etc drainout , does the buissness and keeps the battery steedy , just the right size for the battery space, GERRY

Tubal Cain · Post by **Tubal Cain** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:01 pm

There is a small battery box on the Towsure web site, internal measurements 190 x190 x 285 long, cost about £12.00

Gerald

Bill Cox · Post by **Bill Cox** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:41 pm

Ben,

I'm not sure what size the box is. They make different sizes for the different battery groups. The battery I am using is a Group 34
L 10 1/4"
W 6 13/16"
H 7 7/8"

I looked up the available Attwood battery box sizes:

http://www.attwoodmarine.com/userfiles/ ... trical.pdf

and the one I am using may be the standard size which is
L 11 1/8"
W 7 3/4"
H 10 1/8"

Because I found it, I'm not even sure it's an Attwood brand. I found the one I am using after hurricanes Gustave and Ike which came two weeks apart last year and left this mess under my fishing camp:

I found it mixed in with all the other crap that floated up and figured I'd put it to good use. Although shot from a different angle, this is more like what the area shown it the previous photo should look like:

I got 7' of water under it during the storms last year. The living area is around 10' above the ground so there was little damage but a lot to clean up!

As far as hooking the bungee, I'll have to look next time I'm at the farm to be certain, but I just hooked it where I could. On the outside left, it's hooked under the lip of the shelf in front of the part you show in your photo.

Jerry Coles · Post by **Jerry Coles** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:47 pm

Hi all
I've taken some pics of my battery sitting in its foam cradle. The foam is high density from a sheet I bought to lay on when working at ground level. The battery sits in it and just dosn't move.
http://s307.photobucket.com/albums/nn28 ... 0Pictures/
If you take a look there are a whole load of other pics of E27N's etc and a BARV too which I had the experience of riding in last year. A big boys toy!
Regards
Jerry

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:17 pm

Jerry Coles wrote:I've taken some pics of my battery sitting in its foam cradle. The foam is high density from a sheet I bought to lay on when working at ground level. The battery sits in it and just dosn't move.

That foam cradle is simple but effective.
Thanks for the pics - you have Fergie rear centres on your Dexta and vice versa!
Nice tractors,
Ben

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:14 pm

GERRY wrote:i am useing the battery tray out of an old seris 3 landrover for my dexta, its made out of plastic with pipe at the bottom which can let any unwanted fluid water etc drainout , does the buissness and keeps the battery steady, just the right size for the battery space, GERRY

Hi Gerry,
Is this the one:

What do you do with the pipe as I can't see that it's going to fit, unless one drills a hole in the metal tray underneath? Maybe forget the pipe and seal up the drain hole in the Land Rover tray?

POSTSCRIPT:
It seems the dimensions of this Land Rover tray are:
Internal: Battery to be no larger than 30cms x 17cms.
External: 30.5cms x 17.5cms x 6cms.

So unfortunately this tray is too narrow to fit a 'standard' sized Dexta battery, typically 17.5cm wide (length is OK).
All the best,

RossM · Post by **RossM** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:22 am

Jerry Coles wrote:Hi all
I've taken some pics of my battery sitting in its foam cradle. The foam is high density from a sheet I bought to lay on when working at ground level. The battery sits in it and just dosn't move.
http://s307.photobucket.com/albums/nn28 ... 0Pictures/
If you take a look there are a whole load of other pics of E27N's etc and a BARV too which I had the experience of riding in last year. A big boys toy!
Regards
Jerry

Jerry,

What code is that Varta Battery you've got fitted? Does it fit well and crank over easy? Is the room for a larger battery do you think

RossM

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:14 am

RossM wrote:What code is that Varta Battery you've got fitted? Does it fit well and crank over easy? Is the room for a larger battery do you think

If I read the pic correctly, looks like short code E38, ie
Type 096 Varta Silver Dynamic Car Battery 12V 74Ah
(Short Code: E38)
Voltage - 12V
Capacity - 74Ah
CCA(EN) - 750A
Dimensions(mm)
278 x 175 x 175
which looks a suitable choice to me

The next battery up is 80Ah but the size is 317 x 175 x 175mm - may be too long?
All the best,

RossM · Post by **RossM** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:23 am

thanks Ben,

I have a battery wholesalers near to me who is a Varta stockist but he also has cheaper equivalents and is normally very reasonably priced. I shall pay him a visit.

