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Just purchased a 2001 convertible and the battery hold down clamp was out. I have the clamp and the bolt and purchased the spring nut that the Chevrolet dealer told me was standard per the parts list. The question I have is you can't get your hand under the battery tray to hold it while turning the bolt and I don't see how this would work going forward as whenever you would attempt to loosen the clamp to remove the battery it seems to me that the nut would just turn with the bolt. I would think that there should be a nut permanently attached to the battery tray to easily thread the bolt.
Did Chevy give me the wrong part or what am I missing?
Ironranger
Just purchased a 2001 convertible and the battery hold down clamp was out. I have the clamp and the bolt and purchased the spring nut that the Chevrolet dealer told me was standard per the parts list. The question I have is you can't get your hand under the battery tray to hold it while turning the bolt and I don't see how this would work going forward as whenever you would attempt to loosen the clamp to remove the battery it seems to me that the nut would just turn with the bolt. I would think that there should be a nut permanently attached to the battery tray to easily thread the bolt.
Did Chevy give me the wrong part or what am I missing?
Ironranger
Yes, there is supposed to be a nut attached to the tray.
Thank you! I thought there was supposed to be an attached nut-plate. The detailed parts diagram at the Chevy dealer didn't show that. Purhaps the easiest fix would be to purchase a new battery tray as they're not that expensive!
For such a simple problem, this is maddening. I just checked with the parts dept at a local Chevy dealer & was told there is NO nut-plate attached to the battery tray for a c5 corvette. The specs show a spring nut in which you need to reach under the tray a hold while tightening. This is not possible since you can't reach under the tray!
I could purhaps manufacture a nut-plate on the bottom of the tray, however, it shouldn't be that difficult an issue. Does anyone know "for sure" that a nut-plate is attached to the bottom of the factory battery trays?
Thanks LoneStarFRC! I ended up fixing the problem as you suggested. I removed the battery tray, punched out the two pop rivets and replaced the nut plate. My frustration was with the local Chevy dealer parts people who were no help at all as their parts diagram did not show a nut plate.
I just installed an optimal battery used the “puck”. It seems the back of the Battery is not held down. It’s held from the front of course. Is this normal?
Originally Posted by ironranger
Just purchased a 2001 convertible and the battery hold down clamp was out. I have the clamp and the bolt and purchased the spring nut that the Chevrolet dealer told me was standard per the parts list. The question I have is you can't get your hand under the battery tray to hold it while turning the bolt and I don't see how this would work going forward as whenever you would attempt to loosen the clamp to remove the battery it seems to me that the nut would just turn with the bolt. I would think that there should be a nut permanently attached to the battery tray to easily thread the bolt.
Did Chevy give me the wrong part or what am I missing?
Ironranger
I just installed an optimal battery used the “puck”. It seems the back of the Battery is not held down. It’s held from the front of course. Is this normal?
the back of the battery is held by a ridge built into the tray, try loosening the hold down, push the battery towards the firewall and tighten it back down. It shouldn't move it all