front battery access - can't get it out!!

[66gtk]

How on earth do you replace a front battery on an early ERA with an FE?? I removed the valve cover, but I still can't figure out how to get enough room to wiggle the old battery out let alone get the new one in. Both are group size 24F. Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[patrickt]

There should be a trap door on the back side of the passenger side wheel well. The battery doesn't come out through the top of the engine bay.


EDIT -- It looks like the early cars might not have that trap door. Check and see. If there's no trap door then you have to remove the valve cover and wiggle it out somehow. Hopefully you don't have to loosen the motor mounts and jack the engine up or something....

[King- cobra]

After you remove the valve cover it is a little tricky but you can wiggle it out the top and replace it.

[66gtk]

Finally got it. It has to come out upside down and turned 90 degrees! For those wishing to know you have to tip the battery towards the back of the car (posts aim toward rear now), and then rotate it counter clockwise 90 degrees and pull it out upside down (posts facing down). Reverse for the way in.

[66gtk]

thanks

[patrickt]

Maybe you can retrofit a trap door in. Bob P. would know that. Here's a pic of mine from the last time I pulled the battery.

[strictlypersonl]

I've never taken a close look at that modification.

[ERA 778]

Another reason I am glad that I opted for the trunk installation of the battery!

Hal

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ERA 778

Another reason I am glad that I opted for the trunk installation of the battery!

Hal

But have you checked your corner weights? With aluminum heads, intake, water pump, flywheel, and lighter components the car is butt heavy. Shocking, but true....

[strictlypersonl]

Nothing wrong with a little rear wheel weight bias. I don't think you could find a race car built after 1910 that didn't have that.

[DanEC]

What I would like to have seen on the ERA would have been a bit lower battery location more like the originals and then the solenoid could have been mounted per original on the rear of the wheel well. Also it would have put the weight of the battery down a bit lower. But I understand the difficulty that creates with most people installing SC side exhaust and the cost advantage of using the same header ends for the street undercar exhaust - just not enough room.

But if someone, someday takes on building another street roadster from ERA and wants to look at fabricating some block hugging headers for it, modifying the battery box bracket to shorten it looks like a pretty simple task. It would be a task customizing header to clear a lower box - just not much room to work with due to the rise of the main frame rails.

[LMH]

Look at how clean that car is! Do you drive that all Dan?
Larry

[DanEC]

I took that series of photos of the underside right after finishing assembly. Still fairly clean but sort of dusty now. Trying to drive it but still working on a few bugs - latest is a leaking fitting on the oil pressure gage.

[Phill Pollard]

Originally Posted by patrickt

But have you checked your corner weights? With aluminum heads, intake, water pump, flywheel, and lighter components the car is butt heavy. Shocking, but true....

After the corner weight discussion a few months back I brought out my scales and weighed mine.

I was totally surprised to find a perfect 50/50 weight bias, and corner weights.

I have a iron head 427FE SO 2-4bbl with trunk mounted batt.

I can't remember if that was with my bigg butt (200lb) in the seat or not. I'm thinking it was.

Phill Pollard

[strictlypersonl]

Phill,

What's your chassis number? Later cars lost front weight via an aluminum radiator and finally aluminum inner panels after ~730.

[mr0077]

About the original post, I wish I had seen this earlier, I just did it on #598. I had changed the battery several times with no problem by removing the right valve cover, but the last time it just would not come out (I didn't try turning it upside down). I looked at it and thought for a second, and realized that the outer end of one of the rocker arms at a critical location was up, so I put it in fourth gear and rolled it backwards about two feet until the tip of the rocker moved down, rotated the battery sideways and pulled it out, no problem.
Oh well, lesson learned here.

[Phill Pollard]

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

Phill,

What's your chassis number? Later cars lost front weight via an aluminum radiator and finally aluminum inner panels after ~730.

ERA #446.


Phill Pollard

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Originally Posted by mr0077

About the original post, I wish I had seen this earlier, I just did it on #598. I had changed the battery several times with no problem by removing the right valve cover, but the last time it just would not come out (I didn't try turning it upside down). I looked at it and thought for a second, and realized that the outer end of one of the rocker arms at a critical location was up, so I put it in fourth gear and rolled it backwards about two feet until the tip of the rocker moved down, rotated the battery sideways and pulled it out, no problem.
Oh well, lesson learned here.

Now that's good to note. A little tid-bit like that can really make your day. Thanks.

[patrickt]

If you have one of the older cars, putting in wheel well venting, along with an easy-access trap door, is a nice weekend project. That will kill two birds with one stone.

[1985 CCX]

I found wiggling it out with a spot from below was huge.
Also needed to do it this was on a friends Ace.

One guy on floor pushing weight up. Supporting the spot.
Top guy doing the articulation.