Jerry Coles · Post by **Jerry Coles** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:11 pm

My battery is as Bensdexta says.
Probably a bit more expensive than a China label one but worth it in the long run.
I have no problem cranking the Dexta.
I also use a battery maintenance unit to keep it OK, I got it from Lidl a few years ago (with two more!) for about £6.00 each and find they keep my seldom used batteries fully charged. Good for Bikes (12v), cars and caravans.
Regards
Jerry

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:41 pm

Jerry,
Can you tell those of us who have our Dextas in bits, what is the max length of battery that will fit in the battery bay?
How tight a fit is your E38?
I image the battery bays of Super and Standard are pretty much the same size?
Many thanks,

GERRY · Post by **GERRY** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:48 pm

Hi Bensdexta the battery box you have is slightly smaller than the one i have , mine is longer , the mesurements are 14inches by 7 1/2 inches, at one end is a recess where there is ahole in the bottom , the pipe you have is the same as mine and fitts up onto a build in outlet pipe in the recess , the pipe then fits down between clutch housing and track rod arm , this holds the tray steady, this will take alarge battrey as the old landrovers had , Gerry

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:14 pm

GERRY wrote:Hi Bensdexta the battery box you have is slightly smaller than the one i have , mine is longer , the mesurements are 14inches (355.6mm) by 7 1/2 inches (190.5mm), at one end is a recess where there is ahole in the bottom , the pipe you have is the same as mine and fitts up onto a build in outlet pipe in the recess , the pipe then fits down between clutch housing and track rod arm , this holds the tray steady, this will take alarge battrey as the old landrovers had , Gerry

Gerry,
That's quite a bit bigger - the one in my pic above is said to be a Land Rover series 2/3 tray. I wonder what model yours came from?
If you have a pic of yours installed in your tractor that would be great - sounds a neat solution

All the best,

Jerry Coles · Post by **Jerry Coles** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:16 pm

12" across the tank, 8" between the firewall and the tank and 14" high.
My E38 battery measures 11" long X 7" wide by 71/2" high.
I was thinking that as there is so much height spare above the battery that a small toolbox could be located there on an insulated plate. I might have to secure the bonnet with a padlock though.
Cheers
Jerry

Bensdexta · Post by **Bensdexta** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:32 pm

Jerry Coles wrote:12" (305mm) across the tank, 8" between the firewall and the tank and 14" high.
My E38 battery measures 11" long X 7" wide by 71/2" high.
I was thinking that as there is so much height spare above the battery that a small toolbox could be located there on an insulated plate. I might have to secure the bonnet with a padlock though.

Jerry,
Many thanks.
So it apears that a typical 80Ah battery at 317mm is too long. The E38 battery you have looks like a good choice.

All the best,

Mervyn Spencer · Post by **Mervyn Spencer** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:24 am

Hello Ben

Just thought I would add a bit more confusion to this thread. My battery in a Exide Silver Calcium product, a brand thats been around my part of the world for a long time. However, the measurements are as follows: width - 275mm, height - 190mm and 175mm from front to back, I would call it depth. The specs. are Model 657c , 70Ah and 400A (IEC) no idea what iec stands for.

I must add that this battery has been quite adiquate for my purposes, albeit I have never put the tractor to any work. For your cold temps you may need something greater than 70Ah x 400A iec.

Regards
Mervyn

GERRY · Post by **GERRY** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 10:41 am

sorry bensdexta but i cant post pictures i havent got the know how

but i have it in my s/d which works about 3/6 mths of the year, igot the tray out of a old scraped landrover i though it was a serris 3 but might have been an earlier type or later

the recess overhangs the metal battery plate on tractor which is ideal for the pipe . ihave used in my dexta an s/d whith different size batterys and it does the job although might not be 100/: but is easly removed , just lifts out , Gerry

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