MarkC

1966 vert, L79, aftermarket a/c with battery on drivers side. My battery is at least 3 years old but probably much older. I would like to replace it. The opening to get the battery out does not look large enough. I am afraid of spilling battery acid as it looks like the battery will have to be rolled over on its side. The clutch rod and master cylinder are in the way. So, any advice on removing the battery? Thanks

Nowhere Man

Did they not cut out the the inner fender like factory AC cars and have a bolt in door

dplotkin

Wrap the battery in a trash bag & roll it out. I have a 56 Caddy with the battery at floor board level under the hood behind the left tire, same situation as you, that's what I do.

Dan

MarkC

Excuse me while I wipe the egg off my face, the car does have a removal panel. It still looks like a lot of work but very doable. Thanks for the responses.

Gary's '66

If you're worried about acid keep some baking soda on hand.

leif.anderson93

It is a bit of a pain in the arz. Jack up the left front, remove the l/f tire, remove the access panel (eight bolts). You're not going to want to do this very often so spend the money for a good Group 24 battery. I chose a Delco 72 month guaranteed replacement battery and I keep it hooked up to a Battery Minder. Also, if you don't have one already, invest in a battery cutoff switch to attach to the negative side of the battery and keep it unscrewed when storing your car. New battery will have a sealed top, so negligible chance of spilling any acid. I like the above advice of wrapping the old one in plastic before attempting to remove if it has battery caps.

Nowhere Man

you guys crack me up. we are talking about something that needs to be done 7-8 years or so. look at some of the newer cars and where there battery is. if this is the hardest job you have of replacing a battery in a 47 year old car you might what to rethink your hobbies and start writing checks.

MarkC

The battery in the car is fine now but I will change it within the next 60 days. I have decided to put an Optima group 24 red top. In doing research on batteries, I think the odds of a battery blowing up is less with an Optima. I had a group 31 Interstate blow up last weekend on my boat. I do not want to experience that again. The boat now has three Optima group 31 blue tops. There was no damage to the boat because the explosion was contained in a compartment. It was a mess to clean up, 6 boxes of baking soda.

dplotkin

Battery explosions are rare. They happen when a battery emits hydrogen gas, which it does in dangerous amounts when over-charged especially in confined non-ventilated spaces.

Any battery can explode. The best way to avoid it is to maintain a proper charging system including good, clean connections.

Dan