battery removal
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,298
Likes: 2,217
From: Central Maryland
As kalister1 correctly replied, the gill-vent panel needs to come off.
There are a few screws that secure the front edge of this panel to the inner wheelhouse panel. Remove them.
There is a screw that comes down from above to secure the top-rear corner (lift the hood and open the door to see it). Remove it.
And there's a screw that secures the bottom-rear corner. This screw comes up from below (you don't need to fully remove this screw, because the panel is slotted -- only loosen the screw a few turns and the panel will be free to slide out. To get at this screw, you'll need to drop the front end of the rocker panel. You don't need to remove the entire rocker panel, only remove a half-dozen or so of the front screws so that it'll drop down an inch or so -- then you can get at that bottom-corner screw with an open-end or box-end wrench through the gap. The rocker panel is pretty flexible.
Be well,
SJW
There are a few screws that secure the front edge of this panel to the inner wheelhouse panel. Remove them.
There is a screw that comes down from above to secure the top-rear corner (lift the hood and open the door to see it). Remove it.
And there's a screw that secures the bottom-rear corner. This screw comes up from below (you don't need to fully remove this screw, because the panel is slotted -- only loosen the screw a few turns and the panel will be free to slide out. To get at this screw, you'll need to drop the front end of the rocker panel. You don't need to remove the entire rocker panel, only remove a half-dozen or so of the front screws so that it'll drop down an inch or so -- then you can get at that bottom-corner screw with an open-end or box-end wrench through the gap. The rocker panel is pretty flexible.
Be well,
SJW
Last edited by SJW; Jan 30, 2006 at 10:55 AM.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 393
Likes: 1
From: Houston TX
Remove the torx head screws joining the gill panel to the fender well. Remove the screw on the top of the gill panel near the door hinge. Then get a thing wrench to loosen the screw/nut in the slot between the gill panel and rocker panel. Then the gill panel slides out making battery removal a cinch.
Jason
Jason
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 3,261
Likes: 9
From: sonoma ca
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis Indiana
I don't know if yours is set up like my 86 but I was told that I had to remove a body panel to get my battery out..BS... I just unhooked my cruise unit and moved it out of the way, and the battery comes straight out of the top, with a little manuvering. 3 bolts and the battery was out of the car.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,874
Likes: 0
From: Littleton CO
Originally Posted by ses86vette
I don't know if yours is set up like my 86 but I was told that I had to remove a body panel to get my battery out..BS... I just unhooked my cruise unit and moved it out of the way, and the battery comes straight out of the top, with a little manuvering. 3 bolts and the battery was out of the car.
Removing the gill panel is not as big of a deal as it sounds. The hardest part is getting it aligned when putting it back on. I wasn't too keen on doing it in my '96, but having the extra room sure makes things easier. There is direct access to the hold-down bolt, and before moving the battery, I even found starting threads on the positive cable terminal to be a pain.